Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McGuinness for raising this issue and for his constructive input. There is no doubt that this is an issue that affects businesses and people working from and studying at home. It is an issue on which the Government is focused on delivering. The national broadband plan contract was signed with National Broadband Ireland in November 2019 to roll out a high-speed and future-proofed broadband network with an intervention area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in an area of over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools.

The national broadband plan will ensure that citizens throughout the entire country will have access to high-speed broadband services through a combination of commercial investment and State-led intervention where the State has had to step in as no commercial investment is planned. The national broadband network will offer users a high-speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 500 Mbps from the outset.

I am advised by National Broadband Ireland that as of 1 July 2021, over 230,000 premises across 26 counties have been surveyed. The next step is for it to develop network designs to deliver the new fibre to the home network to these premises. Substantial design work is under way. As of 1 July, over 19,000 premises are available for order or pre-order through local broadband service providers.

There are 48,761 premises in total in County Kilkenny, of which 30,345 are served by commercial operators. Some 18,416 premises will be provided with high speed broadband through State-led intervention. Government investment in County Kilkenny under the national broadband plan will amount to €72 million.

Surveying has been completed and is still under way across a number of areas in County Kilkenny including Grovine, Cuffesgrange, Creenkill, Castlewarren, Cellarstown, Bennettsbridge, Brownstown, Drumerrin, Kilcreen, Lyrath, Tullowglass, Tullaroan, Dicksborough, Sheepstown and Templemartin. I am advised that some premises located in Castlecomer are part of the intervention area and will be provided with access to high-speed broadband under the national broadband plan while other areas are served by commercial operators that are currently active in the area.

Extensive investment plans are in place by a range of commercial operators active in the blue areas. These plans will see improved high-speed broadband access across the country. A number of commercial operators have announced further investment plans in high-speed broadband.

In Kilkenny, approximately 7,300 premises have been passed as part of Eir's roll-out to 300,000 premises. I understand that over 300 of these premises are in the Castlecomer area. In addition, some 9,000 premises have been passed by SIRO in County Kilkenny in recent years. Furthermore, I am advised that some 12,600 premises are passed by Virgin Media in County Kilkenny. Further details on specific areas within County Kilkenny are available through the National Broadband Ireland website.

While substantial progress has been made to date, the Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on the delivery of the fibre network, resulting in delays of a number of months in the delivery of aspects of the programme. Impacts include challenges with the mobilisation of key contractors, with restrictions in operations, supply chains and logistic delays, as well as the recruitment of key personnel as National Broadband Ireland and its contractors scale up including challenges associated with onboarding and training. The full extent of this impact is currently being assessed, but National Broadband Ireland has committed to put in place measures to mitigate the impact as far as possible. Despite these challenges, National Broadband Ireland has made steady progress on initial works. Over 92,000 premises are construction and some 90,000-----

See this speech in context