Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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147. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will urgently consider providing marts with wireless broadband under the national broadband plan. [34176/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Marts by their nature tend to be located in, or in the environs of towns, largely located in areas served by commercial operators, with about a third of marts in areas to be served by the National Broadband Plan fibre network. Individual mart owners should register on the facility on the NBI website where all premises owners can ensure that they are provided with deployment updates through the NBI website .In 2020, almost 300 Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) will be connected across the country in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. These BCPs will assist communities to quickly get free public access to high speed broadband in advance of the main deployment under the NBP. The BCP locations include schools (for educational access only), library hubs, local sports facilities and other public places. It is planned to connect more key strategic premises next year and my Department is exploring the possibility of including marts in this programme of advance connections.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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148. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of and position regarding state aid complaints lodged to the European Commission and the impact this might have on the roll out of the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35176/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The European Commission gave its approval for the NBP State Aid Intervention on 15 November 2019, in advance of the Government agreeing to the award of the contract with National Broadband Ireland to deliver a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools.My Department is aware of two complaints, received in early 2020, and has provided information to the Commission to assist it in responding to the complainants. This is a process managed by the European Commission and it would be a matter for the Commission, and not the Irish Authorities, to comment on the details or status of any such complaint.

The complaints have had no impact on deployment of the National Broadband Plan.