Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2026
179. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the plan in place for servicing villages that have a small to medium population but are not going to be connected under the fibre broadband rollout; who is responsible for servicing these villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4063/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland's Digital Connectivity Strategy, published in 2022, 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) is the government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland including those in small to medium sized population areas.
The Government identified a need to deliver broadband services where commercial operators would not operate such as in parts of rural Ireland. As part of the NBP, the Government appointed National Broadband Ireland to deliver wholesale broadband services to those parts of the country, primarily in rural areas, not served by commercial operators.
I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, over 443,370 premises are passed across all counties mainly in rural areas are available for immediate connection with over 161,685 already connected. The remaining circa 124,000 premises will be passed by the end of 2026.
Based on current plans and achievements, the Department expect to deliver the deployment of the NBP by the end of 2026, as per the Programme for Government commitment.
Along with the NBP intervention contract (with National Broadband Ireland (NBI)), progress is being made by commercial operators in expanding their next generation networks throughout the State, including small and medium sized population areas and 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 www.gov.ie/en/publication/5634d-national-broadband-plan-map/.
Commercial operators’ fibre rollouts are progressing at pace, Open eir have already passed over 1.4 million homes across the State. SIRO has reached a milestone of having passed over 695,000 premises for full fibre. Virgin Media plan to bring gigabit broadband upgrades to 1 million premises, to date it has passed 550,000 premises with 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.
