Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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117. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if high-speed broadband will be provided at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42134/24]

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 mapping consultation between fixed line operators and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications was concluded in 2019.

As part of this mapping consultation the three large, fixed line operators (open eir, Virgin Media and Siro) were asked to submit their current High-Speed Broadband (HSBB) coverage maps and potential future maps for HSBB. At the time HSBB was defined as a fixed line technology that could deliver 30Mbps or greater download speed and 6Mbps or greater upload speed.

Resulting from the analysis of this data, the NBI network is deployed to premises in the Intervention Area where HSBB was not going to be delivered by commercial operators.

The premises in question are both 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 .

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 and the department will escalate with the commercial operator to investigate this matter further.

If the Deputy facilitates the premises owner's completion of the form, the matter will be escalated for further action.