Vol. 527 No. 2
71 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if the access point for the broadband infrastructure links will be located in the town of Westport, County Mayo in order to facilitate local businesses; when the links will be ready for use; and the position in this regard. [28068/00]
The provision of telecommunications and broadband infrastructure and services is a matter in the first instance for the companies which now operate in a fully liberalised market. My responsibility is for public policy in the sector within which these companies operate. I have, in recent years, put in place a number of initiatives, which seek to address gaps in communications infrastructure in Ireland, particularly those in rural areas.
Under the National Development Plan 1994-1999, IR£21 million was made available to support the roll-out of broadband to the regions. One project supported under this initiative is the provision of an improved broadband infrastructure in the Mayo region, which is being completed by Eircom. Part of this project entails the provision of a fibre-optic cable between Westport and Castlebar. Most of the civil works on this project are completed and overall project completion will be achieved early in the new year. On foot of this project, Westport will be directly connected for the first time to the fibre-optic backbone network and businesses in Westport will have a better quality service, increased bandwidth and more access options.
