Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
234. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the roll-out schedule for bringing high-speed broadband to Arvagh, County Cavan and surrounding areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14547/21]
View answerThe High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie, shows the areas which will be included in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led intervention as well as areas targeted by commercial operators. The map is colour coded and searchable by address and Eircode.
- Premises in the AMBER area will be provided with high speed broadband through the State led Intervention, the contract for which was signed in November last with National Broadband Ireland (NBI).
- The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services.
There are 42,250 premises in County Cavan of which 26,008 (62%) are in the commercial area and 16,274 (38%) premises are within the NBP Intervention Area. I am advised that premises in Arvagh are located in both Blue and Amber areas.
The activities of commercial operators delivering high speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and my Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard.
In terms of the NBP State led intervention, NBI has advised that as of 17 March, 3,738 of Amber premises in County Cavan have been surveyed. Surveys have been completed or are ongoing in the areas of Ballinagh, Corlurgan, Araghan, Poles, Caughoo, Belturbet, Killashandra, Butler’s Bridge, Ballylennon, Redhills, Gannons Cross, Derryheelan, Castlesaunderson, Townparks, Foalies Bridge, Riverrun and Erne Hill. Main build works commenced outside Cavan town including Ballinagh, Corlurgan, Araghan, Poles and Caughoo. The first fibre to the home connections are successfully connected and in a test and trial phase in Cavan and in Carrigaline, Co Cork. Technical testing and validation will be undertaken prior to a wider release of the areas. I am advised that almost 1,000 homes are passed and available for connection in both Counties Cork and Cavan.
Further details are available on specific areas within 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 when works are due to commence. I am advised that NBI is working to provide more detail on its website, with a rolling update on network build plans.
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 17 March, 289 BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for publicly accessible locations and the Department of Education for schools. Gallonray House Gallonreagh Maudabawn, Kildallan Parish Hall, Killenkere Leisure Centre, Castle Saunderson Scout Centre, Bunnoe Community Centre, Drumavaddy Community Centre, Templeport Community Centre, Cornafean Communty Centre (located within 6.4 kilometres of Arvagh), Mullahoran Community Centre and Glengevlin Community Hall have now been installed with high speed publicly accessible broadband. The site at Castlerahan Community Centre is installed and connected.
Laragh National School is planned 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 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/.
