Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

This issue is sometimes described as encroachment, where we have defined and agreed an intervention area. A commercial provider is allowed; it is not an exclusion area. A commercial provider is allowed to connect homes in the area if it wants to and thinks it makes sense. The Deputy stated 45,000 homes in the intervention area have been connected by Eir, and while I cannot validate that number, that is 45,000 homes that now have fibre broadband. I understand it is also the intention of NBI to bring fibre to those homes. It has the option under the contract to seek a compensation payment where encroachment happens if it can show it has lost money as a result, although the provider has told me that is not its intention in that case. Moreover, there is a limit to how much money can be paid out under that compensation scheme for encroachment.

I would prefer homes to receive two options of broadband. If a commercial provider provides fibre access within the intervention area and later goes bust, NBI will still have to continue to provide a service for 25 years.

It is contractually obliged to provide fibre-optic broadband to 540,000 homes in the intervention area, whether or not there is a commercial company providing it. If I were a homeowner in that area, I would be happy if there was more than one provider.

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