Written answers

Tuesday, 18 December 2018

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Photo of Eugene MurphyEugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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500. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a broadband service will be available under the national broadband scheme at a location (details supplied). [52725/18]

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure that every home, school and business in Ireland - regardless of how remote or rural - has access to high speed broadband. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment across Ireland; and a State intervention in those areas, mostly rural areas, where commercial operators acting alone are unlikely to invest.

The premises referred to by the Deputy is in an AMBER area on the High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER areas represent the target areas for the proposed State led Intervention under the NBP and are the subject of an ongoing procurement process to appoint a bidder for the State intervention network .

This procurement process is now at the final stage. My priority is to bring the procurement process to a fair and impartial conclusion as quickly as possible. My Department will now conclude its assessment of the final tender submission received from the bidder on 18 September 2018 and I will bring a recommendation to Government in the coming weeks.

For those premises currently awaiting access to high speed broadband, practical initiatives will continue to be addressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services.

Under this Taskforce, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through the Broadband Officers is continuing to strengthen. These Broadband Officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities. The appointment of these officers is already reaping rewards in terms of ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements.

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