Slow broadband rollout a challenge for rural living plan 

Just 12.5% of homes promised high-speed internet access under the National Broadband Plan will be connected by the end of the year

Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan at the launch of Our Rural Future on Monday. Picture: Julien Behal Photography 

Just 12.5% of homes promised high-speed internet access under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) will be connected by the end of the year.

Communications Minister Eamon Ryan has revealed he expects 70,000 houses will be connected under the NBP in 2021 but hopes  the rate will be accelerated.

Mr Ryan was speaking at the launch of the Government's rural development policy, which contains 150 commitments to support people to work and live outside large urban areas.

However, the Government does not have any targets for the number of people they would like to see relocate to rural Ireland or the number of jobs they want to create outside urban areas.

IT hubs

One of the commitments in the plan is the establishment of 400 IT hubs, to allow people without high-speed broadband work close to where they live.

But Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys confirmed there was no target date for the construction of these hubs.

She added that in the context of the pandemic, it would be "unwise at this time" to provide detailed targets on job creation in the regions.

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The NBP, which was first launched back in 2012 and promises to deliver high-speed broadband to 550,000 properties, has been plagued by delays and budget overruns.

Mr Ryan admitted that the rollout of rural broadband is "taking time" adding that there are "only a small number of houses which are up and running yet".

"I expect by the end of the year, it will be something like 70,000 houses will be first connected."

Mr Ryan said he now plans to write to the NBP team asking if the rollout can be accelerated from a seven-year programme to five years, as he said Covid-19 had shown how highspeed broadband is urgently required across the country.

The plan contains a proposal to provide sweeteners for those who relocate to rural Ireland. Ms Humphreys said she has looked at measures already in place in the US, which give tech workers about $2,000 to move to regional areas away from Silicon Valley.

Tax incentives

Ms Humphreys said the exact details for any grant have yet to be fully worked out but are being developed in tandem with tax incentives to encourage remote working.

"If you want to move to rural Ireland, we want to help. If you buy a new car sometimes when you're leaving the garage, the garageman will say, 'I'll fill up the tank for you and we will fill it full of fuel to help you get on your way'.

"This is what this relocation grant is about, it's about helping you to make that move to rural Ireland, and it shows the Government's intent to help you do that," Ms Humphreys said.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the document published is a "broad strategic framework, which is designed to outline prioritisation of key areas for the future". 

He said more details would follow in the weeks and months ahead.

Asked about the measures that would be contained in Budget 2022 to help rural Ireland, Mr Martin said he was not a position to give away the whole budget.

There has been very significant investment already, he said.