SIRO’s John Keaney Discusses Fibre Connectivity, Housing and Competition in the Business Post

In this week’s Business Post, SIRO CEO John Keaney reflects on Ireland's journey to becoming ‘fully fibred’ with the rollout of fibre broadband networks across the State. Discusses SIRO’s work in bringing future proofed connectivity to new developments and the role open-access wholesale networks can play in unlocking cost savings in housing delivery, whilst driving competition and consumer choice. Why the next challenge, to unlock fibre’s maximum economic and societal value, is ensuring homes and businesses make the transition from legacy copper to full fibre and why a national copper switch-off roadmap is fundamental to that objective.

Read the full interview here. 

 

As Ireland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union today, the coming months will be pivotal in shaping the future of Europe's digital infrastructure landscape. As an active member of FTTH Council Europe, SIRO welcomes the Council's call for the Irish Presidency to prioritise two key legislative proposals: the Digital Networks Act (DNA) and the Cybersecurity Act (CSA), both of which will play a critical role in determining whether Europe can achieve the connectivity, competitiveness and resilience ambitions set out in the EU's Digital Decade Policy Programme. The Digital Networks Act proposes one of the most significant reforms of European telecommunications policy in recent years. At its core, the legislation seeks to create the regulatory conditions necessary to accelerate investment in next-generation networks, promote effective competition and support the transition away from legacy copper based to fibre infrastructure. For countries such as Ireland, where substantial investment has already been made in full-fibre deployment, the framework established by the DNA will be critical in determining how quickly the country can complete the transition to future-proof connectivity. For SIRO, the proposed copper switch-off framework represents an important opportunity to accelerate the adoption of full-fibre infrastructure across Ireland and Europe. Continuing to operate legacy and modern networks in parallel fragments investment, increases operational costs and delays the realisation of the economic, social and environmental benefits that full-fibre connectivity can deliver. Establishing a clear and predictable migration pathway will help ensuring consumers and businesses can benefit from future-proof connectivity. As FTTH Council Europe Vice President for Public Affairs, Francesco Nonno recently stated, "The copper switch off proposed in the DNA is a balanced measure to give access to fibre to everyone, everywhere”. Alongside the Digital Networks Act, the proposed Cybersecurity Act will play a vital role in strengthening the resilience and security of Europe's telecommunications infrastructure. The legislation and its prioritisation currently reflect the increasingly strategic importance of digital connectivity to Europe's economy and society. As telecommunications networks become ever more critical to sectors such as healthcare, education, government services, artificial intelligence and industry, no one argues that ensuring their resilience and security is essential. However, from telecom operators’ perspective, it is also essential that the Cybersecurity Act does not undermine investment in fibre networks, deployment and Europe reaching its Digital Decade targets. Equally, this policy must be fair, proportionate to the needs it is required to meet and prioritise evidence and risk-based decision making. To do this, before any CSA measures are enacted a comprehensive assessment of the scale, costs, and operational impact is required. This will better ensure that an even balance is struck between protecting European security with the need to ensure that investment in EU telecoms networks continues and that end users have choice and competition in the broadband market. As Ireland leads negotiations on these two important files, there is a significant opportunity to help shape a regulatory framework that supports investment, strengthens security and accelerates Europe's transition to full-fibre infrastructure. For SIRO, the priorities are clear: creating the conditions to accelerate fibre adoption, supporting the managed retirement of legacy copper networks and ensuring that Ireland’s future connectivity infrastructure remains secure, resilient and globally competitive.

