Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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631. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a location (details supplied) will have access to broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13339/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The area referred to in the Question is located within the BLUE area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie.However, I note that the map was published prior to the construction of the Clonlara development and therefore this individual premises does not currently appear on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map. BLUE areas represent those areas where commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so. My Department defines high speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. As the premises is located in the BLUE areas, it is my Department’s understanding that it will be served by existing commercial operators.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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633. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a location (details supplied) will have access to broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13341/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Question refers to a premises which is located in the intervention area to be served by the network to be deployed under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention, the contract for which was signed in November last with National Broadband Ireland (NBI). The NBP network will offer users a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 150Mbps from the outset.  By the end of next year, NBI plans to pass in the region of 115,000 premises, with 70,000 - 100,000 passed each year thereafter until rollout is completed. All counties will see premises passed in the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State will have access to high speed broadband within the next four years. The Government is committed to delivering high speed broadband to every home, farm, business and school in Ireland and my Department continues to engage with NBI to explore the feasibility of accelerating aspects of this rollout to establish the possibility of bringing forward premises which are currently scheduled in years 6 and 7 of the current plan to an earlier date. Further information on deployment activities associated with the rollout can be found on the NBI website .I understand that premises referred to the Question is very close to premises that are passed by eir’s fibre network.  eir’s rural deployment of high speed broadband is a commercial undertaking and, as such, decisions regarding the areas and premises served are made by eir. My Department has no role in the matter and has no statutory authority to intervene in decisions of commercial operators, as to where they build infrastructure and provide services.

Throughout rural Ireland, eir’s fibre deployment is primarily focussed on towns and villages and the premises on their outskirts. Where that network ends is where the National Broadband Plan in effect commences to ensure that nobody is left behind. I appreciate the frustration of those who are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a connection to that network, particularly given the heightened importance of connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The NBP will ensure that in all such cases a future proofed high speed broadband network will be built to serve these premises and work to deliver on this commenced earlier this year.

To support remote working and connected communities, approximately 300 Broadband Connections Points (BCPs) were identified by Local Authorities to be connected to high speed broadband this year. This will assist communities to quickly get free public access to high speed broadband in advance of the main NBP deployment. The planned BCP locations, including schools, library hubs, local sports facilities and other public places are available to view on the High Speed Broadband Map on the Department’s website www.broadband.gov.ie. The BCP delivery project is well underway and surveying of the BCP locations is progressing which will facilitate detailed design and installation. BCP locations are subject to change and a number of the premises initially identified are in the process of being replaced with alternative locations. The remaining BCPs remain on track for delivery by the end of 2020. 

The BCPs in identified public places will leverage the high speed broadband connection through a range of measures and initiatives, for example providing free public Wi-Fi, some will also have hot-desks, and some will be digital hub business centres where digital training, business information events and other SME supports are organised. 

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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635. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a location (details supplied) will have access to broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13343/20]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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637. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a location (details supplied) will have access to broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13345/20]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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640. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a location (details supplied) will have access to broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13348/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 635, 637 and 640 together.

The Questions refer to premises which are located in the AMBER area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led Intervention, the contract for which was signed in November last with National Broadband Ireland (NBI). 

The NBP network will offer users a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 150Mbps from the outset.  By the end of next year, NBI plans to pass in the region of 115,000 premises, with 70,000 - 100,000 passed each year thereafter until rollout is completed. All counties will see premises passed in the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State will have access to high speed broadband within the next four years. The Government is committed to delivering high speed broadband to every home, farm, business and school in Ireland and my Department continues to engage with NBI to explore the feasibility of accelerating aspects of this rollout to establish the possibility of bringing forward premises which are currently scheduled in years 6 and 7 of the current plan to an earlier date. Further information on deployment activities associated with the rollout can be found on the NBI website . 

I understand that premises referred to these Questions are very close to premises that are passed by eir’s fibre network.  eir’s rural deployment of high speed broadband is a commercial undertaking and, as such, decisions regarding the areas and premises served are made by eir. My Department has no role in the matter and has no statutory authority to intervene in decisions of commercial operators, as to where they build infrastructure and provide services.

Throughout rural Ireland, eir’s fibre deployment is primarily focussed on towns and villages and the premises on their outskirts. Where that network ends is where the National Broadband Plan in effect commences to ensure that nobody is left behind. I appreciate the frustration of the Deputy’s constituents when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a connection to that network, particularly given the heightened importance of connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic and the individual circumstances referred to. The NBP will ensure that in all such cases a future proofed high speed broadband network will be built to serve these premises and work to deliver on this commenced earlier this year.

To support remote working and connected communities, approximately 300 Broadband Connections Points (BCPs) were identified by Local Authorities to be connected to high speed broadband this year. This will assist communities to quickly get free public access to high speed broadband in advance of the main NBP deployment. The planned BCP locations, including schools, library hubs, local sports facilities and other public places are available to view on the High Speed Broadband Map on the Department’s website www.broadband.gov.ie. The BCP delivery project is well underway and surveying of the BCP locations is progressing which will facilitate detailed design and installation. BCP locations are subject to change and a number of the premises initially identified are in the process of being replaced with alternative locations. The remaining BCPs remain on track for delivery by the end of 2020. 

The BCPs in identified public places will leverage the high speed broadband connection through a range of measures and initiatives, for example providing free public Wi-Fi, some will also have hot-desks, and some will be digital hub business centres where digital training, business information events and other SME supports are organised.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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636. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a location (details supplied) will have access to broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13344/20]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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639. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a location (details supplied) will have access to broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13347/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 636 and 639 together.

The premises referred to in the Questions are located in the BLUE area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. 

BLUE areas are not included in the State intervention area covered by the National Broadband Plan as commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so. My Department defines high speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. The activities of commercial operators delivering high speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and my Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard.

There may be a choice of operators offering this service in the area referred to and further information in this regard is available at www.comreg.ie/compare/#/services.​ 

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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644. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the situation in which workers have to work in their cars in a church carpark in Bandon, County Cork due to poor broadband in areas close to Bandon (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13517/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I am very much aware of the difficulties facing people across the country as a result of poor broadband availability. These challenges have been magnified by the Covid 19 crisis and the need for so many to work remotely.The contract to deliver the NBP State led intervention was signed in November last with National Broadband Ireland (NBI). The NBP network will offer users a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 150Mbps from the outset.  By the end of next year, NBI plans to pass in the region of 115,000 premises, with 70,000 - 100,000 passed each year thereafter until rollout is completed. All counties will see premises passed in the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State will have access to high speed broadband within the next four years. The Government is committed to delivering high speed broadband to every home, farm, business and school in Ireland and my Department continues to engage with NBI to explore the feasibility of accelerating aspects of this rollout to establish the possibility of bringing forward premises which are currently scheduled in years 6 and 7 of the current plan to an earlier date. Further information on deployment activities associated with the rollout can be found on the NBI website . 

To support remote working and connected communities, approximately 300 Broadband Connections Points (BCPs) were identified by Local Authorities to be connected to high speed broadband this year. This will assist communities to quickly get free public access to high speed broadband in advance of the main NBP deployment. The BCP delivery project is well underway and surveying of the BCP locations is progressing which will facilitate detailed design and installation. BCP locations are subject to change and a number of the premises initially identified are in the process of being replaced with alternative locations. The remaining BCPs remain on track for delivery by the end of 2020.

The BCPs in identified public places will leverage the high speed broadband connection through a range of measures and initiatives, for example providing free public Wi-Fi, some will also have hot-desks, and some will be digital hub business centres where digital training, business information events and other SME supports are organised.