Eamon Ryan on Newstalk now.

damien.m wrote:

Eamon Ryan is a ****ing liar. Talk about selling your soul. Duplicitous weasel.

Martin Kavanagh: Why are the Govt so anxious to push broadband? I have it and don't find it useful at all, my kids only use it for chatting. It isn't the future we have been promised.
Eamon Ryan: I think it is going to be part of the future and that is why everyone is pushing for it. One of various futures is the integration of broadcasting and communications. I am now paying for my fixed line, my mobile and my broadband 30 euros each - that is a shocking expense at the end of the day. We should be integrating those into one bill. Mobile, broadcasting, internet access. It's going to be cheaper and a better experience for the customer. Even five years from now it will be very different. Five years ago most didn't use email. This is changing rapidly. In five years time we will have digital television, which will be available over broadband, we will make phone calls over the internet. the world is going in that direction and we should not lose out.

Aoife Byrne: When will Ireland have 100% broadband availability?

Bryan Corden: Do any of the parties have plans to make computer technology a subject in the Leaving Certificate

Eamon Ryan: A lot of our education is back in the last century in what we teach, many children have special needs and we should recognise that they may be better suited to learning with computers. Let's be flexible and say a child with dyslexia for example would be better with a computer. Increasingly you need to access information, trust it, judge it and use it. Our system needs to get away from learning by rote. That's out of date education, you need to know how to use information.

600. Deputy Margaret Conlon Information Zoom asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Information Zoom the position regarding the timeframe and the extension of broadband services to those parts of County Monaghan that are not broadband enabled at the moment. [18950/07]

The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband, is a matter for the companies operating in a fully liberalised market, regulated, where appropriate, by the independent Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg. The role of the Government is to implement regulatory and infrastructure policies to facilitate the provision of high quality telecommunications services, by competing private sector service providers.

It continues to be a priority of the Government that there will be broadband coverage across the entire country. In that regard my Department has undertaken initiatives to address the gaps in broadband coverage. These include providing grant-aid under the recently concluded Group Broadband Scheme (GBS) and investment in Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) in over 120 towns and cities under the Regional Broadband Programme. GBS projects were approved for the Lough Egish and Iniskeen areas. These projects are now operational and providing a broadband service in those areas. Twenty-seven MANs have been completed under the first phase and are currently being managed by ENet, the Managed Services Entity.

Under the first phase of the MANs programme the following Monaghan towns have received broadband infrastructure: Clones, Castleblayney, Monaghan Town, Carrickmacross. Despite Government investment in broadband in the regions through the Regional Broadband Programme, there are still some parts of the country where the private sector will be unable to justify the commercial provision of broadband connectivity. The procurement process for the Government’s new National Broadband Scheme (NBS) was launched on 2 May 2007. This scheme will provide broadband services to the areas of Ireland that are currently unserved and ensure that every reasonable request for broadband in these unserved areas is met. The estimated timescale for the award of the NBS contract is December 2007, with rollout of the services due to begin as soon as possible thereafter, subject to agreement with the chosen Service Provider.

602. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan Information Zoom asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Information Zoom the extent, nature and status of communications, discussions or exchange of views, he has had with groups or bodies under the aegis of his Department since his election to the 30th Dáil as a Minister; the outcome of such discussions and at whose volition these took place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19073/07]

. I met the Chairperson and CEO of the ESB on 20th June. I also attended, and addressed briefly, the meeting of the Irish Energy Research Council on 20th of June 2007. I attended a Sustainable Energy Ireland social function on 21st of June. I met with the Chairperson of the RTÉ Authority on 26th June 2007. Finally, I attended a social function to mark the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Commission for Communications Regulation on 27th June.

604. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan Information Zoom asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Information Zoom the degree to which he has had discussions, communications or an exchange of views with the service providers or others in the telecommunications field since his appointment as a Minister; the result of such discussions in the context of improved telecommunications, broadband availability and bringing this country to the fore in terms of the availability of state of the art information technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19075/07]

Since my appointment I have met with BT Ireland in order to familiarise myself with the communications sector and issues of interest to service providers. This is part of an ongoing series of meetings with all the major players in the sector. In addition I also attended a social function to mark the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Commission for Communications Regulation.

mike65 wrote:

As for demand, its true that apparent demand is low hardly a shock when you consider no more than about 50% of households have a 'pooter about the place however that does'nt excuse institutional failings by the legacy provider and the regulator.

watty wrote:

Personally I don't count HSDPA, Ripwave and 2way Sat as broadband. However maybe 99% of those represent people that WOULD have real broadband if it was available.