Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 September 2018
173. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans for fibre broadband at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39140/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware from my reply to his previous question, the two businesses in question are in the AMBER area according to my Department's High Speed Broadband Map, available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER areas represent the target areas for the proposed State led Intervention under the NBP and are the subject of an ongoing procurement process.
My Department received the Final Tender submission from the bidding consortium on 18 September 2018. This is a significant milestone as the NBP procurement process enters its final stage. Deployment schedules will be available following conclusion of contract.
For those premises currently awaiting access to high speed broadband, practical initiatives will continue to be addressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services.
Under this Taskforce, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through the Broadband Officers is continuing to strengthen. These Broadband Officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities. The appointment of these officers is already reaping rewards in terms of ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements with operators and clearing obstacles to developing infrastructure. The Department of Rural and Community Development maintain a list of Broadband Officers, a link to which is available on my Department's website at
https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/communications/topics/Broadband/national-broadband-plan/Pages/NBP-Information-Leaflets.aspx.
