Tuesday, 28 Sep 2021

Written Answers Nos. 221-240

National Broadband Plan

Questions (221)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

221. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason that a road (details supplied) has been excluded from the intervention area for the National Broadband Plan, particularly in view of the fact that a number of hospitality businesses are located there and broadband speeds from the private provider are too slow to cater to their needs; when this road will be included in the NBI intervention area; the analysis which has been carried out into the possibility of including this road in the intervention area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46314/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

The road referred to in the Question is located in the BLUE area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie.

BLUE areas are not included in the State intervention area covered by the National Broadband Plan as commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so. My Department defines high speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. The activities of commercial operators delivering high speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and my Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard.

Complaints about service provision are a matter to be dealt with between the consumer and the service provider in the first instance. If this avenue has been exhausted without a satisfactory resolution, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) may be able to assist further. ComReg is the independent body that issues licences to broadband service providers and investigates complaints to make sure that companies are delivering services in line with their licence obligations.

Notwithstanding this, my Department has undertaken an initial investigation into the matter and I understand that the road referred to is connected to the local exchange in Cong and therefore premises on this road should be able to access high speed broadband from a commercial operator.

National Broadband Plan

Questions (222)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Question:

222. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will meet with a cross party delegation of county councillors and members of the Houses of the Oireachtas from County Donegal to discuss serious concerns regarding the current timeframe for delivering high speed fibre broadband under the National Broadband Plan to the thousands of homes still not connected in the county; and if his office will liaise with Donegal County Council to confirm such a meeting at the earliest opportunity. [46342/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along some 699 schools. The NBP roll out is currently a 7 year plan under the contract and deployment is due to be complete by the end of 2026. There are 32,734 premises in the Intervention Area in County Donegal that will receive access to high speed broadband under the National Broadband Plan. Government investment in Donegal in the NBP will be in the order of €128 million. I am advised by National Broadband Ireland that, as of 17 September, some 7,388 premises in County Donegal have been surveyed. Surveying is the first step towards delivering the new fibre network and informs design solutions for provision of the fibre network.

In addition to the challenges to the delivery of the NBP due to the Covid-19 pandemic, NBI has faced a range of other challenges due to the sheer scale and complexity of rolling out fibre to the home in a rural environment. These include significant tree trimming to ensure cable can be placed on overhead poles, remediation of ducting that has been in place for many decades, the co-ordination of hundreds of contracting crews and addressing the many issues arising week on week which could not have been foreseen until the build crews commenced work on the ground. My Department has worked closely with NBI to put in place a remedial plan under the Contract. This plan addresses delays experienced by NBI, primarily arising as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and re-baselines milestones for 2021. Work is underway to re-baseline milestones for 2022 and beyond.

While delivery of the Programme is the responsibility of NBI under the Contract, my Department continues to monitor delivery very closely in accordance with the Department’s role under the contract. In parallel with the ongoing oversight of the contract with NBI, the Department has also been working with the 31 Local Authorities, the County and City Management Agency (CCMA), the Roads Management Office (RMO), Broadband Officers and other Government Departments, where appropriate, to ensure that any possible barriers that might delay the rollout are addressed as soon as possible. This also includes engagement with other bodies such as Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Irish Rail and ComReg.

I also understand that NBI has had engagement with elected representatives from Donegal in relation to the roll out of the National Broadband Plan in recent months and I have asked NBI to ensure that this outreach continues. My officials and I are also available to meet with elected representatives in relation to matters falling under the remit of the Department.

National Broadband Plan

Questions (223, 239, 240)

Robert Troy

Question:

223. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will address a situation in which a number of properties are struggling to get connection to adequate broadband and the installation date has been pushed back yet again by NBI (details supplied). [46349/21]

Robert Troy

Question:

239. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will urgently address extended connection timeframes (details supplied) currently being provided by NBI. [46782/21]

Robert Troy

Question:

240. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will examine the potential availability of fibre broadband to a group of homes (details supplied). [46698/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

I propose to take Questions Nos. 223, 239 and 240 together.