The past 16 months have been a turbulent time within the regulatory sphere for sustainability. The EU’s Omnibus amendment has stopped the clock on key directives and has drastically reduced their scope. The two directives that were most impacted were the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). The EU Taxonomy has also undergone a number of changes. SIRO were originally in scope of the CSRD on account of our turnover and balance sheet. The Omnibus has increased these reporting thresholds, now only organisations with a headcount exceeding 1000 employees may be scoped into the directive depending on their financial indicators. This has reduced the number of entities in scope by roughly 80%. While many organisations have welcomed the changes and simplification, others are worried this may result in a backslide on corporate sustainability obligations. With projections saying we may exceed 1.5C of warming within the next decade (UNEP, 2025) some feel as if we are decelerating from climate action during the most critical window of opportunity that we have to safeguard our future. We cannot stop the clock on climate change, so why are we stopping the clock on legislation. Many also worry that the slowdown will have adverse effects on human and labour rights in the value chain. Like many organisations we were deep into our preparations for compliance with the directive when the Omnibus was announced. We had just commenced our Double Materiality Assessment (DMA), an essential prerequisite for CSRD reporting. We understood that we wanted to adapt our reporting efforts following the Omnibus amendment, not pause reporting efforts completely. One available option available was to pivot towards the VSME. This is the voluntary structure for SMEs, it has been designed by EFRAG, the author of the original ESRS standards included within the CSRD. The VSME offers an opportunity for organisations no longer in scope of the CSRD to continue with targeted reporting efforts aligned with the original directive to satisfy the increasing need for disclosure from banks, investors, customers and other supply chain actors. The VSME has since been formally recommended by the European Commission. Since 2021 we have voluntarily produced an annual sustainability report which has been made publicly available on our company website. These reports highlight the actions we have taken to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals which we have deemed applicable to our organisation and the industry we operate in. We have also used these reports to publish key ESG performance indicators including emissions, decarbonisation levers and gender pay information. Our new reporting approach is extended to include the VSME disclosures within our existing sustainability report format. We have included disclosure for both the basic and comprehensive modules of the VSME within an appendix of our sustainability report. The remainder of the report has been structured around the original ESRS headings. We have also used the results of our DMA to target reporting efforts. The VSME does not require such assessment, instead it relies on an ‘if applicable’ approach to disclosures, while this gives greater concessions to reporting entities, it is vague and is not a standardised approach. The DMA provides a strong methodological approach to determine which sustainability topics have material risks, opportunities or impacts, using this as a basis for our VSME reporting ensures we are providing a comprehensive insight into material topics. The VSME is not a regulatory requirement, but it is a strategic opportunity, it allows us to satisfy the needs of users of sustainability reports in a way that is both flexible and proportionate to internal resources and capacity. By incorporating the DMA within voluntary reporting frameworks, it has enabled us greater oversight of risks and opportunities, it also enables us to stay ahead of the regulatory curve. The EU has now released a draft of their new Voluntary Standard (VS) which seeks to update the VSME. Having just completed the public feedback stage it is now posed for commission adoption in the second half of 2026. The Omnibus was a significant U-turn on EU sustainability policy; it has the potential to undermine the European Green Deal at a critical time when we should be mobilising as much support for the green transition as possible. Voluntary reporting standards can help to plug the gap that has been left in the wake of the Omnibus, while legislation may set the precedent, business ambition is stepping up to set the pace. The most adaptable businesses who are thinking about long term security and resilience will be moving ahead with sustainability efforts regardless of if there is mandatory obligation to do so or not.

