Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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17. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in an area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4725/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Question refers to a premises which is located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website 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. 

I appreciate people's frustration 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. 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 is underway. 

I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, as of 22 January 2021, over 166,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed. In County Cavan, surveys have been completed in Ballinagh, Corlurgan, Araghan, Poles, Caughoo, Belturbet, Killashandra and Butler’s Bridge. Surveys have commenced  in Ballylennon, Redhills, Gannons Cross, Derryheelan, Castlesaunderson, Townparks, Foalies Bridge, Riverrun and Erne Hill. Pre-build works have commenced outside Cavan town including in the areas of Ballinagh, Corlurgan, Araghan, Poles, and Caughoo, in the south of the county. Further details are available on specific areas within County Cavan through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie. Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises as works commence. I am advised that NBI is working to provide more detail on its website, with a rolling update on network build plans. NBI also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.

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. As of 22 January, 255 publicly accessible 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. BCP’s installed in Cavan are Gallonray House Gallonreagh Maudabawn, Kildallan Parish Hall,  Killenkere Leisure Centre, Castle Saunderson Scout Centre, Bunnoe Community Centre, Drumavaddy Community Centre, Templeport Community Centre, Cornafean Community Centre, Mullahoran Community Centre and  Glengevlin Community Hall. The BCP site at Castlerahan Community Centre is installed and connected.  Further details can be found at . 

Laragh National School will be provided with high speed broadband  for educational use through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Education as part of this initiative. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the Intervention Area, for connection over the term of the NBP. In this regard, an acceleration of the schools aspect of the project was announced late last year and will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. Further details are available on the NBI website at . 

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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18. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the criteria that National Broadband Ireland is using to determine the order in which it is carrying out their survey work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4741/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The network rollout for the National Broadband Plan is divided  into 227 Deployment Areas (DAs) across the country.  These are typically an area of approximately 25km in radius and in total they cover 96% of Ireland’s landmass.

The architecture of the network design is specifically based on the design of the NBI network coming from the eir exchanges or the metropolitan area networks (MANs) managed by Enet. It is based on an engineering design that allows NBI to get to every premises as quickly as possible  working within the confines of how fibre networks are built.

Each DA creates a ‘fibre ring’ which is essential to ensure reliability, robustness and resilience. Critical to the success of the network, NBI’s fibre rings are built with back-ups, ensuring that in the event of one fibre cable being disrupted, the whole network continues to perform.

Each fibre ring that NBI deploys is designed in a way that is non-discriminatory, meaning that as the rollout progresses, it may pass relatively urban areas at the same time as passing some of the most remote premises within the intervention area. The design will utilise existing infrastructure to a very significant degree.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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19. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the roll-out of fibre broadband for County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4747/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract signed last November 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 over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools. The deployment plan forecasts construction commenced  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.

I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, as of 22 January 2021, over 166,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed. In County Kerry, surveys have been completed in townlands around Killarney including Muckross, Fossa, Kilcummin, Lissivigeen, Ballycasheen, Faha, Firies and Ballyhar and in townlands around Tralee such as Curraheen, Abbeydorney, Kilflynn, Firies, Castlemaine and Ardfert. Further details are available on specific areas within County Kerry through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie. Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises as works commence. I am advised that NBI is working to provide more detail on its website, with a rolling update on network build plans. NBI also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.

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. As of 22 January, 255 publicly accessible 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. BCP’s installed in Kerry are Gneeveguilla (Tureencahill), Railway Station Heritage Centre and Community Space, Inch Community Centre, Kielduff Community Centre, Cillín Liath.  BCPs are connected at Cable Station and Chapeltown. Further details can be found at . 

Boheeshil National School, Dunloe Upper and  Coars National School will be provided with high speed broadband for educational use through ‘service provider' contracts managed by the Department of Education as part of this initiative. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the Intervention Area, for connection over the term of the NBP. In this regard, an acceleration of the schools aspect of the project was announced late last year and will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. Further details are available on the NBI website at . 

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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20. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4751/21]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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21. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied). [4752/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 21 together.

The Questions refer to premises which are located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website 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.  

I appreciate people's frustration 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. 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 is underway. 

I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, as of 22 January 2021, over 166,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed. In County Cork, surveys have been completed in Midelton, Cullen, Templebreedy, Carrigaline, Ballyfoyle, Douglas, Ballyphehane, Glasheen, Mahon and Kilpatrick, with surveys underway in Ballydesmond, Kiskeam, Umeraboy, Knocknagree, Rineen, Cullen, Coolinarna, Millstreet, Hollymount and Caherbarnagh. Pre-build works are underway in  Fountainstown, Ballinhassig, Monkstown, and Upper Rochestown. Further details are available on specific areas within County Cork through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie. Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises as works commence. I am advised that NBI is working to provide more detail on its website, with a rolling update on network build plans. NBI also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.

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. As of 22 January, 255 publicly accessible 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. BCP’s connected in Cork are Ballindangan Community Centre, Aghabullogue Community Centre, Castletownkenneigh Community Centre, Lissavard Community Centre, Whitechurch Community Centre and T.O. Park Labbamollaga. Further details can be found at . 

Clogagh and Ballycroneen National School will be provided with high speed broadband for educational use through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Education as part of this initiative. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the Intervention Area, for connection over the term of the NBP. In this regard, an acceleration of the schools aspect of the project was announced late last year and will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. Further details are available on the NBI website at .