Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 February 2023
67. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his Department’s plans on how to connect new builds to the National Broadband Ireland, NBI, roll-out, especially if they are in the ready to connect green area; how long this process should take if a new build is in the green area on the NBI's website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9977/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is great to see the level of progress in the roll-out of broadband. However, in ready to connect areas, and, thankfully, some parts of my constituency have that status, there is a lack of clarity with regard to people who are in new builds who want to get high-speed broadband connections under the national broadband plan, NBP. In particular, I refer to those in areas that are ready to connect. What is the process for a person with a new build in a ready to connect area who wants to get a broadband connection? What is the Department doing to help them? Will the Minister of State give a statement on the issue?
I thank the Deputy for acknowledging that the NBP is progressing. More than 120,000 families in rural areas across Ireland can now have access to fibre broadband. One member of the public in Wexford wrote to me to say that she can now use her mobile home because she is connected to the network via fibre.
The Deputy's question is very specific, and it is a good one. All new-build premises in the state intervention area are covered under the NBP project agreement. NBI identifies new premises via Geodirectory updates that are added to the NBP intervention area on a quarterly basis. NBI then undertakes an assessment of the new premises and determines what is required in order for them to be connected to the NBI network in the relevant area. Depending on the outcome of that assessment process, a premises may be part of a future planned build programme or there may be additional work required to connect it if the network build has already begun. The assessment will determine the date for final connection. As an example, following an NBI assessment, approximately 500 new premises, built since the project started, will be able to place orders by 28 February. Further details are available through the NBI website, which provides a facility for the owner of 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 from NBI regarding progress on delivering the network and specific updates relating to their own premises as works commence. I expect that by the end of the year every premises that has been built since the project started will be able to connect to fibre. Our contract does not provide for a short timeline on this. The contract just says that within the seven years of the project deployment you have to connect. That is clearly not good enough if you are in a blue area that seems to have been completed yet you have to wait until the end. I am in talks with NBI about getting better time lines on that but in practice they are being delivered in a short period.
I thank the Minister of State for the information provided. I acknowledge that those in areas that have had high-speed broadband roll-out through the NBP have had a very positive experience. There are many households, including my own, where people are working from home and also travelling to and from work. This dual model whereby people might be part of the time in their work premises and part of the time at home is going to be part of the future of working and of remote working. I do not think that full-time remote working is an option for productive work spaces in some cases. However, in some areas it works really well and allows a more family friendly dynamic. That shows why this is important for a couple with a new-build house. I am speaking in general terms but people know what I mean. For a young couple who have just built a house or a young person who has just built their own home, getting connected to broadband in rural Ireland is super-important in the context of their work. Such people might not have the option of accessing remote working hubs.
I thank the Minister of State for some clarification on the matter. It is good news, and something I can go back to my constituents with.
The Deputy is absolutely right. The NBP is revitalising rural Ireland. It is allowing people to spend time in their home village or at their home farm, with their family, looking after somebody and they can spend time and spend money in their local area. It might not be every day of the week, but just the being able to go back to where they are from and spend time there is breathing new life into areas. You can see it with the new businesses that are springing up in villages around the country. Our contract with NBI states that it does not get paid until it connects people. It gets paid for each premises it connects, so it has a clear incentive. After it connects a premises, there is then a subscription revenue. That is the incentive for it to do the work, and it avoids the problem whereby somebody has not been connected and yet we are still paying. I am very grateful for that.
If the Deputy wants any details on the roll-out in Cork or in any other county, I can provide specific details if it is of use.
On the same topic, it could even be the same people in the same constituency. I have a young family that built a house recently. Fibre had already passed the house before they could get connected. They have been informed that it could be months before they can be connected. The house has to be surveyed by NBI before it can be connected. The houses on each side are already connected. This man wants to work from home and cannot do so. He is frustrated as to why NBI cannot survey his house in a shorter time. He is being told that NBI cannot do it. This is causing fierce frustration when it has already passed the house and when the houses on either side are connected. Can the Minister of State give us any indication as to how this might be changed?
In this situation, the road has been connected but their house was built since the line was put in. A survey has to be carried out before the house can be connected. The constituent is frustrated by the length of time that it is taking. That is why I am going to work with NBI to agree on a procedure. At the moment, that person is not guaranteed to get broadband within months. Under the contract, they are guaranteed to get it in years. I want to ensure they are not left until the end. This is a seven-year project. A significant number of people will be getting this in 2025 and 2026, and the Deputy can imagine how frustrated they are. I will work with NBI and see how we can agree a reasonable, fair and practical way to give people an indication of how long it takes to get connected if they have built new homes in the intervention area.