St. Mary’s Secondary School in New Ross, Co. Wexford has been named the 2026 Golden Bee Champion as part of the Pollinator Project, supported by fibre broadband operator, SIRO, and delivered by Biodiversity in Schools. The award recognises schools that have shown exceptional creativity, collaboration and long-term commitment to supporting biodiversity and protecting Ireland’s pollinators. The school was recognised for its “New Ross Wildflower Project”, a community-led initiative that expanded beyond the school grounds to create pollinator corridors throughout the town and surrounding area. Faced with limited on-campus space for biodiversity projects, students at St. Mary’s Secondary School partnered with more than 40 town businesses such as McDonalds and fishing shop Oaklands Lake, the New Ross District Council, Tidy Towns and other local community groups, GAA clubs and primary schools to deliver the project. Each organisation committed to providing dedicated areas on their grounds to growing native Irish wildflowers. Students partnered with 'Connecting to Nature', a South-East based family-run business dedicated to restoring local biodiversity by producing and supplying high-quality, native wildflower seeds. To support the project, the company provided participants with discounts on the purchase of native wildflower seeds. To create greater local awareness of the project and its importance to biodiversity, students designed and distributed project signs for each site, building visibility and local pride. In addition, students produced seasonal planting and maintenance guides for the groups involved in wildflower planting across the town. This guidance was supported by John F. Kennedy Arboretum, with its Head Gardener Kevin Naughton providing valuable advice to students. The announcement of the winner of the Golden Bee Award marks the official end of The Pollinator Project 2026.  However, while the official activities for this year are winding down, the pollinator-friendly spaces, pesticide-free pledges, and biodiversity awareness planted in schools and communities across Ireland will continue to grow. 2026 marked another very successful year for the Pollinator Project overall.  Almost 300 schools took the Pollinator Pledge committing to stop spraying pesticides and create no-mow areas for biodiversity, creating 50 acres of pledged wildflower meadow space nationwide. Through workshops, school activities and biodiversity initiatives, the programme directly trained 8,960 Pollinator Ambassadors and reached a total of 83,019 students across the country. The Pollinator Project forms part of ongoing efforts to support the objectives of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan by helping schools and communities create practical, lasting habitats for Ireland’s pollinating insects. Announcing the winner, SIRO’s Director of People and Culture, Blanaid O’Regan, said: “As Ireland’s leading 100% fibre broadband network operator, SIRO is committed to connecting communities not only through digital infrastructure, but also by supporting initiatives that create lasting positive impacts where people live, learn and work. The Pollinator Project is a great example of how local action can deliver meaningful environmental benefits while empowering the next generation to become champions for biodiversity. We are proud to support a programme that has now engaged more than 83,000 students nationwide and to see schools such as St. Mary’s Secondary School demonstrate how creativity, collaboration and community leadership can help create a more sustainable future for everyone.”  Director of Biodiversity in Schools, Mark Nolan, added: “St. Mary’s Secondary School took a challenge and turned it into a community-wide movement for biodiversity. By creating pollinator corridors across New Ross and involving businesses, clubs, schools and community groups, the students demonstrated the real impact young people can have when they work together with their local community. Their project is a fantastic example of how schools can drive meaningful environmental change, even when starting with limited space.” Speaking about the project, Mr Fitzharris, Biology teacher from St. Mary’s Secondary School said: “A couple of years ago we turned and unused area into a wildflower garden. Because we are limited with areas on the school grounds that we can use to expand the wildflower garden we came up with the idea of the New Ross Wildflower Project. Each student on the committee last year approached 2 companies/groups and convinced them to dedicate a small patch of their land to biodiversity. This year’s committee continued to expand the project and as a result we have grown the biodiversity in the town and surrounding areas far more than we ever could do on the school grounds alone. To win such a prestigious award is something the students and school are very proud of."   About SIRO: SIRO was founded in 2015, as a joint venture between ESB Group and Vodafone. SIRO provides a 100% full fibre network, the most advanced broadband network in Ireland, which uses the ESB’s existing electricity network to bring connectivity to each premise – homes and businesses. To date, SIRO has brought its’ network to over 700,000 homes and businesses across Ireland, in over 143 cities and towns, with presence in every county in Ireland. SIRO is a wholesale operator; it partners with over 20 retailers (Sky, Vodafone, Virgin Media, Digiweb, Pure Telecom etc.), who resell its service to end users. Sustainability is a key strategic pillar for SIRO, and the company is committed to using its business as a platform for positive environmental and social impact. As part of this commitment, SIRO has partnered with Biodiversity in Schools to support the Pollinator Project, helping schools across Ireland create pollinator-friendly spaces, promote biodiversity awareness and empower students to take practical environmental action within their local communities.

