Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join in the welcome that my colleagues have given the witnesses. Their engagement has been informative and well presented without being patronising. Our remit as committee members, parliamentarians and representatives of our communities is to ensure, first, that the country has blanket coverage and everyone has equal access to high-speed broadband akin to the rural electrification of the past and, second, all of this happens in the most cost-effective way from the consumer's point of view. It is a double remit and we are addressing both.

The pricing comparison is interesting and scary. I assume that the argument that Eir would make, one that was touched on tangentially by Deputy Stanley, is that it must tackle difficult terrain and infrastructure and that it is a unique case. According to the witnesses, though, it has a high profit level. They are also claiming that ComReg does not have the necessary power, that is to say, Parliament has not conferred on it those powers apart from providing it with internal resources. Can that be achieved by ministerial order or must it be done by legislative process? It would be interesting to know, as our committee would have to pursue the matter.

Colleagues mentioned how 120,000 homes had been handed to Eir for the current phase of broadband delivery. Had that not happened, as posited by Deputy Stanley, could the witnesses' organisations have taken that work up in a structured fashion? Was there an alternative to giving Eir the comprehensive remit to deliver to those 120,000 homes? Could ALTO have filled the gap?

Regarding access to infrastructure, Cavan County Council held a briefing session with Oireachtas Members and told us that it had put a county level plan in place to ensure as easy and efficient a level of access as possible to structures for all providers. I presume that is the norm. Is this approach achieving anything?

Will the witnesses comment on the issue of charging a price per pole?

The witnesses said that the industry pays for ComReg's extra staff. Is that a question of the Minister ordering a higher levy? What mechanism is involved? Would a higher staffing level be any use without ComReg being given new teeth? Is there any point in giving ComReg a hotel-full of staff if it does not have power? Does it need both and how would we go about achieving that?