Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We will check that. We will also query this issue with NOAC. We will note and publish the item of correspondence.

No. 1390 B is from Mr. Ciarán Ó hÓbáin, assistant secretary at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and is dated 4 August 2022. It provides a further update on recommendations made in our report on the examination of the 2019 and 2020 appropriation accounts for Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications and expenditure on the national broadband plan. It is proposed to note and publish this item of correspondence. Is that agreed? Agreed. I have flagged this as several issues arise.

There are a couple of issues of note to mention. One that jumped out was the progress on the national broadband plan. Things are falling way behind. As of 30 June, 63,662 households or premises had been passed. That is a fraction of the original target even bearing in mind that there was a hold-up relating to the pandemic for a number of months. Of even more concern is the number of connections. One section of the correspondence relates to key updates and the current targets for National Broadband Ireland, NBI. The target is that by January 2023, only 102,000 households will be passed. There will be some 284 community connection points and 679 schools will be provided for. Those two targets are okay. However, the target for the number of premises passed has fallen way behind. The correspondence refers to milestones achieved. The number premises passed is ahead of target at the end of June, according to this document. These are moveable targets that keep being changed. Some 15,000 premises have been connected to the NBI network. That is 15,000 of more than 500,000. It is a concern, considering the money that has gone into the project. Those figures tell me that many of the people in rural areas where the plan is being rolled out have been serviced by another wireless provider. They are saying they are grand and have not switched over to the NBI system. We are due to have the representatives of NBI before the committee in the coming weeks and we need to raise this issue with them. They are way behind and have achieved a fraction of the original targets for premises passed. Even more concerning from the perspective of value for money and from the point of view of the committee is the section of this document touching on current targets and milestones achieved. It refers to quarter 2 of 2022. This correspondence is from 30 June. Only 15,000 premises have been connected to the NBI network. We are considering value for money. Are people suddenly going to decide to switch over? To date, the rate is minuscule. Almost €3 billion is going into this project.

We do not have to do anything at this point, particularly if we are due to have representatives of NBI before the committee in the coming weeks. However, those are the central issues we need to raise with them. Does any other member wish to comment on this correspondence?