Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 December 2025
262. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of homes in Dún-Laoghaire-Rathdown that are without high-speed broadband and are not covered under the national broadband plan. [72793/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland's Digital Connectivity Strategy, published by my Department, sets ambitious targets, which include providing a Gigabit network to all households and businesses in Ireland by 2028 and access to 5G in all populated areas by 2030.
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) will be delivered through investment by commercial enterprises coupled with intervention by the State in those parts of the country (Intervention Area) where private companies have no plans to invest.
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown is predominantly in the BLUE area on the broadband map which is available on: 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.
If a person lives in the BLUE area and after contacting their Retail Service Provider are told they cannot get access to greater than 30Mbps, they should raise a query via the Department’s webform which can be accessed by clicking on “contact us” in the Contact section, on www.gov.ie/en/publication/5634d-national-broadband-plan-map/, and the department will escalate with the commercial operator to investigate this matter further.
The Department doesn’t have precise figures for the number of premises in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown that cannot get high speed broadband at present. However, approximately 94% of premises in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown can currently receive speeds of at least 1Gbps while the majority of the remainder are high speed broadband (HSBB) capable and are on one or more commercial operator’s fibre upgrade plans.
The Department is aware of some evidence emerging, based on engagements with the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) and commercial operators, that a portion of premises that do not form part of the intervention area may prove not to be commercially viable in terms of being connected to a gigabit network by 2028. The Department is currently investigating reasons for why such instances may arise with a view to identifying solutions.
