John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I want to draw the Minister of State's attention to the fact that rural Ireland is still being left behind in the provision of a proper broadband network. In doing so, I recognise the amount of money that has already been invested by Government in this area but a far greater efficiency in delivery has to be achieved. Beyond Covid, people will work from home a lot more, bigger companies will establish in rural Ireland a lot more and there will be an expansion of the use of technology and the Internet for doing business and doing it swiftly.

In north Kilkenny, for example, and this is the best way to explain it, there are quite a number of businesses, ranging from large and medium businesses to pharmacies, and they all give good employment to people. However, their potential is being hampered by the fact they cannot get reliable and sound broadband. National Broadband Ireland and Eir will give out some information on specific cases, but much more needs to be done to give proper dates and timing to those who are waiting for broadband so that they are able to plan their businesses. The same can be said in Kilkenny city, where you would imagine that broadband would be available generally, particularly fibre-optic, but it is not. Fibre-optic comes, for example, to the boundary of the IDA Ireland business park in Kilkenny but no one seems to want to take on the task of bringing it to each and every business on that estate and there is significant employment being provided in that area. Likewise, you could take Tinnahinch in Carlow and Graiguenamanagh in Kilkenny. Their pathways were recently dug up but no effort was made to lay the ducting for all of this fibre, which is much needed in that rural location. Carlow has a digital strategy for 2021 to 2024 but many companies there complain to me about the availability of proper high-speed broadband. It is affecting their delivery of services or goods and the potential they have for expansion.

There is a need for someone to take ownership of the areas that fall between National Broadband Ireland and the other providers. Every effort must be made to assist companies with grants or whatever other means possible to ensure they get high-speed broadband to their businesses as quickly and efficiently as possible. As we deliver, the world will again pass us out in the speed of fibre with next generation technology. We are badly lagging behind in rural Ireland and it is having a huge effect on business people and individuals who are working from home and who find it very difficult even to engage in meetings on Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

They have breakdowns all the way through. It is not good enough. Given what the Government is spending on this roll-out it should be getting far greater value for money.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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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-----

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the work that has been undertaken by the Government in terms of funding and the private sector in terms of the delivery of broadband. I encourage the Minister of State to look at the country as a whole, draw together all of those that are providing broadband and ensure that the gaps in the make-up of each county are delivered on and there is a plan. When people make inquiries they do not want to hear a load of statistics. Rather, they want to know when their businesses are going to be connected.

Roadmaster in Johnstown is half a kilometre away from a box with a fibre optic cable and cannot understand why it cannot get fibre optic broadband as quickly as it believes it should. Likewise, everything is done by email now through pharmacies and it is difficult for them to carry on their business. The IDA in Kilkenny faces the same issue.

County Carlow took an initiative to have a digital strategy for the next few years. The Government needs to get down to that level to ensure all of these businesses and chambers of commerce that are taking initiatives in their own counties are supported directly where necessary. A lot of money is being spent on broadband, but the Government needs to take an overall hold of the delivery of the projects, regardless of where they are, to ensure that rural Ireland is not left behind and that broadband is as fast and efficient as it is in any urban centre. That would create a level playing field and achieve a lot for the country.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with what Deputy McGuinness has said. He has made very constructive points. One cannot argue with them.

National Broadband Ireland has made available, through its website, an indicative timeframe as to when its intervention area will be rolled out, whether that is in my constituency, Deputy McGuinness's constituency or any other constituency. People need to know when they can expect broadband to come into an area, but unfortunately it will take a period of time to roll out. The programme for Government has committed to an accelerated roll-out, but it will take a number of years. In acknowledgement of that, what has been identified are broadband connection points which are a key element of the national broadband plan. They provide high-speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll-out of fibre optic broadband door-to-door. In areas where it will be two or three years before intervention-led broadband is rolled out, broadband connection points have been identified. As of 1 July this year, 326 broadband connection points have been installed by National Broadband Ireland. The high speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations over the coming weeks and months. In County Kilkenny, there are broadband connection points in Graine Community Hall, Tullahought Parish Hall, Ballyouskill Parish Hall, Muckalee Handball Club, Crosspatrick Parish Hall and Galmoy Community Centre. They will help and assist, as Deputy McGuinness said, people who wish to work or study from home and need access to broadband. I take on board what Deputy McGuinness has said. I will undertake to relate the points he has raised today to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and come back to him.