The Questions all refer to premises located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led intervention.

I appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a connection to that network, particularly given the heightened importance of connectivity as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The NBP will ensure that in all such cases a future proofed high speed broadband network will be built to serve these premises and work to deliver on this is underway.

I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, as of 17 September, over 257,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed. Surveys are complete or underway in County Westmeath in Mullingar, Sonna, Stonehall, Taghmon, Jamestown, Hopestown and Athlone. Pre-build works have commenced in the areas around Mullingar.

Further details are available on specific areas within County Westmeath through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie. Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises as works commence. NBI has a dedicated email address, [e-mail], which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.

In addition to the challenges to the delivery of the NBP due to the Covid-19 pandemic, NBI has faced a range of other challenges due to the sheer scale and complexity of rolling out fibre to the home in a rural environment. These include significant tree trimming to ensure cable can be placed on overhead poles, remediation of ducting that has been in place for many decades, the co-ordination of hundreds of contracting crews and addressing the many issues arising week on week which could not have been foreseen until the build crews commenced work on the ground. My Department has worked closely with NBI to put in place a remedial plan under the Contract. This plan addresses delays experienced by NBI, primarily arising as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and re-baselines milestones for 2021. Work is underway to re-baseline milestones for 2022 and beyond. This has resulted in some changes to timeframes for connection for end users.

Given the scale and complexity of delivery of the new high speed broadband network under the NBP, I am advised that any dates provided by NBI on its website are based on the best available information at the time and may be subject to change. NBI has recently published details of its full deployment schedule on its website, www.nbi.ie, which enables all premises within the intervention area to have an anticipated service activation date range.

Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. As of 17 September, 373 BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for publicly accessible sites and the Department of Education for school BCPs. BCP’s are connected at Castledaly Community Centre, Ballycomoyle GAA Club, Milltown Emper Community Centre, Whitehall Community Centre, Streete Parish Park & Community Hall, and Clonkill Hurling Club. Further details can be found at nbi.ie/bcp-locations/.

Naomh Micheal, Scoil Náisiúnta Bhride, and Scoil Náisiúnta Aodha Naofa have been installed by NBI for educational access. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the Intervention Area, for connection over the term of the NBP. In this regard, an acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan was announced in December which will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. Further details are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.

North-South Interconnector

Questions (224)

Brendan Smith

Question:

224. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will give further consideration to the renewed call of a local authority in relation to the proposed north south interconnector (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46401/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The North-South interconnector is critical to improving the efficient operation of the all-island single electricity market and increasing security of electricity supply in Ireland and Northern Ireland. It will also help Ireland to move towards our 70% renewable electricity target by 2030. A resilient and well-connected energy infrastructure is vital for Ireland's economic well-being and the ability to respond to the future needs of energy consumers. The option of undergrounding the North-South interconnector has been comprehensively assessed on several occasions. Most recently, the key finding from the International Expert Commission's report of October 2018 was that an overhead line remains the most appropriate option for this critical electricity infrastructure.

Notwithstanding this, I decided to commission a further short review to assess if the overall finding from the 2018 report remains valid. Terms of reference for this study were published on my Department's website on 21 April. On 7 May, my Department initiated a procurement process to appoint an independent expert to undertake the review. International consultants have now been appointed subject to final contract compliance requirements being fulfilled. I expect that the review will be completed later this year.

Water Supply

Questions (225)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

225. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has carried out research on water wells running dry in the Robinstown Shambo, County Meath; if the excavations carried out by a company (details supplied) are impacting on the water source of these wells; if the company has a licence to pump underground water from the mines into the Boyne river; if the company is currently pumping water from the underground mines into the Boyne river; if so, the amount that is being pumped; the person or body that is policing the licence; and if he will ensure that the research capability of the EPA is being used to ensure that excavations by the company are not disturbing the water supply for this area. [46507/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

Boliden Tara Mines DAC operates under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Industrial Emissions Licence Registration No. P0516-04. Details on the control and monitoring of emissions (including emissions to water) from the mine are set out in the Annual Environmental Reports on the EPA website www.epa.ie. The mine is also regulated by Meath County Council under planning legislation and by my Department through a State Mining Facility issued under the Minerals Development Acts 1940 to 1999.

