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National Broadband Plan

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 January 2021

Thursday, 21 January 2021

Questions (13)

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

13. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the date on which the home of a person (details supplied) will be connected to high-speed broadband under the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2982/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Question refer to a premises which is located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led intervention.

I am advised by National Broadband Ireland that, as of 8 January 2021, over 158,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed which is ahead of the schedule projected by the company. Surveys in County Louth have been completed in Areas around Dundalk and Drogheda. Further details are available on specific areas within County Louth through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie. Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises as works commence. I am aware that concerns have been raised regarding the level of information available on the deployment of the NBI network and I am advised that NBI is working to provide more detail on its website, with a rolling update on network build plans. NBI also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.

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. As of 10 January, 243 publicly accessible 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. BCPs installed and connected in Louth are Mattock Rangers Gaa Club, Killanny GAA Club ( which is 1.7km from the premises referred to in the Question), Annaghminnan Rovers Gaa Club (1.75km from premises), Clogherhead, Port Beach Knockbawn and Templetown Beach. Further details can be found at https://nbi.ie/bcp-locations/.

Walshetown and Saint Enda’s National School are connected by NBI for educational access as part of this initiative. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the intervention area for connection over the term of the NBP. In this regard, an acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan was announced in December which will see almost 700 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. Further details are available on the NBI website at https://nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.

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