Making Ireland a digital ‘gateway to Europe’
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has initiated a consultation on enhancing Ireland’s international telecommunications connectivity, which is vital for an island economy dependent on subsea cables.
Ireland currently has 14 subsea cables, but lacks direct EU connectivity since Brexit, creating a gap in linking to mainland Europe.
With data demand expected to increase dramatically, driven by data centres and digital services, the consultation document asserts that timely investment is “essential”, particularly given the long lead in times for infrastructure projects.
Several barriers are acknowledged as impeding necessary investment. The most pressing of these include high levies on subsea cables compared to other EU countries, complex planning and licensing procedures, inconsistent approaches to cable applications, and supply chain constraints such as the shortage of cable-laying vessels. Commercial viability also remains a concern, with substantial upfront costs for cable projects and reliance on partial EU funding.
The Department proposes several reforms to address these barriers. These include reviewing the levy framework to reduce costs and improve competitiveness, streamlining planning processes to fast-track subsea cable applications, and adopting a plan-led approach similar to that used for offshore energy projects.
DECC also recommends integrating fibre optics into future international energy interconnector projects to improve connectivity. Furthermore, government support may be extended to strategic cable projects to ensure Ireland can serve as a connectivity hub between North America, Europe, and beyond.
The Department states that Ireland is particularly suited to become a “gateway to Europe” given its geographical location as sea cable routes can come from multiple directions, thereby minimising the risk of simultaneous failure.
The consultation document therefore promotes a position which would encourage and boost national and international subsea telecoms connectivity supports EU policy in this area, including the European Commission’s Path to Digital Decade 2030 and its declarations on strengthening secure and resilient submarine cable infrastructures, published in February 2024.
For the State’s communications sector, failing to address the barriers could result in insufficient capacity to meet future demand, missing opportunities to position Ireland as a global digital hub, and increased reliance on outdated infrastructure.
Submissions for the consultation closed in July 2024, although it is unclear if there will be any steps taken before the Dáil is dissolved for the next general election.
