Written answers

Wednesday, 9 February 2022

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

National Broadband Plan

Photo of Niamh SmythNiamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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41. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of homes in counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath connected under the National Broadband Plan; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the current roll-out is leaving some neighbours connected and others not due to variances on the mapping system, that is, blue zone and orange zone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6909/22]

Photo of Ossian SmythOssian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie, shows the areas which will be included in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led intervention as well as areas targeted by commercial operators. The map is colour coded and searchable by address and Eircode. Premises in the AMBER area will be provided with high speed broadband through the State led Intervention, the contract for which was signed in November 2019 with National Broadband Ireland (NBI). The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services. 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.

I appreciate people's frustration when they are living close to a fibre network owned by commercial operator, 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.

Despite the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, National Broadband Ireland has made steady progress on delivery of the new high speed fibre broadband network under the National Broadband Plan. As of 31 January, almost 296,000 premises have been surveyed or have survey underway, with over 154,000 premises constructed or under construction across all counties and over 54,500 premises are available to order and pre-order across 21 counties.

There are some 42,512 premises in County Cavan of which 26,103 are in the commercial area and 16,409 are within the NBP Intervention Area. I am advised by NBI that, as of 31 January, 10,491 premises in County Cavan have been surveyed. Surveying is complete in the Deployment Areas of Kilnaleck and Cootehill and main works are complete in the Deployment Area of Cavan with over 3,604 ready for order.

There are some 33,709 premises in County Monaghan of which 18,262 are in the commercial area and 15,447 are within the NBP Intervention Area. I am advised by NBI that, as of 31 January, 10,000 premises in County Monaghan have been surveyed. Surveying is complete in the Deployment Areas of Clones and Carrickmacross. Pre build works are underway in the Deployment Area of Emyvale and main works are complete in the Deployment Area of Monaghan with over 4,380 premises available for order and 1,234 premises under construction.

There are some 89,908 premises in County Meath of which 69,543 are in the commercial area and 20,365 are within the NBP Intervention Area. I am advised by NBI that, as of 31 January 10,012 premises in County Meath have been surveyed. Surveying is complete in the Deployment Areas of Dunboyne/Clonee, Navan and Hill of the Down. There are currently 3,000 premises under construction in the county Meath with over 2,000 of those premises located in the areas around Bettystown, Julianstown, Duleek and Bellewstown to be completed in H1 2022, as advised by NBI.

Further details are available on specific areas within Counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath 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 31 January, 469 BCP sites have been installed by NBI including 12 sites in Cavan, 14 sites in Monaghan and 15 sites in Meath 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.

My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the Intervention Area. Further details of schools in scope are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.

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