- Surveys have commenced around Clare
- COVID-19 impacting on delivery schedule for NBP
Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe is calling for more to be done to speed up the rollout of broadband to rural parts of the country, to ensure that all of Ireland is treated equally in terms of the opportunities for remote working.
The Minister for Climate and Communications has informed Deputy Crowe that design work is complete or ongoing in targeted townlands across 21 counties, with surveying work already underway in Clare.
“I’m delighted to see that surveys have already begun in the likes of Cratloe, Ballycannon and Ballyglass and further surveys are due to commence in the areas of Kilkishen before this year is out,” said Deputy Crowe.
“It is, of course, welcome to see progress of any kind in a year like this but Covid-19 has impacted on the pace of the rollout of the National Broadband Plan (NBP).
“The shift in our workforce and in how we are educating people since this pandemic began shows the importance of ensuring all areas are connected, so that people can work from home, be they in the middle of the country’s capital city or on the far reaches of the beautiful Loop Head Peninsula.
“It is welcome to receive confirmation from that Minister that his department will explore the feasibility of accelerating aspects of this rollout to establish the possibility of bringing forward premises which are currently scheduled in years 6 and 7 of the current plan to an earlier date.
“One other issue I’ve had raised with me with broadband is the problem facing those buying a new build, or building their own house, where they are left a number of months waiting for their address to be captured for an Eircode.
“Our country’s broadband providers will not entertain a customer’s request for installation without an Eircode which I think is a bit ridiculous, given that we’ve had broadband for much longer than Eircodes.
“I would ask that Eircodes are captured for newly added addresses monthly rather than quarterly, to cut down on this unnecessary wait time.”