The regulatory authorities are working together to examine whether there is any potential link between the activities of the company at Tara Mines, including in the Gainstown area, and the lowering of the water table around Robinstown–Shambo.

National Broadband Plan

Questions (226)

Alan Dillon

Question:

226. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason a property (details supplied) was updated on the NBI website with a possible connection date of 2022, given that this date has now been extended to between January 2025 and December 2026; the reason for this delay; the way his Department plans to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46537/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools.

I am advised by NBI that, as of 17 September, over 250,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed with over 108,000 premises under construction.

In addition to the challenges to the delivery of the NBP due to the Covid-19 pandemic, NBI has faced a range of other challenges due to the sheer scale and complexity of rolling out fibre to the home in a rural environment. These include significant tree trimming to ensure cable can be placed on overhead poles, remediation of ducting that has been in place for many decades, the co-ordination of hundreds of contracting crews and addressing the many issues arising week on week which could not have been foreseen until the build crews commenced work on the ground. The Department has worked closely with NBI to put in place a remedial plan under the Contract. This plan addresses delays experienced by NBI, primarily arising as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and re-baselines milestones for 2021. Work is underway to re-baseline milestones for 2022 and beyond. This has resulted in some changes to timeframes for connection for end-users.

Given the scale and complexity of delivery of the new high speed broadband network under the NBP, I am advised that any dates provided by NBI on its website are based on the best available information at the time and may be subject to change. NBI has recently published details of its full deployment schedule on its website, www.nbi.ie, which enables all premises within the intervention area to have an anticipated service activation date range.

My officials queried the specific issue raised in the Question with NBI who confirmed that this Eircode was always scheduled to be in the later end of the build programme. The network rollout for the National Broadband Plan is divided into 227 Deployment Areas (DAs) across the country. These are typically an area of approximately 25km in radius and in total they cover 96% of Ireland’s landmass. Counties are generally made up of a number of DAs which means there are differing timescales for connection across county areas.

I appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a connection to that network in the immediate term, particularly given the heightened importance of connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The NBP will ensure that in all such cases a future proofed high speed broadband network will be built to serve these premises and work to deliver on this is underway.

Electricity Grid

Questions (227)

Alan Farrell

Question:

227. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the current electricity grid capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46538/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (Deputy Eamon Ryan)

EirGrid's Generation Capacity Statement, which is published annually, sets out the expected levels of electricity generation and demand for each year over the coming decade. The 2020 Generation Capacity Statement is available on EirGrid's website www.eirgridgroup.com. In addition, EirGrid are expected to publish the 2021 Generation Capacity Statement very shortly. EirGrid is also currently undertaking a 'Shaping our Electricity Future' consultation across the three dimensions of electricity networks, power system operation, and electricity markets with the aim of developing an integrated vision of the 2030 power system and electricity market. The draft strategy comprises four approaches to achieving this, as well as meeting the projected increased demand for electricity over the coming years and the finalised report is expected to be published shortly.

Electricity Grid

Questions (228)

Alan Farrell

Question:

228. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the improvements that are considered necessary to the electricity grid in order to meet Ireland’s climate action targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46539/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

Matters relating to the cost of grid investment and projects funded are operational matters for EirGrid and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). EirGrid is the transmission system operator and its responsibilities include the appropriate development of the grid and power system to achieve our energy policy objectives and underpin economic development. The CRU is the independent energy regulator and, through a formal price review process, it decides on appropriate spend by EirGrid on a five-year basis. The most recent price review decision by the CRU in December 2020 on the allowable spend on our electricity grid over the next five years signalled a significant and necessary increase in funds for grid enhancement. EirGrid already seeks to optimise the existing electricity grid to minimise the need for new infrastructure through upgrades, refurbishment or up-voltaging of existing infrastructure, where possible. However, in light of the Government's ambition to have at least 70% renewable electricity on the power system by 2030, and with demand profiles increasing as we continue to electrify more sectors of our economy, including heat and transport, further investment in the power grid will be required over the coming decade.

