Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The €29 million is the overall cost for the roll-out of broadband for Carlow. Following the rigorous evaluation by the Department, a recommendation was brought to the Government, which was accepted, to confer preferred bidder status on Granahan McCourt, the remaining bidder in the national broadband plan procurement process. The Government has agreed to proceed with the preferred bidder. The Government decision means it is intended to award the State intervention contract to National Broadband Ireland subject to the contract close, including the finalisation of financial and legal documents. Deployment of the national broadband plan State intervention network will commence shortly after that. The roll-out will take seven years from the beginning of deployment until the last house is connected. Local authority broadband officers will act as a single point of contact between the local authorities and the bidder's deployment teams, allowing greater engagement between those parties on matters such as planning permission and road opening licences.

The other important issue is the broadband connection points, of which there will be 300 in the country. It is anticipated that these will be connected first and the broadband officers have identified almost 300 connection points. These broadband connection points will be deployed and connected in places such as community centres, GAA clubs, schools and public buildings chosen by the broadband officers where connectivity is particularly poor. There are seven in County Carlow.

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