Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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378. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on the launch he attended of the national broadband plan. [48836/19]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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393. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment ·the role played by his Department in the organisation or funding of an event to sign the national broadband plan which took place in County Wicklow on 19 November 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48926/19]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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394. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the criteria by which the attendees of an event to sign the national broadband plan which took place in County Wicklow on 19 November 2019 were chosen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48927/19]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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395. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department was asked to invite candidates in the upcoming general election to an event to sign the national broadband plan which took place in County Wicklow on 19 November 2019; the declared candidates who do not hold office who attended; the mechanism by which they were invited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48928/19]

Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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402. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the costs associated with the launch of the national broadband plan in Laragh, County Wicklow, on 21 November 2019. [49143/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 378, 393 to 395, inclusive, and 402 together.

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government’s plan to rollout high speed broadband to the 1.1 million people living and working in the nearly 540,000 premises including almost 100,000 businesses and farms, and 695 schools, where commercial operators will not commit to deliver the service.

On the 19 November, the Government signed the contract for delivering the NBP State intervention network with National Broadband Ireland.

The contract signing and related Government press conference took place at St. Kevin’s National School in Laragh Co. Wicklow.

The event also comprised of a visit to the nearby Brockagh Resource Centre in Laragh by myself and cabinet colleagues to meet with local stakeholders who will be beneficiaries of the State intervention roll out.

Both of these locations were chosen as they are Broadband Connection Points, community based locations which will benefit from the rollout of high speed broadband in the first year of deployment.

Those invited reflected the nature of the event and included, members of the local community, Government Ministers, representatives of Wicklow County Council, ComReg Commissioners and Officials from a number of Government Departments.

Costs to be met by my Department relate to the provision of transport for staff to the venue, light refreshments for the attendees, together with logistics for the staging of the event which was facilitated by the OPW, including PA system and audio visual facilities. The relevant invoices have yet to be received, verified and paid.