Ireland’s financial services sector is entering a new phase of regulatory scrutiny under the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). Since coming into force in January 2025, the regulation has made digital resilience a legal requirement for banks, insurers, payment providers and investment firms operating across the EU. At its core, DORA recognises a simple reality: financial stability now depends on the strength of the technology infrastructure supporting everyday operations. For financial organisations, compliance is no longer about policies or reporting frameworks. It is about ensuring the systems that underpin payments, trading platforms, customer services and internal operations can continue functioning during disruption. That places connectivity firmly on the agenda for leadership teams. Modern financial services are built on continuous access to cloud platforms, data centres, real-time analytics tools and third-party ICT providers. Whether supporting transaction processing, regulatory reporting or hybrid workforces, these services rely on stable, high-capacity connections. Full fibre broadband provides the reliability and performance required to support these environments in ways legacy copper networks cannot. DORA specifically strengthens requirements around ICT risk management and third-party dependencies. Many firms now rely on external providers for critical services, from hosted infrastructure to cybersecurity platforms and payment technologies. If connectivity between a firm and its providers is constrained or unstable, resilience planning becomes significantly more difficult. Fibre connectivity helps ensure consistent performance across these interconnected systems and reduces the risk of disruption at a local operational level. The regulation also introduces more rigorous expectations around incident detection, response and recovery. Financial institutions must demonstrate they can continue operating through outages and cyber events and restore services quickly if disruption occurs. This requires infrastructure that supports rapid failover, secure remote access and uninterrupted communication between teams and systems. Fibre networks are designed to deliver the stability and scalability needed to meet these expectations. Events such as the global CrowdStrike outage in 2024 highlighted how quickly ICT failures can ripple across financial systems. In a sector where downtime can affect markets, customers and counterparties simultaneously, connectivity resilience is no longer a background consideration. It is part of operational risk management. As financial institutions continue strengthening their operational resilience frameworks, connectivity should be recognised as a core part of compliance readiness rather than a background technical consideration. Full fibre connectivity provides the reliability, scalability and performance needed to support these requirements, helping organisations reduce risk exposure and maintain continuity. For financial businesses operating in Ireland, ensuring access to high-quality fibre infrastructure is a practical step toward supporting resilient, compliant and future-ready operations. SIRO has responded to the growing connectivity and resilience requirements facing financial services organisations by offering affordable enterprise-class fibre connectivity solutions delivered over its 100% fibre network. SIRO’s enterprise FTTP services provide dedicated symmetrical fibre connections, meaning upload and download speeds are equal, supporting faster cloud backups, secure access to cloud-based platforms, seamless video conferencing through platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and the reliable movement of data between offices, remote teams and third-party ICT providers. Designed to support operational resilience and business continuity, SIRO’s enterprise fibre services are backed by a robust seven-day enterprise-class service level agreement (SLA) and are delivered across the ESB infrastructure, providing a fully diverse network presence. Businesses can choose from symmetrical speeds ranging from 100Mb/s to 5Gb/s, with the ability to upgrade remotely as operational requirements evolve. SIRO also offers LightPulse, a full fibre product tailored for SMEs, providing 1 Gigabit download speeds and boosted 250 Megabit upload speeds alongside a service level agreement designed to support continuity of service.   To learn more about broadband, visit www.SIRO.ie and search your Eircode today to find out if SIRO is available for your business.

