Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the clarity the Minister has given us on a number of issues in the past two days, both in the Houses and here today. I do not see any merit in putting a roadblock in the way of this process at this late stage. I accept there is sufficient oversight and that each milestone has to be approved by the Department officials, the Minister and the Government on the recommendation of the project team. The concern of the members of the public is when they will get broadband. They hear about review groups or committees within committees. We are very familiar in this House with the multitude of groups, committees and taskforces, which are effectively talk shops galore. On this hugely significant venture it is essential that we have decisions, action, an implementation of the policy and that we get on with the job.

I have two questions. Regarding the process, it happens in business every other day that people put in quotations as part of a bidding process and, for whatever reason, they feel free to withdraw. That is the way business works. Obviously, the decision by Eir to withdraw was a calculated business decision. That is for it to make. Regarding the remaining contender, I get the sense that we are within roughly six months of decisions being made. Can the Minister clarify the timescale involved in the decision making process he has in place? In that process, are we near the stage where we will get into exclusive negotiations with one bidder? I presume, in a process like this, that a time will come when the Minister will indicate a preferred bidder and progress the process from that point. In this instance, we are left with one remaining bidder. Has the pricing structure been agreed already with that remaining bidder? What the Joe Soap on the street wants to know is if there is one bidder remaining and if the pricing structure is not agreed, is it not the case that they can charge what they want? I would like to know where we are in that regard.