Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 June 2026
92. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport given the new era of long-term remote working and the need for ever increasing broadband speeds, if he will commit to delivering minimum standard speeds of 500Mbps-1Gbps in all areas of the State and provide a definitive timeline for this delivery, as some areas are currently stuck in broadband limbo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43442/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland's Digital Connectivity Strategy published in December 2022, sets out a number of targets including that all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028. This strategy is in the process of being refreshed and will maintain this ambition.
In addition to the State’s National Broadband Plan in the (Rural) Intervention Area, we are also working with the commercial operators in the Non-Intervention Area to ensure the delivery of high-speed broadband to all premises in Ireland.
Open eir have already passed over 1.5 million homes across the State. SIRO and Virgin Media have both reached a milestone of having passed over 700,000 premises for full fibre.
The Government identified a need to deliver broadband services in areas where commercial operators would not operate. As part of the NBP, the Government appointed National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to deliver wholesale broadband services to those parts of the country, not served by commercial operators. The NBP network will offer premises in the Intervention Area a high-speed fibre broadband service with a minimum download speed of 500Mbps from the outset. The network is future proofed to deliver up to 10Gbps speeds.
I am advised by NBI that, over 485,570 premises are passed across 26 counties and available for immediate connection. Over 177,525 premises are already connected to the National Broadband Plan high-speed broadband network.
In the Deputy’s own county of Louth, a significant investment of €33 million is being made under the NBP. There are over 6,840 premises passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network which are available to order/pre-order, with over 3,200 premises now connected. A further circa 2,160 premises in County Louth will be passed by NBI’s high speed fibre broadband by the end of the network deployment.
