Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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469. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when broadband will be made available to a location (details supplied) in County Cork; if the location will benefit from State intervention; if not, if reliance is being placed on the private sector to deliver same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3930/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The premises referred to by the Deputy is in the BLUE area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map, which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. The BLUE areas are where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services.

Where a citizen living in a Blue area is unable to obtain a high speed broadband service, I would encourage them to email my Department at broadband@dccae.gov.ie with their Eircode and details of the service providers they have contacted and the issues encountered in respect of accessing high speed broadband.

Where commercial operators' plans for providing high speed broadband in BLUE areas do not materialise, premises may be included as part of the State led intervention in order to achieve the Government's commitment to deliver access to high speed broadband to every premises in Ireland.

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. 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.