Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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188. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of broadband connection points installed in County Kildare to date in 2021; the number of points expected to be installed over the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29808/21]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, 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. As of 27 May, 317 BCP sites have been installed by NBI across the country 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 locations were chosen by Broadband Officers in each Local Auth ority and for Kildare there were three sites for public use identified. Crookstown Further Education and Training and Community Centre, Lullymore Heritage Park, and Bigstone Community Hall have all been installed and connected to high speed broadband. Further details can be found at . 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.

Saint David's National School and Rathmore National School in County Kildare have been connected with a further eight primary schools to be installed by the end of 2022 as part of this initiative. Further details are available on the NBI website at .