Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 February 2017
610. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he is taking to ensure the national broadband scheme will be rolled out in as short and tight a timeframe as possible once awarded; the expected timeframe involved; the penalties that will apply for non-compliance with the timeframes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7169/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed broadband services to all households, schools and businesses in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a priority. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment by the telecommunications sector and a State Intervention.
Currently, approximately 1.4m premises in Ireland can get high speed broadband of a minimum of 30 Megabits per second from commercial service providers and investment by the telecoms sector is continuing to expand this footprint.
The formal procurement process in is train to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network within the State Intervention Area and is being intensively managed, to ensure an outcome that delivers a future-proofed network, for at least 25 years of the contract and beyond.
Intensive dialogue with bidders is continuing and to date there have been over 300 hours of competitive dialogue and a draft contract has been issued. The draft contract makes provision for a series of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) associated with delivery and operational performance of the network for the duration of the contract. Non-performance against these KPIs will attract financial penalties. I do not intend to publish any further information relevant to the procurement process at this stage.
My Department will shortly update the High Speed Broadband map and finalise this Intervention Area to give certainty to the Procurement Process, taking into account industry investments that have not materialised in Blue areas, together with new industry investments within the proposed State Intervention Area, along with concrete and credible commitments by industry for further new investments within the Intervention Area.
The timeframe for the procurement continues to be dependent on a range of factors including the complexities that may be encountered by the procurement team and bidders, during the procurement process.
