Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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75. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan in County Cork from 1 January 2022 to the 31 August 2022; the number of premises connected including schools and Broadband Connection Points during this timeframe in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45776/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, 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 over 560,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with some 679 schools. I am advised by NBI that, as of 9 September 2022, over 88,000 premises can order or pre-order a high-speed broadband connection across 25 counties, with over 75,500 premises passed across 23 counties and available for immediate connection. Construction is underway across 26 counties demonstrating that the project is reaching scale To date, the level of connections is increasing on a daily basis and is in line with or exceeding projections.

NBI has advised that to date in Cork over 15,000 premises are passed by the NBP highspeed fibre broadband network and available for immediate connection. 10,620 premises were passed in Cork in 2022 to date.  Some 2,765 premises in Cork have been connected to date with 1,185 of those connected in 2022.

Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP high speed broadband network. As of 9 September, 716 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. In County Cork 24 BCPs have been installed to date, of which 2 were installed in 2022.

In County Cork 93 schools BCPs have been installed by NBI to date for educational access of which 55 Schools were installed in 2022. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the Intervention Area.