The CRU as part of its oversight has issued a final determination for funding over the next five years to the end of 2025 (PR5 - Price Review 5) which can be found on the CRU website. It indicates a capital investment of €4bn across the transmission and distribution network.

Earlier this year EirGrid carried out a public consultation on 'Shaping our Electricity Future'. The aim is to make the electricity grid stronger and more flexible so that it can carry significantly more renewable generation as well as meet increasing demand from high volume energy users such as data centres. Publication of the outcome of the consultation is expected later this year.

Electricity Generation

Questions (229, 230)

Alan Farrell

Question:

229. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total solar energy production in Ireland since 2010, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46540/21]

Alan Farrell

Question:

230. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the wind energy production in Ireland since 2010, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46541/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 and 230 together.

In 2019, 36.5% of electricity in Ireland was generated from renewable sources, based on the calculation methodology set out in the Renewable Energy Directive, compared to 15.6% in 2010. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) provisional figures for 2020 show 38.9% of electricity in Ireland was generated from renewable sources.

More information on Ireland's renewable energy production and consumption can be found in the SEAI report Energy in Ireland 2020 which is available at www.seai.ie/data-and-insights/seai-statistics/key-publications/. The Energy in Ireland report is updated on an annual basis and published in the last quarter of the year. Information on energy production and consumption for the year 2020 may be found in the SEAI 2020 Provisional Energy Balance.

Question No. 230 answered with Question No. 229.

Environmental Policy

Questions (231)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

231. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the areas that he will be highlighting in relation to Ireland's decarbonisation role for COP26; if it is intended to put forward proposals in relation to hydroelectric power from tides or tidal flows; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46544/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

Ireland is committed to concerted global action to address the climate crisis and engages in negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement through its membership of the European Union (EU). Ireland is actively engaging with its EU partners in preparation for the 26th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP26) in Glasgow. The EU’s official position paper will be presented for Ministerial agreement at the Environment Council on 6 October, and will set out shared EU objectives on core issues for the negotiations.

In line with the official EU position, Ireland has a number of key areas of focus for the National Delegation at the COP which will feed into global decarbonisation efforts. A primary objective is the finalisation of the Paris Rulebook, which will allow for the full operationalisation of the Paris Agreement. This includes agreement on matters such as transparency, climate finance, and adaptation, as called for by developing countries. Throughout the negotiations, Ireland will also advocate for environmental integrity, the participation of non-party stakeholders, and approaches guided by the best available science.

While international cooperation is essential to effective climate action, it is important that we match these actions domestically. Ireland has committed to reaching at least 70% renewable electricity by 2030. Advancements in wave and tidal energy are monitored by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and are supported at national policy level through the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP). Work on a revised OREDP is currently underway in my Department, and will provide an evidence base for the assessment of areas suitable for deployment of wind, wave, and tidal technologies.

Departmental Schemes

Questions (232)

Seán Canney

Question:

232. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will introduce a grant support scheme to assist charities in carrying out retrofit of their facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46561/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings by 2030. In 2021, my Department has provided a total of €221.5 million in funding to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for the operation of a range of schemes aimed at supporting homeowners as well as communities to upgrade their buildings and facilities to high standards of energy efficiency and renewable energy usage, thereby reducing fossil fuel usage, energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.The Communities Energy Grant scheme (CEG) received €30 million funding in 2021. The CEG supports community-oriented projects based on cross-sectoral, partnership approaches that deliver energy savings to a range of building types including public, commercial and community buildings, including charitable organisations, with a particular focus on using the projects to deliver home retrofits. A new call for CEG projects for 2022 will issue from the SEAI in quarter 4 of 2021. More information on the Community Energy Grant scheme, including details of Project Co-ordinators, is available on the SEAI website or SEAI may be contacted directly on 1850 927 000 or by e-mail at [e-mail].

