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National Broadband Plan

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 March 2021

Wednesday, 10 March 2021

Ceisteanna (101, 174)

Christopher O'Sullivan

Ceist:

101. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps being taken to support remote working through the roll-out of high-speed fibre broadband connections in internet blackspot-prone rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44160/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

174. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the initiatives he plans to take to expedite the availability of reliable, effective, high-speed broadband nationally with particular reference to the need to facilitate those forced to work or study at home arising from the Covid-19 crisis; if he remains satisfied that everything is being done that can be done to facilitate the workforce in these circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1499/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 174 together.

The Covid 19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of good reliable broadband to ensure that citizens across Ireland can avail of remote working, education and other essential online facilities. This is reflected in the commitments in the Programme for Government where delivery of the National Broadband Plan will be a key enabler to many of the policies envisaged particularly around increased levels of remote working.

Design work on the National Broadband Plan is complete or ongoing in target townlands across every county in Ireland with over 186,000 premises surveyed as of the 3 March. This survey work is feeding into detailed designs for each deployment area and the first fibre to the home connections are connected and in a test and trial phase in Carrigaline, Co Cork. They will be subject to technical testing and validation prior to a wider release of the area. Over the coming months retailers will be able to resell the service and householders in these areas will be able to order high speed broadband provided via the NBI network. A test and trial phase in Cavan and Galway will also commence shortly.

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 3 March, 287 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.

The Programme for Government has committed to seek to accelerate the roll out of the National Broadband Plan. In this regard, my Department continues to engage with NBI to explore the feasibility of accelerating aspects of this rollout to establish the possibility of bringing forward premises which are currently scheduled in years 6 and 7 of the current plan to an earlier date.

NBI has established a dedicated team to investigate acceleration of the rollout from its current contracted schedule of seven years. Exploring the potential to accelerate the network rollout is being undertaken in parallel with the measures required to mitigate delays arising as a result of Covid-19.

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