Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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129. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to provide an update on fibre broadband (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44612/24]

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 Question refers to a premises located in the AMBER area on the broadband map, which is available on my Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/publication/5634d-national-broadband-plan-map/. The AMBER area is to be served by the network deployed under the NBP State led intervention.

Commercial Fixed line operators Open Eir, Virgin Media and SIRO are delivering high-speed broadband services in the blue area/ non-intervention area of the map.

The latest information on when high-speed broadband will become available to this area can be found on National Broadband Ireland’s (NBI) website at nbi.ie/map/. This website is regularly updated providing the expected timeline for delivery and status of any works that are initiated at any point in time. NBI also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.

NBI have advised my Department that they have faced challenges in connecting the laneway that the referred premises is located on which has affected the anticipated connection timeframe. When a routine appointment took place, it was identified that an additional survey appointment was required, in addition to 2 private poles and 1 private duct being needed to connect this particular premises. NBI are presently not in a position to provide a date for when civil works will commence.

Neighbouring premises further down the lane, have not ordered fibre broadband with a Retail Service Provider, and with poles being refused on this laneway the connection would need to go underground (via duct). There is a significant amount of work to be completed to bring service to the other premises before the connection can proceed, this work will not progress unless orders for fibre broadband are placed.