Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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1103. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she has engaged with National Broadband Ireland on any aspect of broadband provision in the past six months; and the outcome of any engagement. [12126/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The National Broadband Plan (NBP) will bring reliable high-speed broadband to approximately 540,000 premises across the State, primarily in rural and isolated areas. These premises include homes, farms, community and health facilities, schools, and businesses.

National Broadband Ireland (NBI) has been contracted by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications to deliver the NBP in areas where connectivity is not commercially viable and, as such, responsibility for the NBP contract is a matter for the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications.

Notwithstanding this, the impact of the NBP rollout will be transformational for rural Ireland in terms of supporting both local economies and sustainable communities.

In my capacity as Minister for Rural and Community Development, I met with National Broadband Ireland in late February 2021 for an update on the progress of the NBP project, including the provision of connectivity to Broadband Connection Points (BCPs). BCPs are among the first deliverables under the NBP contract and are a vital service for communities within the NBP State intervention area.

NBI outlined recent positive developments, with the first high-speed broadband connections in the State intervention area taking place at homes in counties Cork and Cavan. NBI also outlined its plans to improve information to the public on when individual areas are likely to be connected.

NBI also explained the work they are undertaking to carry out a comprehensive survey of the requirements of each area, including pole and ducting infrastructure, to prepare for the installation of broadband. The potential to accelerate the rollout of the NBP project was also discussed.

The National Broadband Plan will have a profound impact on the future of our country and will provide new opportunities for rural areas in particular. These include improved career opportunities for those living in rural areas, facilitating smart farming, allowing employers to access the pool of talent that resides outside our large towns and cities, and the provision of services such as eHealth and eLearning.