Mr. Patrick Neary:

I will cover ESB infrastructure. It is important to state that while NBI's bid is based primarily on use of Eir and Enet infrastructure, using ESB infrastructure in the course of the roll-out is absolutely still an option. It will be an option in instances where that infrastructure is most appropriate and cost-effective to use. During the roll-out and prior to starting to build in any location, NBI will carry out a detailed site survey. It will identify the existing infrastructure and come up with a detailed design that is cost-efficient and appropriate for the particular area involved. As we have discussed before, it has chopped the country into 110 deployment areas. It will identify the most appropriate infrastructure for a deployment area and will then propose a solution and seek authorisation from the Department to proceed with building. NBI is engaging with all infrastructure access owners to agree the processes by which that infrastructure would be used and an appropriate price for that use. These owners include the ESB.

Mr. Mulligan touched on the fact that each type of infrastructure presents its own challenges. Throughout the bid process and the SIRO engagement I got very familiar with the challenges associated with ESB infrastructure. A number of ESB experts were brought to the table to demonstrate the very stringent health and safety requirements which must be adhered to in using ESB infrastructure. Such use is governed by the primacy of the electricity network. The infrastructure is there to serve electricity customers in the first instance and that has to be respected by any other user of the infrastructure. There are a number of physical barriers to using the ESB's pole and duct infrastructure. For example, it has a lot of pole-mounted equipment. In certain instances, using a given pole can be a mini-project in itself. The ESB has developed a process by which it can be used so, to answer the question of whether it can be used, it absolutely can. NBI will have the option to pursue that, which it will, but, as with other infrastructure, there are challenges involved.

With regard to the overall engagements, we have examined the use of the infrastructure through the bid process with SIRO. We have had bilateral meetings with the ESB in order to understand the processes by which it makes its infrastructure available. We have also met the CRU with regard to how to determine pricing and how any issues arising from the primacy of the electricity network could be handled.