Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 January 2021
17. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in an area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4725/21]
View answerThe Question refers 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 appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a connection to that network, particularly given the heightened importance of connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The NBP will ensure that in all such cases a future proofed high speed broadband network will be built to serve these premises and work to deliver on this is underway.
I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, as of 22 January 2021, over 166,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed. In County Cavan, surveys have been completed in Ballinagh, Corlurgan, Araghan, Poles, Caughoo, Belturbet, Killashandra and Butler’s Bridge. Surveys have commenced in Ballylennon, Redhills, Gannons Cross, Derryheelan, Castlesaunderson, Townparks, Foalies Bridge, Riverrun and Erne Hill. Pre-build works have commenced outside Cavan town including in the areas of Ballinagh, Corlurgan, Araghan, Poles, and Caughoo, in the south of the county. Further details are available on specific areas within County Cavan 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 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 22 January, 255 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. BCP’s installed in Cavan are Gallonray House Gallonreagh Maudabawn, Kildallan Parish Hall, Killenkere Leisure Centre, Castle Saunderson Scout Centre, Bunnoe Community Centre, Drumavaddy Community Centre, Templeport Community Centre, Cornafean Community Centre, Mullahoran Community Centre and Glengevlin Community Hall. The BCP site at Castlerahan Community Centre is installed and connected. Further details can be found at https://nbi.ie/bcp-locations/.
Laragh National School will be provided with high speed broadband for educational use through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Education 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 the schools aspect of the project was announced late last year and will see some 679 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/.
