Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have been patiently waiting to contribute since 1.50 p.m. and I have a good number of questions. If the Chairman bears with me, I will go through them quickly. Deputy Lowry stated he did not wish to put a roadblock in the way of the process at this point. While I agree with him to some extent, sometimes when one is on a journey, it does no harm to check the map to ensure one does not wind up in the wrong destination or in a cul-de-sac. This is the scenario we must avoid.

The nearest the Minister has come to outlining a timeline was his statement that he expected the project to take approximately three years. In 2016 and 2017, the Minister outlined dates by which he hoped to have the procurement process completed. The 542,000 households and premises in the State, including 25,000 in Laois-Offaly, which do not have access to broadband are anxious to know when the procurement process will conclude. The Minister has 80 officials and experts working with him. He must have a date in his mind. Surely Members of the Oireachtas, who have been elected to represent their constituents and parties, are entitled to know when the Minister believes the procurement process will be completed. At that point, will it take three years to bring the project to completion or, as the Minister stated, to bring broadband to almost every house?

While I do not wish to discuss in detail the history of the process, the Minister and I both know that Enet did not have the necessary firepower. According to the information available to me, the company has only secured significant financial backers in the past year and is relatively small. I do not want to detract from Enet which is probably an excellent company and I wish it well, nor am I having a go at the Minister. I have thought about this issue in private moments. When buying or selling I have never bargained with anybody where only one option was available, especially if the other party believed he held all the cards. I have never been able to adopt that position. If the Department can do so in this case, well and good. Does the Minister have a plan B in the event that Enet withdraws from the process at this point? If so, will he outline it briefly?

On State involvement, which some of the bidders strongly favoured at one stage, we already have the metropolitan area networks and what is known as backhaul fibre. The map I have with me shows an extensive network of fibre that was installed across the country, some of it under public private partnerships. It runs in straight lines to Bantry, Galway and radiates throughout the State similar to the spokes of a wheel. We also have an extensive ESB network with electricity poles in every laneway. As a former employee of the ESB, my view is that the company's decision to pull out of the game impaired the process. The metropolitan area networks are in place in 91 towns throughout the State. The ESB network, the backhaul network and the metropolitan areas network together amount to an extensive infrastructure network in which the State invested heavily. Does this not lend itself to having the State control the main infrastructure?

I asked the Minister a question last night in the Dáil Chamber but the procedure for questions in the House does not lend itself to an exchange of views. Can the Minister impose a legal obligation on companies to maintain current minimum speeds for households which already have a service?