Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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159. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when broadband will be brought to Kilcommon, Thurles, County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17060/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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In April 2017 my Department published an updated version of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map. This is available atwww.broadband.gov.ie. The 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/Eircode:

- The AMBER area represents the parts of the country where commercial operators have no plans to build high speed broadband networks. Premises in the AMBER area will be provided with high Speed Broadband through a State Intervention.

- The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services.

- The LIGHT BLUE area represents eir's commercial rural deployment plans to rollout high speed broadband to 300,000 premises as part of a Commitment Agreement signed with my Department in April 2017.

There are 23 premises in Kilcommon. 91% (21) fall within the AMBER area and will be served under the State led Intervention, while 9% (2) of premises are in a BLUE area and are, or will be, served by commercial providers.

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 the coming weeks.

In the event any premises categorised as BLUE in Kilcommon are experiencing difficulty in obtaining a high speed broadband service, I advise they contact the NBP customer service team at broadband@dccae.gov.ie directly, providing their name, phone number, email address and Eircode, as well as details of any issues they are experiencing getting connected.

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.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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160. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when persons (details supplied) will receive broadband; if they will be included in this phase of the roll out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17063/19]

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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161. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a business within 200 metres of the route scheduled for broadband can be considered to be included in this phase of the roll out for same (details supplied); the way in which the routes are decided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17093/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 160 and 161 together.

The premises referenced by the Deputy are both 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. This intervention is the subject of an ongoing procurement process.

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 the coming weeks.

The Deputy makes reference to both premises being located close to a commercial deployment of high speed broadband. This deployment is part of eir's commercial roll out of high speed broadband to 300,000 predominantly rural premises, in line with a Commitment Agreement signed with my Department in April 2017.

eir’s rural investment in high speed broadband is a privately funded commercial undertaking and is not part of the 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 telecommunication 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.

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.