National Broadband Plan

Questions (233)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

233. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a school (details supplied) will be connected under the National Broadband Plan given that it is unable to access the schools broadband programme due to location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46591/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. My Department has now prioritised primary schools with no high speed broadband and continues to work with the Department of Education in this regard. An acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan will see some 677 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by the end of 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. It is expected that well in excess of 200 will be installed by the end of this year.

Kilmurry National School forms part of this initiative and has already been surveyed by National Broadband Ireland (NBI). NBI has informed my Department that a wireless solution has been proposed and installation will commence shortly. The Department of Education are aware of this development.

National Broadband Plan

Questions (234)

Alan Dillon

Question:

234. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if [e-mail] is still responsible for answering representation from Houses of Oireachtas members; if there is a delay in the system; the approximate timeline to reply to queries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46594/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

The email address referred to is a dedicated email address operated by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries relating to the roll out of new high speed broadband network under the National Broadband Plan. My Department has no direct role in relation to this email address and any queries regarding same are a matter for NBI. I have passed the queries raised in the Question to NBI and asked them to respond directly to the Deputy.

National Broadband Plan

Questions (235)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

235. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of premises in County Mayo; the number of premises that have had NBI surveys completed in County Mayo; the number of premises in which NBI surveys are ongoing in County Mayo; the number of premises that have been passed and available for internet connection in County Mayo; the number of premises that have been connected in County Mayo in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46597/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with some 699 schools.

There are 84,299 premises in County Mayo of which 47,872 are in the commercial area and 36,793 are within the NBP Intervention Area. I am advised by NBI that, as of 17 September 2021, over 257,000 premises in the Intervention Area across all counties have been surveyed and over 108,000 premises are under construction across 30 Deployment Areas.

I am advised by NBP that the following represents the deployment progress in County Mayo as at the 17 September.

Mayo - Surveys complete	Mayo - Surveys ongoing	Anticipated dates for premises to be passed and available for connection
8,281 Premises in areas around Castlebar (2,139), Ballina (2,678) Newport (1,826)Carrowmorelacken (1,638)	1,008 Premises in areas around Killadoon.	Castlebar H1, 2022 Ballina H2, 2022

In addition to the challenges to the delivery of the NBP due to the Covid-19 pandemic, NBI has faced a range of other challenges due to the sheer scale and complexity of rolling out fibre to the home in a rural environment. These include significant tree trimming to ensure cable can be placed on overhead poles, remediation of ducting that has been in place for many decades, the co-ordination of hundreds of contracting crews and addressing the many issues arising week on week which could not have been foreseen until the build crews commenced work on the ground. My Department has worked closely with NBI to put in place a remedial plan under the Contract. This plan addresses delays experienced by NBI, primarily arising as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and re-baselines milestones for 2021. Work is underway to re-baseline milestones for 2022 and beyond. This has resulted in some changes to timeframes for connection for end users.

Further details are available on specific areas within County Mayo through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie. Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises as works commence. NBI has a dedicated email address, [e-mail], which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.

Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. As of 17 September, 373 BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for publicly accessible sites and the Department of Education for school BCPs. BCP’s are connected at The Black Tom Freeman Sport and Community Amenities Centre, Islandeady Community Centre, Kilmovee Community Centre, Killaser Community Centre, Clare Island Community Centre, Cushlough Community Centre, Carrowkennedy, Keel Community Centre, Belderrig Community & Research Centre, Finny Community Centre, Taugheen Community Centre, and Bofeenaun Community Centre. Further details can be found at nbi.ie/bcp-locations.

