Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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195. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 210 of 4 March 2025, for a timeline on the expected start of the building process for full-fibre gigabit within the premises area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11678/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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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 Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future published in January 2025 sets a number of targets which include the completion of the installation of high-speed fibre broadband to 1.1 million people, including homes, farms, and businesses nationwide, by 2026.

The premises in question is in the BLUE area on the broadband map which is available on my Department's website: www.gov.ie/en/publication/5634d-national-broadband-plan-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.

The Department does not have an estimated timeline of when Open eir will provide a full fibre Gigabit connection to premises, other than what is on the Open eir messaging (ie some point between now and 2026, when the programme is due to conclude).

As previously advised in response to Questions Number 210 of 4 March 2025, my Department recommends that your constituent raises a query via the Department’s webform, secure.dccae.gov.ie/forms/NBP-Customer-Service.aspx, and technical staff will investigate the case further.