Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 April 2019
56. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the role of the regional telecommunications development unit in his Department with regard to the national broadband plan; the progress to date on the provision of a map of black spots in mobile phone coverage undertaken by the mobile phone and broadband task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15597/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo pick up on the Minister's last point, we need to make it easier for communities to spend that money. Communities are struggling to draw down that money. I know the Minister has made some changes to LEADER but we need to make it easier across all the programmes.
This question is in respect of the national broadband plan and mobile phone coverage and the role in the Minister's Department of the regional telecommunications development unit. His colleagues are preparing this for the launch of the new national broadband plan. We keep being told about the access of population to broadband but as the Minister and I know, that does not necessarily wash in a lot of areas in our region in terms of access to broadband. I want to know what involvement the Department of Rural and Community Development has in the planning for the national broadband plan and also its engagement around mobile phone black spots, which are becoming a bigger issue in rural areas.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has overall policy responsibility for the national broadband plan. However, my Department, through the unit referred to by the Deputy, works closely with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and with local authorities to help prepare rural communities for the roll-out of high-speed broadband. The unit also supports the work of the mobile phone and broadband task force, in conjunction with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. The task force was established in 2016 to identify and overcome obstacles to mobile phone and broadband services. One of the key ways in which my Department supports the preparations for the roll-out of the national broadband plan and other telecommunications infrastructure is through the network of broadband officers located in each local authority. The broadband officers, who are co-funded by my Department, provide a vital point of contact for industry and the public regarding telecoms issues.
With regard to the mapping of black spots in mobile phone coverage, an invitation was issued in late 2017 to all local authorities to provide data on five or six prioritised local black spots, with a view to examining the potential for mapping mobile phone black spots in Ireland. The objective was not to compile a definitive list of black spots across the country, but to identify areas of immediate priority for the purposes of testing an approach to the mapping of black spots. While the exercise was informative, it was not comprehensive. Of the 31 local authorities, only 17 returned data to feed into the exercise. However, ComReg has recently published a national map of outdoor mobile phone coverage for 2G, 3G and 4G services for a range of providers. This map, which is available on ComReg’s website, shows the quality and prevalence of mobile phone coverage right across the country for each provider. It will prove to be a useful tool for consumers on the services available in their areas.
I thank the Minister of State. He commented that one of the duties of the unit was to prepare rural communities for the roll-out of high-speed broadband. As he knows rural communities are prepared for that roll-out but the Department is not and the Government keeps delaying the roll-out. What is the involvement of the regional telecommunications development unit in the preparation for the national broadband plan?
Is it good enough that only 17 of 31 local authorities provide the information on mobile phone coverage? What does the Department of Rural and Community Development do to follow up with the remaining local authorities? The Department provided €42,000 to each local authority to have a broadband officer in 2018 and nobody in the Department seemed to follow up on the 14 that could not be bothered to provide the very basic information. The Department was only looking for five sites. As the Minister of State said, he was not looking for a complex map. Fourteen did not bother to send it back and there was obviously no follow-up on the part of the Department even though each local authority has a grant of €42,000. That is not good enough. The Department cannot stick its head in the sand and allow that lack of response to go unnoticed.
I am not sticking my head in the sand, nor is the Department. We have 30 broadband officers in place. At the time they were only being put in place and were not working full time. To ensure the broadband officers are most effective, I meet them continually. I met them bilaterally with their chief executives in Galway about two months ago. I have stressed to them the purpose of their role. It is not right to say we are doing nothing. For example, we are preparing coverage for Malin Head where there was no coverage.
In preparation for the national broadband plan, over 300 sites have been identified as the first places to get broadband when it is rolled out. Therefore we will have a hub in the communities. These have been identified by the broadband officers. In preparing for the future digitalisation of the country in rural and urban areas, the task force has been working with all the stakeholders to future-proof all our infrastructure. When installing services in the ground alongside roads etc., we are now putting in the duct work that is needed for the future.
In the Deputy's county, Mayo, the broadband officer has done a digital map of all the existing assets in every town, which will be rolled out to every county.
We are particularly fortunate that we have an excellent broadband officer. However, clearly 14 of his colleagues are not doing their job in providing the Minister of State with information. As he has said he meets them, can he not challenge them to provide him with the information?
What is the view in the Department of Rural and Community Development on the schedule for the roll-out of the national broadband plan? The Taoiseach has announced the roll-out of the national broadband plan is conditional on the implications of Brexit on our national finances. Is that the Minister of State's view? Are we nearing a conclusion of assessment of the national broadband plan? When will the Minister of State be able to tell these communities preparing for broadband that they will be able to get broadband as opposed to talking about it? When will the people in Malin Head know what year they will actually have access to high-speed broadband? What is the timeline for the national broadband plan?
It is not good enough that the Department is funding people to provide information when they are not providing the information. While I do not blame the Minister of State, someone in the Department needs to get their finger out and follow up on that information.
Just yesterday the Minister, Deputy Bruton, who is dealing with that tender, clearly stated that a report on the national broadband plan would be brought to Cabinet by Easter. That is the timeline I have, which is the same as the one the Deputy has. It was repeated again yesterday in the meeting.
The Deputy has criticised the broadband officers. I met them along with the CEOs of each of the 31 local authorities in Galway. In discussing their role, I told them what they needed to do. I am confident that the role has now been mapped out for them and they will be a very important part of the roll-out.
The Deputy spoke about rural areas that do not have broadband. The object of this exercise is to ensure that every house in the country is treated equally; that is my aim.