A nationwide survey of schools across Ireland has found that an increasing number no longer want pesticides used on school grounds, with almost half banning the use of pesticides. Key drivers for this ban include a concern for the health of students and staff on ground schools and a strong desire to protect the biodiversity which live and use the school outdoor environment. A survey on the use of pesticides on school grounds carried out by Biodiversity in Schools and responded to by 158 schools found that 49.4% of respondents reported avoiding pesticides entirely, while many others said they were actively reassessing spraying practices and exploring alternative methods of weed and grounds management. At the same time, some schools acknowledged that moving away from pesticides can create tensions within school communities, particularly where there are differing views around maintenance or concerns around additional workloads. Several respondents noted that clearer national guidance from the Department of Education and stronger top-down support for pollinator-friendly management practices would help schools transition more confidently away from spraying. The findings come as Ireland marks World Bee Day 2026 on 20 May, a day celebrated globally which aims to raise awareness about the critical role bees and other pollinators play in sustaining ecosystems, ensuring food security, and protecting biodiversity. The survey was carried out as part of the Pollinator Project, a nationwide initiative delivered by Biodiversity in Schools in partnership with fibre broadband operator SIRO. The online survey sought to better understand current spraying practices and attitudes towards pesticide-free school management across Ireland. Schools that reported avoiding pesticides pointed to a wide range of alternative approaches already being used successfully. Of the schools that said they do not use pesticides, 44% referenced manual methods such as hand-weeding, strimming, power washing and moss removal as their primary approach to grounds management. A further 15 % highlighted the use of organic solutions, including vinegar, garlic, bread soda and coffee grounds, while 22% pointed to longer-term preventative measures such as companion planting, bark mulch, weed membrane, strategic plant selection and low-maintenance garden layouts designed to naturally reduce weed growth. The remaining respondents reported avoiding pesticides altogether but did not specify the methods used. Many respondents also highlighted the important role school caretakers, gardening clubs and wider school communities play in helping drive biodiversity-friendly change. Schools noted that committed caretakers were often central to successfully reducing or eliminating sprays, particularly where additional maintenance or alternative approaches were required. Additionally, a strong theme to emerge from the survey results was the work underway by school leaders to change people's mindsets and attitudes towards weeds or wildflowers to view them as something positive and beneficial vs. a nuisance. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), pesticides are a major source of environmental pollution, contaminating soil, water and air while contributing to biodiversity loss. The Pollinator Project, which is sponsored by leading Irish broadband operator SIRO, supports schools across Ireland in creating pollinator-friendly habitats through actions such as developing no-mow meadows, planting pollinator-friendly flowers and encouraging biodiversity education within school communities. Biodiversity in Schools CEO, Mark Nolan commented:

“These findings are positive in that they show that almost half of schools surveyed have moved away from using pesticides. However, with a considerable number still using these pesticides, it highlights the work needed to remove these chemicals entirely from all Irish school grounds. This survey also highlights the additional measures that needed to make our school environment pesticide free. These include greater awareness amongst school management and parent associations of the risk’s pesticides pose to humans and nature; greater information amongst school decisionmakers on what the biodiversity friendly alternatives to pesticides are and finally, more advice and practical supports from Government Departments to schools on how to become pesticide free.”

SIRO Director of Corporate Affairs, Amanda Glancy noted:

“SIRO is pleased to support the ongoing work of Biodiversity in Schools in protecting and enhancing the natural environment in and around Irish schools. With both World Bee Day and it also being National Biodiversity Week taking stock of attitudes towards pesticides is important. The survey shows many schools are conscious of the importance of protecting biodiversity and more encouragingly taking positive actions to achieve it. The message from the survey is clear. A lot of schools are working to eliminate pesticides in school grounds, and many others want to do so but need the confidence, advice and encouragement from stakeholders to do so.”

Broadband network operator, SIRO, has today announced that its fibre-to-the-premise broadband network (full fibre) has now passed 700,000 premises and is available in towns and cities in every county in Ireland (Republic). Today’s milestone of its network reaching 700,000 premises is part of a wider national objective of creating a full fibre Ireland by 2028. However, with more than 85% of all Irish premises now able to access full fibre broadband, SIRO has called for the switching off Ireland’s existing, outdated copper broadband network to be fast-tracked. The 700,000th premises passed by SIRO’s network is Bray-based print and embroidery specialist, Visual Print. The company was established in 2001 and offers a wide range of printing services, catering to both small and large volume orders. It specialises in direct screen printing, DTF printing and garment embroidery, operating from two warehouse in the Solus Industrial Estate in Bray, employing a staff of 11. Fibre broadband connectivity is a critical enabler of Visual Print’s operations used for transferring large design files, online ordering platforms, maintaining networked printers and Cloud-based print management. While Visual Print has switched off its copper-based broadband and moved to SIRO’s full fibre broadband, a worrying high number of Irish businesses are yet to make the move. Comreg data indicates that only 12% of business using broadband have a full fibre connection. Fibre to the Premise broadband is accepted as offering faster speeds and a more reliable and resilient connection than copper which can be slower, less dependable and more vulnerable to both storms and cybersecurity issues. Switching off Ireland’s existing, outdated copper broadband network will ensure the national standard of connectivity enjoys greater resiliency, is future-proofed, and better equipped to support Ireland withstand challenges such as climate change or the impacts of the current global energy crisis. The process of copper switch off is gathering pace across Europe, with switch off completed or well advanced in France, Spain and Sweden and the U.K.’s commencing next January. However, Ireland does not yet have a national target date for when switch off will start or complete, even though the conditions for beginning the process now exist. This continued reliance on a broadband technology no longer fit for purpose, notwithstanding full fibre alternatives, leave Irish businesses exposed in areas such as the adoption of AI and other new technologies, productivity and profitability. Commenting on Visual Print’s recent connection to SIRO’s network, Paul Doyle, Managing Director of Visual Print, said:

