Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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183. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a school (details supplied) will be connected to the fibre broadband network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25264/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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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. School 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 Education. 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 this aspect of the National Broadband Plan was announced in December which will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026.  

The school in question, Rossmore National School, is part of this accelerated programme and is due to be connected later this year.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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184. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a property (details supplied) will be connected to broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25266/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Question refers to a premises 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 obtain 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 this is underway. I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, as of 6 May 2021, some 215,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed. NBI has advised that build work is in progress in the location of the premises referred to in the Question and NBI anticipate that high speed broadband will be available in the area later this year.

In County Kerry, premises have been surveyed or are in the process of being surveyed in the townlands around Killarney, including Muckross, Fossa, Kilcummin, Lissivigeen, Ballycasheen, Faha, Firies and Ballyhar.Surveying activity is also underway or completed in Tralee, Curraheen, Abbeydorney, Kilflynn, Firies, Castlemaine, Ardfert, Rathmore, Knocknacopple, Mounthorgan, Kilquane Upper, Barraduff, Cloonteens, Gneevgullia, Tureenamult,Renasup.Castlegregory, Aughacasla, Camp, Knockbrack, Maum, Lougher, Inch, Annascaul, Derrygorman, Ballyglasheen, Brackluin, Ballintarmon, Drom, An Clochan, Kilshannig, Fahamore, Candeehy, Breanainn, Ballyheigue, Glenderry, Ladywell, Banna, Lerrig, Ballymacandrew, Causeway, Foxfort, Ballymacaquinn, Ballincloher, Dromartin and Beenconeen. Build has started in the areas around Tralee in Curraheen, Abbeydorney, Kilflynn, Firies, Castlemaine and Ardfert. Pre-build works have commenced in the Killarney area.

Further details are available on specific areas within County Kerry through the NBI website, www.nbi.ie, which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates. 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 6 May, 310 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 accessible sites and the Department of Education for schools. BCP sites installed in Kerry include Gneeveguilla (Tureencahill), Cable Station, Railway Station Heritage Centre and Community Space, Inch Community Centre, Kielduff Community Centre, Chapeltown and Cillín Liath. Further details can be found at .

Boheeshil National School, Dunloe Upper and Coars National School are installed  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 this aspect of the National Broadband Plan was announced in December which 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 .

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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185. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when fibre broadband will be provided to a person (details supplied). [25287/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The premises referred to in the Question is 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. Complaints about service provision are a matter to be dealt with between the consumer and the service provider in the first instance. If this avenue has been exhausted without a satisfactory resolution, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) may be able to assist further. ComReg is the independent body that issues licences to broadband service providers and investigates complaints to make sure that companies are delivering services in line with their licence obligations.

Notwithstanding this, my Department has investigated the matter and from our records we have established that the premises should be served with high speed broadband from Fibre To The Cabinet in the area with access to download speeds of 70Mbps.