Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 5 June 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment

National Broadband Plan: Discussion

Photo of Timmy DooleyTimmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Does Ms Connolly not accept that the apportionment of risk, which would have been a variable in the event of there being competition, was effectively compromised? There was only one bidder and the State, depending on whether a contract was ever signed, appears to be carrying the vast majority of the risk. Granahan McCourt's proposal, as we understand, based on what the Taoiseach has told us in the Dáil, is committing only €170 million of capital versus a commitment by the State of €3 billion. It is very clear that if there were competitive tensions, notwithstanding the cost escalation, there was the capacity to ensure the private sector carried much more of the risk than the State. Again, I refer Ms Connolly back to the original assumption that the State would carry less risk and less cost by going down the gap-funded model. I may come to that question afterwards.

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