Written answers

Thursday, 16 December 2021

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

National Broadband Plan

Photo of Rose Conway-WalshRose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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190. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of premises in County Mayo; the number of premises that have had National Broadband Ireland surveys completed in County Mayo; the number of premises in which National Broadband Ireland surveys are ongoing in County Mayo; the number of premises that have been passed and available for Internet connection in County Mayo; the number of premises that have been connected in County Mayo, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62774/21]

Photo of Rose Conway-WalshRose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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191. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the original target for premises connected by the end of 2021 in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62775/21]

Photo of Rose Conway-WalshRose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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192. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated number of premises that will be connected in County Mayo in the first half of 2022 and by the end of 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62776/21]

Photo of Ossian SmythOssian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 190 to 192, inclusive, together.

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract 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 some 679 schools.

There are over 84,000 premises in County Mayo of which over 36,000 are within the National Broadband Plan Intervention Area and will receive access to high speed broadband under the State led intervention to be delivered by National Broadband Ireland. Government investment in County Mayo under the NBP will be in the order of €145 million.

I am advised by National Broadband Ireland that, as of 7 December, over 10,000 premises in County Mayo have been surveyed. Surveys are complete in areas around Castlebar, Ballina, Newport and Carrowmorelacken. Surveys are ongoing in the areas around Killadoon. I am advised that the following represents the deployment progress in County Mayo as of 7 December.

Mayo – Surveys Complete Mayo – Surveys Ongoing Anticipated dates for premises to be passed and available for connection
8,281 premises have been surveyed in Mayo including; Areas around Killadoon (1053) Castlebar H1, 2022
Castlebar (2139) Ballina H2, 2022
Ballina (2678)
Newport (1826)
Carrowmorelacken (1638)
I am further advised that pre build works are ongoing in the Deployment Area of Athlone in which 2,100 premises are located in County Mayo.

In addition to the challenges to the delivery of the NBP due to the Covid-19 pandemic, NBI has faced a range of other challenges due to the sheer scale and complexity of rolling out fibre to the home in a rural environment. These include significant tree trimming to ensure cable can be placed on overhead poles, remediation of ducting that has been in place for many decades, the co-ordination of hundreds of contracting crews and addressing the many issues arising week on week which could not have been foreseen until the build crews commenced work on the ground.

My Department has worked closely with NBI to put in place a remedial plan under the Contract which addresses delays experienced by NBI, primarily arising as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This plan rebaselines milestones for 2021 and work is currently underway to rebaseline milestones for 2022. Further details are available on specific areas within County Mayo 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. NBI 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 3 December 2021, 424 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 school BCPs. BCP’s are installed in County Mayo at Clare Island Community Centre, Finny Community Centre, Islandeady Community Centre, Taugheen Community Centre, Bofeenaun Community Centre, Clogher Community Centre, Ardagh Community Centre, Cushlough Community Centre, Belderrig Community & Research Centre, Kilmovee Community Centre, Keel Community Centre, Killaser Community Centre, The Black Tom Freeman Sport and Community Amenities Centre and Clg Béal An Mhuirthead. Further details can be found at nbi.ie/bcp-locations/.

Scoil Néifinn, Midfield National School, Meelick More National School, Kinaffe National School, Gortskehy National School, Facefield National School, Errew National School, Cloghans National School, Shraigh National School, Rathbane National School, Rathnamagh National School, Dooagh National School, Valley National School, Dookinella National School, Roxboro National School, Cloonliffen National School, Tavraun Central National School and Saint Coleman's National School have been installed by NBI for educational access. 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 late last year 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 nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.

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