Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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257. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the broadband roll-out in rural towns (details supplied) in County Dublin. [19522/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie, shows the areas which will be included in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led intervention as well as areas targeted by commercial operators. The map is colour coded and searchable by address and Eircode. - Premises in the AMBER area will be provided with high speed broadband through the State led Intervention, the contract for which was signed in November 2019 with National Broadband Ireland (NBI).

- The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services.

There are 615,682 premises in County Dublin of which 602,253 (98%) are in the commercial area and 13,429 (2%) premises are within the NBP Intervention Area. I am advised that the areas referred to in the Question contain premises in both Blue and Amber areas. 

The activities of commercial operators delivering high speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and my Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard.

The AMBER areas of the areas referred to in the Question, with the exception of Hazelhatch, are located in the same deployment area which I understand NBI anticipate will be connected to the new fibre network later this year. I am further advised that NBI expects that the deployment area in which Hazelhatch is located is to be connected to the new network in mid 2022.

Further details are available on specific areas within Dublin through the NBI website www.nbi.ie which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates. Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises when works are due to commence. I am advised that NBI is working to provide more detail on its website, with a rolling update on network build plans. NBI also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.