Broadband Infrastructure Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-04 ============================================================ Niamh Smyth (FF), Cavan-Monaghan I thank the Senator for raising this incredibly important issue. As somebody who is from the very rural constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, I understand the issue she has raised for people living in rural parts, particularly the farming community. So much of our lives is now transported into a digital area. We are expected to be able to adapt, put many of our public services online and be able to facilitate that. It is important as a Government that we are committed to that digital transformation. It is equally important that we be in a position to provide that Internet and broadband access that is required in rural parts, not just in urban. As the Senator said, it is not or should not be binary as to whether a person has really good or bad access. We need to ensure that everyone has equal access because people risk being left behind if they do not. I thank the Senator for raising this very important matter. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, who is answering questions in the Dáil at the moment. Ensuring that all communities across Ireland, including those in rural and more remote areas, can access high-speed broadband is a key priority for the Minister and the Government. Ireland’s digital connectivity strategy, published in December 2022, sets ambitious targets including the provision of a gigabit network to all households and businesses in Ireland by 2028 and access to 5G in all populated areas by 2030. As the Senator quite rightly said, these are ambitious targets that we intend to achieve. The Programme for Government: Securing Ireland’s Future, published in January 2025, sets out a number of targets, which include the completion of the installation of high-speed fibre broadband connections to 1.1 million people across 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. 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 a future-proofed high-speed broadband network to those parts of the country, primarily in rural areas, not served by commercial operators. I am advised by NBI that over 451,557 premises across all counties have now been passed and immediate connection is available to them, with over 166,000 already connected. Deployment momentum is strong, and the main infrastructure build is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026, as per the programme for Government commitment. The latest information on when high-speed broadband will become available in an intervention area can be found on NBI’s website. NBI also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie , which can be used by Seanad Members across the House for specific queries. Under the NBP contract, NBI is required to reuse existing third-party infrastructure, including poles, ducting and chambers, where possible. Where repairs or replacements are required, NBI provides the necessary details and requests these works through an agreed process with the owner of the infrastructure. Once the works have been completed, the owner of the infrastructure notifies NBI, and the infrastructure is then approved for use by NBI. The latter advises that 100% of the third-party infrastructure that NBI intends to use as part of the roll-out has been surveyed and that 96% of the required remedial works have now been completed. This infrastructure is either already in use or is actively being brought into use as part of NBI’s deployment, with the remaining 4% to be completed by the end of this year. The NBP's deployment remains on schedule and within its approved financial budget, reflecting robust programme governance, disciplined cost control and effective delivery oversight. The NBP was established to bridge that digital divide we spoke about and to ensure that all regions, including rural and small-town areas, have access to high-speed broadband infrastructure. The NBP delivers more than just connectivity. It drives economic growth, social inclusion and community development by enabling remote work, digital learning, telehealth and new business opportunities, while strengthening regional skills, innovation and quality of life. As all of us here in the House know, it also ensures the regional development we all feel so passionate about. Along with the NBP intervention contract, substantial progress is being made by commercial operators in upgrading their networks throughout the State and ensuring the targets set out in the digital connectivity strategy are achieved. I have run out of time. I will hand back to the Senator to conclude. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-04/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:43+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-03-04