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National Broadband Plan

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 October 2020

Wednesday, 7 October 2020

Questions (36)

Brendan Smith

Question:

36. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications if he will consider the issues raised by a local authority (details supplied) on infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29216/20]

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Written answers

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract signed on 19 November last to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the nearly 540,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools.The NBP network will offer users a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 500Mbps from the outset. This represents an increase from the 150Mbps committed to under the Contract. The deployment plan forecasts premises passed in all counties within the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State having access to high speed broadband within the next four years.Design work is complete or ongoing in target townlands across 23 counties and steady progress is being made with over 98,000 premises surveyed as of the 28 September. This survey work is feeding into detailed designs for each deployment area and laying fibre should commence shortly with the first fibre to the home connections expected before the end of the year.In Monaghan surveys have commenced, with over 4,300 premises surveyed to date. Surveyors were working in areas such as Cornacassa, Cortolvin, Ballybay and Stranooden and other areas which will be surveyed include Mullinahinch, Bellanode, Drumhilock, Tydavnet, Cloughnart, Scotstown and Killymarley. This involves physically walking the routes and documenting images, notes and measurements of the poles, cables and underground ducts in each area. Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. Some 155 BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through 'service provider' contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for publicly available sites and by the Department of Education and Skills for schools.There are a number of BCPs located across County Monaghan where the public will be able to benefit from this service including Corcaghan, Carn, Saint Alphonsus and Mullyash Community Centres, Tannagh Outdoor Education centre, the Corduff and Latton Resource Centres as well as the Monaghan GAA centre of Excellence and Geraldines GAA Club. Further details can be found at https://nbi.ie/bcp-locations/.A number of schools including Drumcorrin and Drumgossatt National Schools will also be connected to high speed broadband for educational access as part of the BCP initiative. My Department will work with the Department of Education and Skills to prioritise the remaining schools to be connected over the term of the NBP.While substantial progress has been made to date, the Covid 19 pandemic has had an impact on the delivery of the fibre network. The extent of this impact is currently being assessed and NBI has committed to put in place measures to mitigate the impact in as far as possible. The Covid 19 pandemic has also highlighted the importance of good reliable broadband to ensure that citizens across Ireland can avail of remote working, education and other essential online facilities. This is reflected in the commitments in the Programme for Government where delivery of the National Broadband Plan will be a key enabler to many of the policies envisaged particularly around increased levels of remote working.The Programme for Government has committed to seek to accelerate the roll out of the National Broadband Plan. In this regard, my Department continues to engage with NBI to explore the feasibility of accelerating aspects of this rollout to establish the possibility of bringing forward premises which are currently scheduled in years 6 and 7 of the current plan to an earlier date. Exploring the potential to accelerate the network rollout is being undertaken in parallel with the measures required to mitigate delays arising as a result of Covid-19.

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