Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1259. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when an estate (details supplied) will be supplied with fibre broadband as part of the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19630/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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

The installation of telecommunications infrastructure and delivery of services via same is undertaken by private companies operating on a commercial basis in a liberalised market. I have no statutory authority to direct commercial operators in this regard, and cannot intervene in such day to day operations.

That notwithstanding my Department monitors the actual deployment of broadband infrastructure by commercial operators across the country and will continue to do so. Should commercial operators’ plans for premises in BLUE areas not materialise it may become necessary for my Department to intervene.

The NBP High Speed Broadband Map is dynamic. This means that either during the procurement, or following award of an NBP contract, the intervention area can be updated to reflect new commercial plans, or previous plans that have failed to materialise. This flexibility allows for an increase or decrease in the number of premises included in the State Intervention area.