Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 100 together.

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract signed on 19 November last to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the nearly 540,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools.

The NBP network will offer users a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 500Mbps from the outset. This represents an increase from the 150Mbps committed to under the Contract. The deployment plan forecasts premises passed in all counties within the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State having access to high speed broadband within the next four years.

Design work is complete or ongoing in target townlands across 21 counties, and steady progress is being made with over 91,000 premises surveyed as of 15 September. This survey work is feeding into detailed designs for each deployment area and laying fibre should commence shortly with the first fibre to the home connections expected in Cork around December this year.

In County Laois, surveys have recently commenced in the areas around Portlaoise and the surrounding townlands. This involves physically walking the routes and documenting images, notes and measurements of the poles, cables and underground ducts in each area. In County Offaly survey work is underway in areas located around Brosna, Shinrone, Mount Heaton and areas close to the county boundary with Tipperary. This survey work will inform design solutions for provision of the fibre network. NBI provides a facility for any premises within the Intervention Area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website (). 

Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. Some 144 BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for publicly available sites and by the Department of Education and Skills (DES) for schools.

A number of schools in County Laois, Shanganamore, Killadooley, St Joseph’s National School and Gaelscoil Shlí Dála will be connected for educational access as part of this initiative, while the public will be able to benefit from this service at locations across the county such as EMO and Vicarstown Community Centres and Donaghmore. Shinrone and Lumcloon National Schools in County Offaly will also be connected for educational access as part of this initiative, while the public will be able to benefit from this service at locations across the county such as Kilconfert, Coolderry and Seir Kieran Community Centres and Ballycommon Telework and Training Centre. Further details can be found at .

Bringing connectivity to remote rural locations is central to promoting regional development and BCPs represent an important delivery in the early stages of the National Broadband Plan.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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94. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to fast-track the delivery of the national broadband plan in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government; the cost implication this will have; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25173/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Covid 19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of good reliable broadband to ensure that citizens across Ireland can avail of remote working, education and other essential online facilities. This is reflected in the commitments in the Programme for Government where delivery of the National Broadband Plan will be a key enabler to many of the policies envisaged particularly around increased levels of remote working. The Programme for Government has also committed to seek to accelerate the roll out of the National Broadband Plan.

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract signed last November. The NBP network will offer users a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 500Mbps from the outset. This represents an increase from the 150Mbps committed to under the Contract. The deployment plan forecasts premises passed in all counties within the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State having access to high speed broadband within the next four years. As of 15 September, design work is complete or ongoing in target townlands across 21 counties and steady progress is being made with over 91,000 premises surveyed to date. By year end, NBI expects to have completed some 120,000 surveys. This survey work is feeding into detailed designs for each deployment area and laying fibre should commence shortly with the first fibre to the home connections expected around December this year in Carrigaline, Co.Cork.

While substantial progress has been made to date, the Covid 19 pandemic has had an impact on the delivery of the fibre network. The extent of this impact is currently being assessed and NBI has committed to put in place measures to mitigate the impact in as far as possible.

My Department is currently engaging with NBI to explore the feasibility of accelerating aspects of the NBP 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. These discussions are ongoing. Any changes proposed will require detailed technical, commercial and financial analysis.

Exploring the potential to accelerate the network rollout is being undertaken in parallel with the measures required to mitigate delays arising as a result of Covid-19 which must be the primary focus at this juncture.