Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests. I will make a statement at the outset and then ask some questions, some of which have already been touched on. We are all individually answerable to those who elect us so we have to ask the questions again. I am happy we are here discussing the working out of a scheme to give the same opportunities to the people of rural Ireland as their urban cousins. Had a cost-benefit analysis being done of rural electrification before it began, it could in no way have encapsulated the subsequent value that was realised. The same applies here.

Let me move on to specifics. Am I correct in saying the contingency figure of approximately €500 million that was built in to avoid overruns will address all the issues associated with the other celebrated project, the national children's hospital?

Are our guests confident that, within that figure, they have dealt with all eventualities, we are safe, we are good to go and we can assure those watching us today that there will be no further costs?

Given a rate of 20%, the figure for the VAT return is discernible. I gather it could be €345 million. The witnesses might give us the specific figure. With my previous question in mind, how would a clawback to the State work? Although they are slightly intangible, I would assume that the trends and other factors in society mean that the uptake will increase constantly until there is blanket coverage. Not to harp on about it, but it will be equivalent to rural electrification. There will be no home or premises in the Ireland to come without this broadband. In that good scenario, how will the clawback to the State work, how well has it been proofed and what will the percentage be? Are the witnesses confident in that regard?

There is a recurring theme in all of the questioning on and media coverage of this issue. Apart from the initial equity, which is not necessarily a huge issue, are our guests satisfied that NBI has the financial capacity to meet its obligations continuously over the period? Has it been stress tested properly? From my limited understanding of business, that is more important than having a nice flowery figure at the outset but no durability to last the long haul. While some of the points I have raised are obvious to those immersed in the situation, there are those watching who expect us to establish them in lay man's terms. We have within this room an immersed group of people, but not everyone outside understands. Beyond the down payment, what did the Department do to establish that NBI has the capacity to meet its commitments for the duration?