Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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288. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has clarified with a company (details supplied) the number of properties now connected to fibre rather than passed in view of the removal of 300,000 properties from the national broadband plan as part of the fibre roll-out plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15826/19]

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.

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, www.dccae.gov.ie.

In accordance with the Commitment Agreement, officials from my Department engage regularly with eir in relation its ongoing reporting requirements under its deployment. As part of this engagement eir provides my Department with detailed information on premises connected on a monthly and quarterly basis. While the company does not publish this information and considers it commercially sensitive, it has stated publicly that take up on the network is in line with the trajectory anticipated when the company planned this investment.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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290. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has engaged with hotels and large businesses in rural areas that have chosen to keep their business with their local provider rather than switching to fibre even though it may run past their front doors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15828/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure high speed broadband access to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention.

The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. In 2012, less than 700,000, or 30% of all 2.4 million Irish premises had access to high speed broadband. Today, 74% of premises can access high speed broadband.

The aim of the NBP is to provide every premises with access to a high speed broadband service on a future proofed basis. While the NBP sets the minimum download speed at 30 megabits per second, the NBP recognises that higher speeds and quality of service are likely to be required as the digital society develops and progresses. This is supported by data from the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) whose Quarter 4 2018 Key Data report noted that subscriptions to a fibre service stood at 90,500, a 128% increase when compared with the same period the previous year. The increase in subscriptions is considered to be likely as a result of the recent network build of fibre across the country by the telecoms sector, with further fibre investments announced.

There can be a range of reasons why businesses may choose not to switch to a fibre broadband service at the point of it becoming available, including, for example, the length of time remaining on their current contract. The choices that businesses or hotels make at a point in time in relation to the selection of a broadband retail service, is very much a matter for individual consumers and businesses.