Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 January 2021
42. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the expected timeline for completion of fibre broadband roll-out to each property in County Tipperary under Eir and NBI. [3770/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools.
eir’s rural deployment of high speed broadband is a commercial undertaking and not part of the planned State Intervention network. It is not funded by the State and is not planned, designed or directed by my Department in any capacity. The decision as to what areas and premises are served are made by eir internally and on a commercial basis. My Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that process.
In terms of the roll out of the State led intervention under the NBP, construction works will have commenced in all counties within the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State are expected to have access to high speed broadband within the next four years. I am advised by National Broadband Ireland that, as of 15 January 2021, over 161,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed. There are 29,759 premises in the Intervention Area in Co. Tipperary of which 8,211 premises have been surveyed. Surveys have been completed in areas around Aherloe, Ballinalard and Bansha with surveying underway in the Roscea area and surrounding townlands, Cashel, Townspark, Boherlahan, Goolds Cross, Knockavilla, Garrenroe, Camus Bridge, Golden, Shanballa, Dogstown, Racecourse Cross, Rosegreen, Knockbrett, Mayfield, Boscobell and Dualla. Further details are available on specific areas within County Tipperary 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 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. BCP’s are installed at Drom Community Centre, Killoscully Community Centre and Killea GAA Club. BCPs are installed and connected at Moyglass Community Hall, Killurney Community Centre and Aglish Community Centre. Further details can be found at https://nbi.ie/bcp-locations/.
Poulacapple National School and Killeen National School are installed 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 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/.