“Since establishing Visual Print more than twenty-five years ago, we have continued to invest in our equipment, facilities and services to ensure we can meet the needs of our customers as the business has grown. With SIRO’s fibre broadband, we have seen a significant improvement in how we manage and process orders internally. Faster, more reliable connectivity has streamlined communication between our team, improved file handling and workflow efficiency, and allows us to provide quicker updates and more accurate lead times to our customers. This has had a direct and positive impact on both our productivity and overall customer experience”

Commenting on the milestone, John Keaney, SIRO CEO, said:

“Our network now reaching more than 700,000 homes and businesses is another significant milestone for SIRO, while also actively contributing to the overall national objective of a full fibre Gigabit Ireland by 2028. Reliable and future proofed full fibre broadband connectivity is a key foundation for the continued growth and productivity of Irish business. As Visual Print’s experience demonstrates, switching off copper and switching on to fibre broadband, delivers tangible benefits for Irish business. Equally, as the global energy crisis continues, more businesses and their employees will look to work and collaborate online to reduce high energy costs, requiring stable, dependable fibre broadband and a conscious move away from outdated copper-based technologies. Government have the capacity to act by setting an ambitious target date for completing copper switch off, such as 2030, and using levers at its disposal to encourage switch off. With key stakeholders already indicating a willingness to collectively work together, a real opportunity now exists to achieve it,” added Mr. Keaney.

SIRO was founded in 2015, as a joint venture between ESB and SIRO, and since then it has been building its full fibre broadband network across 153 towns and cities.

The Pollinator Project, a schools-based initiative raising awareness of the importance of pollinators (insects, birds and mammals) and how they can be protected, was officially launched today by Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton T.D. The launch took place at St. Patrick’s National School in Galway City which last year won the Pollinator Project’s, Golden Bee Award, in recognition of its work to protect pollinators on its school grounds. The project, delivered by Biodiversity in Schools, Ireland’s biodiversity education organisation for young people, in partnership with fibre broadband operator SIRO, works with schools across Ireland to train students as Pollinator Ambassadors and support them in delivering bee-positive actions such as creating ‘no-mow’ meadows and reducing the use of sprays on school grounds. Participating schools and students receive practical supports including educational resources, such as biodiversity kits and training from biodiversity experts over the course of the programme, which runs across several months during the school year. Since 2023, the project has engaged more than 144,000 students from early years education through to primary and post-primary schools nationwide. During this time, over 16,000 students have also received specialised training to become Pollinator Ambassadors within their school communities, helping to lead biodiversity actions among their peers. The initiative is also leaving a visible and lasting impact on school environments across the country. Over 600 no-mow meadows have been created during the critical spring-to-early summer period for pollinators, replacing traditional short-cut lawns with thriving habitats that continue to support biodiversity long after the programme ends. Students have also planted more than 32,000 pollinator-friendly sunflowers, transforming school gardens, courtyards and outdoor learning spaces into vibrant sources of food for bees and other pollinators. Building on three years of increasing impact, the Pollinator Project in 2026 will expand its reach once again, offering free pollinator toolkits, classroom resources and educational workshops again to pre-schools, primary and secondary schools, and now also to homeschooling groups nationwide. With applications now open, schools across Ireland are invited to take part and join a nationwide movement that is reshaping school grounds into living spaces for nature and inspiring young people to play an active role in protecting biodiversity. [caption id="attachment_12014" align="aligncenter" width="692"] Hildegarde Naughton TD, Minister for Education and Youth on a visit to St Patrick’s National School, Galway to launch The Pollinator Project.[/caption]   Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton T.D., noted:

“It has been so heartening to see so many pupils and students across Ireland stepping up as leaders and changemakers in their school communities over the past few years, helping to protect pollinators and raise awareness of their importance. Pupils like those at St. Patrick’s National School have shown their creativity and commitment to supporting nature and the world around us through the many bee-positive actions they have delivered as part of The Pollinator Project. As Minister for Education and Youth, I am committed to supporting initiatives promoting Education for Sustainable Development as part of the department’s strategy to contribute to a more sustainable future. I am so pleased, therefore, to launch The Pollinator Project for 2026 and would like to encourage all schools across Ireland to consider applying to take part and join the nationwide movement supporting young people to play an active role in protecting biodiversity.”

Director of Biodiversity in Schools, Mark Nolan stated:

“The most encouraging part of the Project after three years is that schools are not just taking part, they are changing how they use their space. We are seeing corners, courtyards and lawns permanently reimagined as habitats. When children see pollinators return to areas, they have planted themselves, it changes how they understand nature. That sense of ownership and responsibility does not disappear at the end of a school year.”

SIRO CEO John Keaney stated:

“Sustainable change takes time, and the impact we are now seeing from this project is the result of consistent, practical action in schools across the country. SIRO is an Irish company building a broadband network which reaches into communities across Ireland, so we are pleased to further support these areas by helping to protect the habitats within them. “The habitats created through this project remain in place, and the learning continues long after the project has formally closed each year. This lasting and ongoing impact is what makes the Pollinator Project so powerful.”

John Keaney, SIRO CEO and Amanda Bone, Home of the Year judge.

One of Ireland's favourite lifestyle shows Home of the Year, returns for its 12th series and will be proudly sponsored by SIRO. The brand-new series will air on RTÉ One in an earlier slot of 7pm on Tuesday, 3 March. SIRO and RTÉ Media Sales wish to acknowledge the passing of Hugh Wallace. Hugh had been a cherished judge on the programme since its inception, and he will be fondly remembered for his warmth, generosity of spirit, and gentle humour, as well as for the special connection he formed with viewers over the years. Series 12 of Home of the Year was completed prior to his passing. The sponsorship deal includes a total of 96 SIRO-credited stings airing across RTÉ One and RTÉ One+1, including series repeats, live broadcasts and catch-up viewing on RTÉ Player. The SIRO sponsor logo will also feature on all dedicated television and social media promotional materials Home of the Year will feature 21 stunning homes in the counties of Armagh, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Down, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Mayo, Roscommon and Wicklow. From reimagined semi-detached houses to restored period homes to architectural new builds, the series promises to inspire viewers with a diverse range of design styles and creativity from across the country. Award-winning architect Amanda Bone of DTA Architects returns for her sixth series as a judge, and award-winning interior consultant Siobhán Lam, founder of April and the Bear, for her second series. Each week, the judges will visit three exceptional homes and score them out of 10 based on individuality, functionality, and clever design. The home with the highest combined score in each episode will advance to the grand final in April, where one lucky homeowner will be crowned the winner.   John Keaney, SIRO CEO said:

““SIRO is pleased to partner with RTÉ on the new season of Home of the Year. The series celebrates creativity, innovation and high-quality design, values which mirror SIRO’s own mission to deliver excellence in broadband connectivity to Irish homes, businesses and communities. Whether working from home, streaming and gaming, or video calling SIRO’s fibre broadband brings people together. Over the next 8 weeks, we are excited to watch Home of the Year also create connections as viewers across Ireland tune in to see the fabulous homes featured and pick their favourites across the series. This series, the last to feature Hugh Wallace, highlights the significant contribution he made to the show over the years and the huge loss his passing is for his family and friends.”