Valley National School, Dookinella National School, Midfield National School, Cloonliffen National School, Errew National School, Gortskehy National School, Kinaffe National School, Rathbane National School, Tavraun Central National School, Saint Coleman's National School, Rathnamagh National School, Cloghans National School, Meelick More National School, Facefield National School, and Scoil Néifinn, Keenagh, have been installed by NBI for educational access. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the Intervention Area, for connection over the term of the NBP. In this regard, an acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan was announced in December which will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. Further details are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.

National Broadband Plan

Questions (236)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

236. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason a national broadband connection date for a property (details supplied) in County Kerry has been moved forward five years from summer 2021 to December 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46651/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools.

I am advised by NBI that, as of 17 September, over 250,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed with over 108,000 premises under construction.

In addition to the challenges to the delivery of the NBP due to the Covid-19 pandemic, NBI has faced a range of other challenges due to the sheer scale and complexity of rolling out fibre to the home in a rural environment. These include significant tree trimming to ensure cable can be placed on overhead poles, remediation of ducting that has been in place for many decades, the co-ordination of hundreds of contracting crews and addressing the many issues arising week on week which could not have been foreseen until the build crews commenced work on the ground. The Department has worked closely with NBI to put in place a remedial plan under the Contract. This plan addresses delays experienced by NBI, primarily arising as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and re-baselines milestones for 2021. Work is underway to re-baseline milestones for 2022 and beyond. This has resulted in some changes to timeframes for connection for end-users.

Given the scale and complexity of delivery of the new high speed broadband network under the NBP, I am advised that any dates provided by NBI on its website are based on the best available information at the time and may be subject to change. NBI has recently published details of its full deployment schedule on its website, www.nbi.ie, which enables all premises within the intervention area to have an anticipated service activation date range.

My officials queried the specific issue raised in the Question with NBI who confirmed that this Eircode was always scheduled to be in the later end of the build programme. The network rollout for the National Broadband Plan is divided into 227 Deployment Areas (DAs) across the country. These are typically an area of approximately 25km in radius and in total they cover 96% of Ireland’s landmass. Counties are generally made up of a number of DAs which means there are differing timescales for connection across county areas.

I appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a connection to that network in the immediate term, particularly given the heightened importance of connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The NBP will ensure that in all such cases a future proofed high speed broadband network will be built to serve these premises and work to deliver on this is under way.

Waste Management

Questions (237)

Thomas Gould

Question:

237. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if details of the destination of waste shipped from waste management facilities in Cork city will be provided. [46695/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

Dublin City Council is designated as the National Competent Authority for the export, import and transit of waste shipments under S.I. No. 419 of 2007 Waste Management (Shipments of Waste) Regulations, 2007. These Regulations give effect to Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1013/2006 on transfrontier shipments of waste, which sets out notification procedures, specifies waste listings and strengthens enforcement provisions in relation to waste movements within, into and out of the European Union. Provisions of the Waste Shipment Regulation require that all exports of waste from the European Union destined for disposal shall be prohibited. The enforcement and monitoring of shipments of waste to and from Ireland is maintained by the National Transfrontier Shipments Office (NTFSO) within Dublin City Council, which monitors and enforces these requirements and maintains statistics and information on shipments of waste to and from Ireland.

The NTFSO maintains records for all amber list waste import and export shipments which take place in a particular calendar year. A record is also maintained of all green list waste returns filed with the office by registered brokers/dealers. These lists provide details on the destination country associated with the respective shipments. The NTFSO Waste Registers are available at the following link www.dublincity.ie/residential/environment/national-tfs-office/ntfso-waste-shipment-registers

Pension Provisions

Questions (238)

Niall Collins

Question:

238. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the way in which a person (details supplied) can obtain their records for pension purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46718/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

From an initial records search, my Department has not received any correspondence in relation to the case referred to by the Deputy. My Department's Human Resources unit is investigating the case and examining if there are archive records as described, and will follow up both with Peoplepoint and the person concerned in relation to this case.

Question No. 239 answered with Question No. 223.

Question No. 240 answered with Question No. 223.