Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1194. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when Eir's broadband and landline services will be available at an address (details supplied). [16472/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government's National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure high speed broadband access (minimum 30 megabits per second) to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location.  The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. Today, almost 7 out of 10 of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland have access to high speed broadband. Since this Government came into office almost 400,000 additional premises have access to high speed broadband. This will increase to nearly 8 out of 10 premises by the end of this year and by 2020, 9 out of 10 premises will have access to a high speed broadband connection. This is being achieved via a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention.

In April 2017 I published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. This map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services (BLUE or LIGHT BLUE) and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area under the NBP (AMBER).

Eir is in the process of delivering high speed fibre broadband as part of its ongoing investment in its network.  This includes some 300,000 rural premises on a commercial basis in accordance with a Commitment Agreement signed with me in April 2017.  The premises referred to by the Deputy is a new build and officials from my Department have queried the status of this premises under eir’s high speed fibre broadband deployment plans.  eir has confirmed to my Department that the premises in question will be included in that plan.