Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 March 2021
47. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when premises in the intervention areas will receive high speed fibre broadband; if there is a timetable for the roll-out in these areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13081/21]
View answerDesign work is complete or ongoing under the National Broadband Plan in target townlands across every county in Ireland with nearly 187,000 premises surveyed as of 3 March 2021.
This survey work is feeding into detailed designs for each deployment area and the first fibre to the home connections have been made in Carrigaline, Co Cork and in Cavan. Technical testing and validation continues prior to a wider release of the area. I am advised by NBI that build works are continuing across the country in 11 Deployment Areas, including a total of 45,000 premises, and "make ready" work is underway in a further 18 Deployment Areas that include a further 64,688 premises.
The Covid 19 pandemic has had an impact on the delivery of the fibre network resulting in delays on delivery of aspects of the programme. Impacts include challenges with mobilisation of key contractors with restrictions on operations, supply chain and logistic delays both nationally and internationally, as well as the recruitment of key personnel as NBI and its contractors scale up, including challenges associated with on-boarding and training people. 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.
I am advised that NBI are working to provide greater functionality and more detail on their website with a rolling update of network build plans.
