Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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33. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which broadband provision throughout the country is progressing as intended; if efforts continue to bridge communication gaps that have become obvious; if he can see a means whereby the provision of broadband throughout all the regions can be maximised in early date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55378/22]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Survey and design work for the new high speed fibre broadband network under the National Broadband Plan is complete or ongoing by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) in every county in Ireland.

I am advised by NBI that, as of 28 October 2022, over 97,000 premises can order or pre-order a high-speed broadband connection across 25 counties, with over 87,700 premises passed across 25 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.

My Department worked with NBI to agree an Updated Interim Remedial Plan (UIRP) which recalibrated the targets for 2022 to take account of the knock on effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and other delays to the programme. The revised target is 102,000 premises passed by the end of January 2023 (cumulative). My Department has worked closely with NBI to determine the targets for 2023 (end of January 2024) and the agreed targets are 180,000 to 185,000 premises passed.

NBI are implementing a number of measures to help lessen the impact that delays have had on the rollout. Such measures include:

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

- Bringing in additional NBI resources

- Earlier procurement of materials used in the build stages

- Bringing in additional subcontractors.

The focus will continue to be on ensuring that the NBI build programme is back on track and is gaining momentum month on month.