Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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550. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the position regarding the roll-out of broadband under the national broadband plan in County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12144/19]

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

Since December 2015, the number of premises with access to high speed broadband in Laois has increased by 1,934. Today in total, the number of premises in Laois with access to high speed broadband is 24,415, 62% of total premises in the County. Another 2,066 will be served by eir under that company’s ongoing rural deployment.

The remaining 12,772 homes, schools and businesses in Laois will be connected under the National Broadband Plan.

In April 2017 my Department 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 and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area under the National Broadband Plan. The Map is colour coded and searchable by address or Eircode.

The procurement process to appoint a bidder for the State intervention network is now at the final stage. I will bring a recommendation to Government in relation to the NBP in the coming weeks.