Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The spend under subhead A3, ICT programmes, to the end of June was €3.9 million. The spend to the end of September was €6.7 million, of which €5.6 million related to the NBP. The €15 million that was allocated was for the national broadband plan. The variation is due, in the main, to the lower than anticipated expenditure levels on the NBP, which reflected the stage and the complexity of the procurement process. The variance also relates to the timing of payments relating to Eircode postcodes. The significant aspect relates to the plan, and not just this year. In previous years, there was also an underspend because procurement was a complicated process.

On funding, an initial stimulus allocation of €275 million for the State-led intervention under the NBP is in the Government's six-year capital plan. It was always acknowledged that further Exchequer funding would be needed over the lifetime of the plan. Funding in principle of €500 million from the European Investment Bank was announced in April for the plan and €75 million was also committed under the European regional development fund. Following discussions and subject to the completion of the assessment by my officials, and their presentation to me, there will be further engagement with the Department of Finance.

On Deputy Dooley's point, over the past five years €2.75 billion has been invested in building our high-speed broadband networks across the country, the vast majority of which are a direct result of the national broadband plan and of people wanting to get ahead of the plan. Deputy Stanley highlighted one aspect of that, but there are other companies. Deputies Dooley and Stanley, in particular, have spoken to private telecoms companies, and I am sure Deputy Eamon Ryan has also, and it has been explained to them that the investment being put in here is not just in relation to market share in Ireland, but it is being used as a test bed for other parts of Europe because of our unique circumstances, our national broadband plan and the broadband task force which has facilitated the speedy deployment of infrastructure across the country. The Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, has assisted me with that. There is no doubt that there is now a far more friendly and positive atmosphere to direct investment in this country. There is direct engagement with a senior official in each local authority, which facilitates the roll-out of infrastructure, telecommunications and broadband infrastructure around the country.

I would say to Deputy Dooley that this is a unique project, and there is nowhere else we can compare this to because nowhere else has decided to bring this scale of speed of broadband to rural areas. Nowhere else in Europe has the type of isolated rural communities and homes that we have here. The objective and scale of this project are unique. It has been complex and frustrating but we are nearing the end of the process.