Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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164. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide further details on the efforts to accelerate the roll-out of the national broadband plan; the steps that are being taken to address the current delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10459/22]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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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 554,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with some 679 schools.

Despite the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, I am advised by NBI that, as of 11 February 2022, over 300,000 premises have been surveyed or have survey underway, with over 157,000 premises constructed or under construction across all counties. NBI has also advised that premises are connected in 16 counties and over 54,500 premises are available to order and pre-order across 22 counties.

NBI has implemented a number of measures to help lessen the impact that these challenges have had on the rollout including:

- Increasing the rate of pole replacement and duct remediation per month;

- Bringing in additional NBI resources;

- Earlier procurement of material used in the build stages; and

- Bringing in additional subcontractors

The Department is currently working with NBI to agree an Updated Interim Remedial Plan (UIRP) which will recalibrate the targets for 2022 and beyond to take account of the knock on effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and other delays to the Programme.