Caroline Shesgreen, Business Director at Dentsu Ireland said:

“We are delighted to have secured the sponsorship of Home of the Year for our client, SIRO. Aligning SIRO’s fibre broadband with such a contextually relevant and much-loved programme represents a powerful strategic fit. With the programme’s highly engaged and loyal audience, this partnership provides an ideal platform to showcase SIRO’s high quality broadband to viewers who value both exceptional homes and exceptional connectivity. As the show continues, it does so honouring the legacy of Hugh Wallace, whose creativity and warmth were central to its appeal.”

Ruth Kennedy, Sponsorship Manager, RTÉ, said:

“RTÉ Media Sales is delighted to welcome SIRO as sponsors of Home of the Year. This upcoming series marks the final appearance of beloved judge Hugh Wallace, who had been part of the programme since its inception. Hugh will be deeply remembered for his warmth and compassion, his sharp intellect, and his remarkable expertise, along with the genuine connection he created with audiences across Ireland. The popular series, which showcases stunning Irish homes from around the country, continues to attract a loyal weekly audience of over 300,000 viewers. This partnership provides SIRO with a meaningful opportunity to connect with homeowners and viewers through a programme that celebrates the very best of Irish homes.”

Amanda Bone, Home of the Year judge and Marianne Murphy, SIRO Head of Marketing.

 

Broadband network operator, SIRO, has concluded an agreement with broadband retailer, Imagine, which will give the retailer access to SIRO’s full fibre network. The deal will allow Imagine to sell fibre broadband products and services to over 700,000 residential consumers across Ireland who have existing access to the SIRO network. SIRO’s network now reaches over 150 towns and cities in every county in Ireland as it continues to roll out its network. As a wholesale network operator, SIRO partners with broadband retailers, such as Imagine, who resell its network to residential and business customers. The agreement enhances Imagine’s offering to provide an extensive fibre to the home (FTTH) network across Ireland and complements their ambitious plans to significantly grow its customer base. In addition to providing access to SIRO’s fibre network, new and existing Imagine customers will enjoy SIRO’s high-quality, high-speed fibre broadband offering speeds of up to 5 gigabits for residential consumers. SIRO’s broadband network is built with a capacity of up to 25 gigabits, ensuring that it is primed and future proofed to meet bandwidth requirements as they grow over time.

Thursday 5th February 2026; Glena Brady, Imagine Chief Commercial Officer and Ronan Whelan, SIRO Chief Commercial Officer at the Siro Imagine Partnership Announcement, Dublin.

  Commenting on the agreement, SIRO Chief Commercial Officer Ronan Whelan noted that:

““Today’s partnership is good news for Imagine customers, ensuring they can enjoy SIRO’s fast, reliable and trusted fibre broadband. As a leading Irish fibre broadband operator, SIRO has a track record of partnering with retailers to provide high quality broadband services to consumers. We are pleased to continue this approach with Imagine. It has a strong reputation for customer service and excellence, and this aligns with SIRO’s value of prioritising and delivering for end users.”

Imagine Commercial Director, Glenda Brady stated that:

“This partnership with SIRO allows Imagine to bring high-quality full-fibre broadband into more towns and cities across Ireland, complementing our existing network and expanding our footprint so we can double our customer base. For us, fibre isn’t just about faster speeds; it is about doing broadband properly and giving Irish people a genuine alternative. Customers want reliability, clarity and pricing they can trust, not short-term deals that change after a year. At Imagine, we’ve taken a long-term view. Our fibre plans come with one clear price, frozen until the end of 2030, and the flexibility to leave anytime. Partnering with SIRO means we can extend that approach to more homes and businesses, giving people access to fast, dependable fibre without the uncertainty that has come to define the market.”