Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 32, 43, 56 and 58 together. 

The National Broadband Plan is about connecting people in towns and villages across Ireland to high speed broadband through a State led intervention and commercial investment.

The State-led intervention is progressing, with my Department evaluating the bidders' submissions received last week, with a view to final tenders being received in 2018. In the interim, broadband roll-out continues through significant investment by commercial operators to a value of €1.8 million per day. This investment would not be taking place, connecting people at the rate they are being connected, were it not for the State's national broadband plan. The areas referenced by the Deputies in their questions are a prime example of this.

There are over 81,000 premises in County Wexford, 60,000 of which fall within the blue area of the national broadband plan map. This means that they are to be covered by commercial operators. Of these 60,000 premises, approximately 20,000 form part of eir's planned rural deployment to deliver high speed broadband between now and the end of 2018. The remaining 21,000 premises in County Wexford fall within the amber area and will be part of the State-led intervention under the national broadband plan.

There are over 90,000 premises in County Kildare, 77,000 of which fall within the blue area of the map and are covered by commercial operators. Of these 77,000 premises, approximately 7,000 are part of eir's planned rural deployment. The remaining 13,000 premises in County Kildare fall within the amber area and will be part of the State intervention phase of the national broadband plan.

There are over 101,000 premises in County Donegal, 68,000 of which fall within the blue area of the map and are covered by commercial operators. Just under 17,000 of these 68,000 premises form part of eir's planned rural deployment to deliver high speed broadband between now and the end of next year. The remaining 33,000 premises in County Donegal fall within the amber area and will be part of the State-led intervention phase under the national broadband plan.

There are over 83,000 premises in County Meath, 64,000 of which fall within the blue area of the map and are covered by commercial operators. Of these 64,000 premises, over 10,000 form part of eir's planned rural deployment to deliver high speed rural broadband by the end of next year. The remaining 19,000 premises fall within the amber area and will be part of the State-led intervention phase of the national broadband plan.

This commercial investment will continue through 2018 and beyond. By early next year the State-led intervention will be at final tender stage and extend the reach of broadband to all citizens. By 2020 nine out of ten premises the length and breadth of Ireland will have access to high speed broadband.

The mobile phone and broadband task force was established in July 2016 to consult and engage with telecoms industry representatives in order to identify solutions which could be implemented in the short, medium and long term to alleviate telecommunications deficits, particularly in rural Ireland and particularly in relation to broadband, prior to the full build and roll-out of the network planned in the State-led intervention phase of the national broadband plan. Under the task force, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through the broadband officers is continuing to strengthen. These broadband officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities. Their appointment is already reaping rewards in ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements with operators and clearing obstacles to infrastructure. There is a link to the list of local broadband officers on my Department's website.

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