Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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80.To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to review the situation in respect of broadband quality in Drogheda town centre, considering the serious impact it is having on local business (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34053/24]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy, published by my Department, sets ambitious targets, which include providing a Gigabit network to all households and businesses in Ireland by 2028 and access to 5G in all populated areas by 2030.

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland.

The premises in question is in the BLUE area on the broadband map. The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high-speed broadband services. The Department defines high-speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload.

The activities of commercial operators delivering high-speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and the Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard. There may be a choice of operators offering this service in any given area. Further information in this regard is available at: www.comreg.ie/compare/#/services

This premises and their immediate neighbours were passed by open eir fibre in mid-2023 and if they contact their Retail Service Provider (needs to be RSP of open eir) and request to be upgraded to FTTH, they should be offered fibre connectivity.

If a person lives in the BLUE area and after contacting their Retail Service Provider are told they cannot get access to greater than 30Mbps, they should raise a query via the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) webform, at www.secure.dccae.gov.ie/forms/NBP-Customer-Service.aspx, and the department will escalate with the commercial operator to investigate this matter further.

National Broadband Ireland (NBI) are connecting circa 4,000 homes each month. NBI expect to have passed in excess of 300,000 premises by the end of 2024.

I am advised by NBI that, over 283,600 premises are passed across 26 counties and available for immediate connection. Over 93,400 premises are already connected to the National Broadband Plan high-speed broadband network. In the Deputy’s own county of Louth over 5,200 premises are passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and available for immediate connection with 2,200 premises now connected. Within the Deployment Area of Drogheda, over 1,500 premises are available to order or pre-order fibre broadband via RSP’s.

Further details are available on specific areas within County Louth and can be monitored via www.nbi.ie/reps.