John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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374. To ask the Minister for Culture, Culture, Communications and Sport the measures being taken to improve digital connectivity and public service access in rural communities with limited broadband coverage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40914/26]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government initiative to deliver high-speed broadband to all premises in Ireland. In addition, Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy published in December 2022, sets out a number of targets including that all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028 and access to 5G in all populated areas by 2030.

The Government identified a need to deliver broadband services where commercial operators would not operate. As part of the NBP, the Government appointed National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to deliver wholesale broadband services to those parts of the country, primarily in rural areas, not served by commercial operators.

I am advised by NBI that, over 475,460 premises are passed across 26 counties and available for immediate connection. Over 176,060 premises are already connected to the National Broadband Plan high-speed broadband network.

In the Deputy’s own county of Cork, a significant investment of €314 million is being made under the NBP. There are over 62,300 premises passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and 62,700 premises available to order/pre-order, with 20,600 premises now connected. A further circa 20,700 premises in County Cork will be passed by NBI’s high speed fibre broadband by the end of the network deployment.

Currently, the NBP is expected to come in on time and on budget with the main infrastructure build on schedule to be complete by the end of 2026.

Along with the NBP intervention contract, progress is being made by commercial operators’ in expanding their next generation networks throughout the State ensuring the targets set out in the Digital Connectivity Strategy are achieved.

Commercial Fixed line operators Open eir, Virgin Media and SIRO are currently delivering or have plans to deliver high-speed broadband services in the blue area on the broadband map which is available on my department's website .

Commercial operators’ fibre rollouts are progressing at pace, Open eir have already passed over 1.5 million homes across the State. SIRO has reached a milestone of having passed over 700,000 premises for full fibre. Virgin Media plan to bring gigabit broadband upgrades to 1 million premises, to date it has passed 700,000 premises with full fibre.

Open eir have advised my department they have already passed over 187,470 homes and businesses in County Cork with gigabit services. SIRO and Virgin Media have also advised my department they are continuing to increase their network footprint right across County Cork having recently passed 99, 742 and 73,746 premises respectively for full fibre.

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.