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

At this rate, NBI is passing by 5,000 homes every month. Next year, that will accelerate to 7,000 homes per month.

Approximately 100,000 Irish families in rural Ireland who had no decent broadband Internet access will have fibre broadband by the end of the year. The project is back on track after really being set back during the pandemic.

The Deputy said there is a sense from the people he represents that the roll-out is never going to happen. It certainly is going to happen. Rural Ireland will be 100% connected. Our target at the moment is to have 100% gigabit broadband provision throughout the whole of Ireland by 2028. At the rate we are going, we will have completed that provision in rural areas before we have done urban Ireland. The supplier, NBI, has proven its ability as this stage. It has learnt how to connect 100% of homes in each deployment area. Nobody will be left behind. The constituent to whom the Deputy referred and all the people in that area will be connected. I know it is difficult in the meantime but I ask him to investigate the alternatives while we are waiting.

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