Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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164. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps that are being taken to assist local broadband providers in competing for public sector contracts. [62974/22]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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The National Broadband Plan (NBP) state led intervention is deploying a fibre broadband network to cover areas in every county in Ireland, where commercial operators are not already providing a high speed broadband service. The network that is being built and operated by National Broadband Ireland (NBI), is a wholesale open-access network, which means that NBI does not sell services directly to homes, businesses, or organisations such as public sector bodies, but instead makes the network available to all retailers of broadband service, both small and large to sell broadband and other services. There are already almost 50 retail service operators selling broadband services to customers over the NBP network. While these companies include big national retailers such as eir, Sky and Vodafone, there are also many much smaller retailers, that can now sell services at a national level, where in the past they could only serve their own local area. The NBP network, together with other open-access wholesale networks have created new opportunities for smaller broadband companies to reach a wider client base, including public sector bodies, creating new opportunities for a wide number of companies and generating further competition in the market.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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165. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will ensure the provision of broadband to Brookdale, Riverstick, County Cork. [62975/22]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I am advised by NBI that, as of 2 December, over 112,200 premises can order or pre-order a high-speed broadband connection across 25 counties, with over 101,700 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 exceeding projections.

There are 81,507 premises in County Cork that will be passed by National Broadband Ireland with high-speed gigabit fibre broadband as part of the State Intervention under the National Broadband Plan. To date in Cork over 15,711 premises are passed by the NBP highspeed fibre broadband network and available for immediate connection.

Strategic Connection Points (SCPs) 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 02 December 2022, 823 SCP sites (280 Broadband Connection Points, which are publicly accessible sites, and 543 schools) have been installed 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 BCPs and the Department of Education for school SCPs. In County Cork 24 BCPs have been installed to date.

In County Cork 85 schools BCPs have been installed by NBI to date 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. Further details are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.

NBI advise that Brookdale Estate is located in the Deployment Area (DA) of Kinsale which is currently pending completion of survey work and is anticipated for connection between January and December 2026. There is a Broadband Connection Point located adjacent to the estate in the Riverstick Community Centre offering high speed access in advance of the fibre to the home build.