Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

On the national broadband plan, I am very concerned that we only have one entity involved. The lack of a competitive process is highly problematic. I appreciate that this is a bespoke process that we will not undertake a second time. However, the process has the same feel to it as that of the national children's hospital. What specific safeguards can be put in place to ensure delivery? It is not just a question of awarding the tender. The plan must be delivered within a timeframe.

When the natural gas network was being established, if, for argument's sake, 20 households in a housing estate wished to avail of gas, that would be sufficient to warrant putting a gas pipeline through the estate. Other households could then join the network at a later point. I appreciate that it is possible for people to connect to a network subsequently.

What timeline is allowed for people to connect up to it? Will that be specified in any tendering process? The original suggestion of the amount of money it would cost being a fraction of what it will cost is an issue of serious concern given that the number of households that require to be connected is fewer now than the number talked about when that original amount, albeit a desktop exercise, was suggested. If there are 300,000 fewer households that require to be connected but it will still cost multiples more, how could the desktop exercise have got it so wrong? Mr. Griffin might talk us through that.