Question Time: Enterprise, Trade and Investment Monday 29 June 2015
Enterprise,
Trade and Investment Minister, Jonathan Bell, discussed his department’s
strategy for ensuring rural areas receive a broadband service during today’s Question
Time. A £23.6m contract was awarded to BT in February 2014 for the Northern Ireland
Broadband Improvement Project (NIBIP) aimed at bringing more choice and
higher broadband speeds to all areas of the country. The target for completion is the end of 2015.
Recognising that NIBIP will not be able to deliver superfast broadband speeds
to all areas, BT
were also awarded a £17.1m contract for the superfast rollout programme
which should bring superfast broadband services to a further 38000 homes in
Northern Ireland. This project will not be completed until 2017 and it is too
early to tell which areas will benefit from the upgrades. The Minister assured
Barry McElduff MLA that he is doing the utmost to improve the service in West
Tyrone where customers are growing frustrated and businesses feel that they are
working at a disadvantage. Those affected can use a postcode
checker on the NI Direct website to find out when improvements are coming
to their area.
The Minister
also described his efforts to promote the Causeway coast and glens as a key
tourist destination. £13.4m has been invested in the area in the last five
years to boost visitor infrastructure and tourism potential. The Causeway
coastal route has been the focus of several advertising campaigns on both sides
of the border. As well as the traditional attractions such as the Giants
Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, new products such as Gobbins cliff
path and ‘Game of Thrones’ filming locations have helped boost visitor interest
in the area. When sporting events such as the North West 200 and Giro d’Italia
are included, the Causeway coast has become one of the key areas of tourism in
Northern Ireland.
During
Question Time Mr Bell also answered questions on jobs created by Invest NI, a
proposed border development zone, employment in Newry and the new jobs created
at Denroy Plastics in Bangor.
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