Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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81. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on the work of the Broadband Mobile Phone Task Force, particularly the work being carried out to provide alternatives for people who are waiting for broadband connection for up to five years under the National Broadband Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19283/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce was re-established in December 2021 with an inaugural meeting co-chaired by myself and Minister of State Ossian Smyth TD, involving participation from all key State stakeholders. In April 2022 we held a full meeting of the Taskforce with both State and Industry representatives. After this meeting the Terms of Reference and Work Programme for 2022-2023 were agreed and published on www.gov.ie.

The actions in the Work Programme relate to improving mobile phone coverage in rural areas, examining issues around planning permissions and licensing for, and sharing of, telecoms infrastructure, the use of public assets for telecoms purposes, and improving the quality and availability of information for consumers of telecoms services and products.

On February 15th 2023 the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce Annual Stakeholder Forum was held with a focus on the human impact of improved connectivity. The forum presented an opportunity for state and industry to come together and take part in panel discussions, presentations and to meet in a less formal setting than the biannual Taskforce meetings.

The next meeting of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce will take place in Athlone in late April 2023. At this meeting updates will be presented on the status of each action, including those which have been completed and can be removed from the Work Programme. An updated Work Programme and an Annual Report of the Taskforce for the period April 2022 to April 2023 will be published after this meeting.

Under the National Broadband Plan, I note that, as of 7 April 2023, design work is completed in townlands across every county in Ireland. Over 146,100 premises across 26 counties are now available to order or pre-order a high-speed broadband connection from National Broadband Ireland, with over 131,000 premises passed and available for immediate connection.

In addition, I understand that Eir are in the process of extending their fibre services to 1.9m premises, that Siro has passed 450,000 premises with fibre services with another 320,000 premises planned, and that Virgin Media plan to bring gigabit broadband to 1m premises.

Notwithstanding these achievements, Minister Smyth and I are determined to see future-proofed high-speed broadband services available to all premises as quickly as possible. Accordingly, through the Taskforce, officials of both Departments are engaging proactively with public sector and industry representatives to identify obstacles to improved services and taking action as appropriate.

Lastly, I would highlight the role of the local authority Broadband Officers. These officers, co-funded by my Department and arising from an early action of the Taskforce, are tasked with supporting local residents, their elected representatives and telecoms operators to accelerate telecommunications development where appropriate.

The most recent data from ComReg shows a marked increase in fibre to the premises (FTTP) connections in Ireland (+36% year on year); data that speaks to the work of Broadband Officers but also the investments made to date by this Government and industry.