Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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76. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the plans for current and future upgrading of the broadband infrastructure in rural parts of Cork, in particular the village of Liscarroll, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46572/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, 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.

I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, over 326,300 premises are passed across 26 counties and available for immediate connection. Over 111,500 premises are already connected to the National Broadband Plan high-speed broadband network.

In the Deputy’s own county of Cork over 35,180 premises are passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and available for immediate connection with 12,650 premises now connected. A further 46,820 premises in Cork will be passed by NBI’s high speed fibre broadband by the end of the contract.

Further details are available on specific areas within County Cork and can be monitored via . NBI has a dedicated email address, , 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.

Liscarroll Village is within the BLUE area on the broadband map which is available on my Department's website .

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.

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 the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) webform at and the Department will escalate with the commercial operator to investigate this matter further.