Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 April 2025
84. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the measures the Government has taken to date in supporting Mayo County Council's Digital Strategy 2024-2026 to improve broadband access and digital skills in Mayo. [7890/25]
View answerIn December 2022, Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy was published which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and set out a number of targets including that all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028.
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 National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland. National Broadband Ireland (NBI) are connecting circa 4,200 homes each month.
I am advised by NBI that over 357,600 premises are passed across 26 counties and available for immediate connection. Over 120,700 premises are already connected to the National Broadband Plan high-speed broadband network.
In County Mayo, 11,720 premises are passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and 12,105 available to order/pre-order, with 3,620 premises now connected. A further 25,280 premises in Mayo will be passed by NBI’s high speed fibre broadband by the end of the contract. In addition, 58 schools are connected to high speed fibre broadband through Strategic Connection Points.
An additional16 Broadband Connection Points are located throughout Mayo providing connectivity to local communities.
Further details are available on specific areas within County Mayo and can be monitored via https://nbi.ie/reps/ . NBI has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, 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.
