Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:13. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the national broadband roll-out will reach Cuffesgrange, County Kilkenny. [4602/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 28 January 2021
Ceisteanna (13)
Freagraí scríofa
The 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. The deployment plan forecasts construction commenced in all counties within the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State having access to high speed broadband within the next four years.
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 Kilkenny, surveys have been completed in the areas of Kilkenny, Grovine, Bennetsbridge and Cuffesgrange. Further details are available on specific areas within County Killkenny 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 Kilkenny are Graine Community Hall, Galmoy Community Centre, Ballyouskill Parish Hall and Muckalee Handball Club. Tullaghought Parish Hall and Crosspatrick Parish Hall are BCP sites that are installed and connected. Further details can be found at https://nbi.ie/bcp-locations/.
Creenkill National School and St Michael's Primary School are installed by NBI and will be connected 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/.