Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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1047. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the position regarding the extension of the roll-out of high speed broadband in areas marked in light blue on the high speed broadband map; if a premises within a 500 metre radius can be added to a light blue area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13874/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Under a Commitment Agreement signed with my Department in April 2017, eir is in the process of passing 300,000 predominantly rural homes with high speed broadband. According to data for Q4 2018 submitted by eir to my Department the company has passed almost 225,000 premises nationwide as part of its ongoing deployment.

These premises are in the LIGHT BLUE area of my Department’s High Speed Broadband Map, available at www.broadband.gov.ie.

Information on eir's rural deployment is available on that company’s website, . A copy of the Commitment Agreement is available on my Department’s website.

eir’s rural investment in high speed broadband is an entirely commercial undertaking, and not part of the planned State Intervention network. Although the deployment is monitored under the terms of the Commitment Agreement, it is not funded by the State and it is not planned, designed or directed by my Department in any capacity.

Decisions made by private telecommunications operators relating to the roll out and siting of infrastructure to provide high speed broadband services throughout Ireland are undertaken on a commercial basis. I have no statutory role or function in such commercial decisions of private operators, and therefore cannot direct operators regarding infrastructure installation or delivery of services.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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1048. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when fibre broadband will be rolled out at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13901/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The premises referred to by the Deputy is in the AMBER 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 AMBER areas represent the target areas for the proposed State led Intervention under the NBP.

As the Deputy will be aware, the procurement process to appoint a bidder for the State intervention network is now at the final stage and I intend to 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 Local Authority 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.