Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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117. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there are any plans to expand the national broadband plan to the many parts of Donegal that are not featured in the plan currently and are also not currently serviced appropriately by commercial providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44469/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, 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 mapping consultation between fixed line operators and the Department of the 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. This area has been published on the Department's website since 2019, is AMBER on the Broadband map and is the area where the State-Subsidised network is being deployed. There are no plans for an expansion of the current plan. The NBP targets areas that commercial providers have deemed unfeasible for independent investment.

If State Aid for the deployment of fixed and mobile networks were to be used in areas where market operators would usually choose to invest or have already invested, this could significantly undermine the incentives for private investors to invest in the first place. State Aid must be targeted towards situations where aid can bring about a material improvement that the market alone cannot deliver.

It would not be appropriate for the Department to comment on specific circumstances in the BLUE areas. Still, we would highlight that operators are required to liaise with ComReg in the event that they decide to withdraw customer services for any commercial reasons, or do not provide a satisfactory service.

National Broadband Ireland (NBI) are connecting circa 4,200 homes each month. I am advised by NBI that over 304,606 premises are passed across 26 counties and available for immediate connection, which is over half the premises in the Intervention Area. Over 102,651 premises are already connected to the National Broadband Plan high-speed broadband network.

In the Deputy’s own county of Donegal over 11,942 premises are passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and 13,364 available to order/pre-order, with 2,684 premises now connected. A further 22,058 premises within Donegal will be passed by NBI’s fibre broadband by the end of the contract.

Further details are available on specific areas within County Donegal and can be monitored via nbi.ie/reps. NBI has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.

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.

Open eir have already passed over 60,714 homes and businesses in Donegal with gigabit services, with plans to pass a further c.15,893 homes and businesses over the next 2 – 3 years. Commercial operator SIRO are also continuing to increase their network footprint right across Donegal having passed over 20,052 premises for full fibre.