Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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15. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide an update on the provision of fibre broadband to Birr, County Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40516/24]

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.

National Broadband Ireland (NBI) are connecting circa 4,000 homes each month.

I am advised by NBI that, over 300,000 premises are passed across 26 counties and available for immediate connection. Over 98,600 premises are already connected to the National Broadband Plan high-speed broadband network. In the Deputy’s own county of Offaly over 2,810 premises are passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and available for immediate connection with 908 premises now connected.

Within the Birr Deployment Area the network build is in progress for 1,853 premises. It is anticipated that high speed Fibre Broadband will be available for this area within the date range January 2026 – December 2026.

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

Along with the NBP intervention contract, progress is being made by commercial operators’ in expanding their next generation networks throughout the State and ensuring the targets set out in the Digital Connectivity strategy are achieved.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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16. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment how an Eircode can be connected to broadband (details supplied). [40549/24]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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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 30 Mbps download and 6 Mbps 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.

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

As per records made available to this department the premises in question is a new build and has been included in open eir’s Full Fibre deployment programme which will provide a full fibre Gigabit connection however the build process has not yet commenced within this premises' area.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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17. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to review a case related to a connection to fibre broadband (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40622/24]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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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.

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 secure.dccae.gov.ie/forms/NBP-Customer-Service.aspx and the Department will escalate with the commercial operator to investigate this matter further.

As per records available to the Department, the premises in question is passed by both open eir and Siro fibre and is also capable of getting 90Mbps copper HSBB.