Broadband Service Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019

Tuesday, 23 July 2019

Ceisteanna (2232)

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

2232. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number and location of primary and secondary schools connected to high speed broadband; the number and locations of schools awaiting connection to high speed broadband in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32641/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

I refer the Deputy to the reply to Question No 605 of 25 June 2019. Through the 2012 Schools 100Mbps Project all 780+ post primary schools across Ireland were provided with access to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) high speed broadband. The aim of this project, which was achieved, was to ensure that all second level students can enhance their learning experience through digital access.

The National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every home, school and business in Ireland has access to high speed broadband. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment across the country, and a State intervention in those areas where commercial operators have provided no concrete plans to invest.

My Department published an updated version of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie . The Map shows is searchable by address/Eircode:

· The AMBER area represents the parts of the country where commercial operators have no plans to build high speed broadband networks. Premises in the AMBER area will be provided with high speed broadband through the State Intervention.

· The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services.

· The LIGHT BLUE area represents eir's commercial rural deployment plans to rollout high speed broadband to 300,000 premises as part of a Commitment Agreement signed with my Department in April 2017.

I recently brought a recommendation to Government to confer Preferred Bidder status on Granahan McCourt, the remaining bidder in the NBP procurement process and Government agreed to this. The Government decision on 7 May 2019 means that it is intended to award the State Intervention contract to National Broadband Ireland, subject to contract close, including the finalisation of financial and legal documents. Deployment of the NBP State Intervention network will commence shortly after that.

The Bidder has indicated that the NBP State intervention will take an estimated 7 years from the beginning of deployment. A deployment plan will be made available by the Bidder once the contract is signed.

The Bidder is aiming to pass 133,000 premises by the end of the second year, with 70-100,000 passed each year thereafter until roll out is completed.

As regards Primary Schools, 674 schools located in the Amber area will be provided with high speed broadband through the State Intervention. 1,965 schools located in the Blue area are already or will be provided with high speed broadband through commercial operators and 503 schools located in the Light Blue area will be provided with high speed broadband through eir’s ongoing roll out which is nearing completion.

The table gives a breakdown by number and location of Primary schools according to the Map.

COUNTY	AMBER	BLUE	LIGHT BLUE	TOTAL
CARLOW	6	29	6	41
CAVAN	21	40	14	75
CLARE	33	58	21	112
CORK	87	209	52	348
DONEGAL	43	113	19	175
DUBLIN	8	439	2	449
GALWAY	59	116	54	229
KERRY	29	65	38	132
KILDARE	14	86	3	103
KILKENNY	21	39	14	74
LAOIS	17	35	13	65
LEITRIM	14	17	8	39
LIMERICK	19	85	31	135
LONGFORD	10	20	7	37
LOUTH	6	64	1	71
MAYO	63	55	48	166
MEATH	26	76	13	115
MONAGHAN	20	36	5	61
OFFALY	15	38	13	66
ROSCOMMON	36	33	22	91
SLIGO	23	25	19	67
TIPPERARY	39	67	49	155
WATERFORD	15	48	12	75
WESTMEATH	16	44	14	74
WEXFORD	17	68	19	104
WICKLOW	17	60	6	83
TOTAL	674	1,965	503	3,142