Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Just to clarify, would our guests accept that the real asset value in this entire endeavour is unfettered access to 542,000 premises and the fact that the company concerned will in essence be paid to build up a pool of customers who will pay, at current rates, €30 a month? Rather than just the cost of the piece of cable or whatever, the value is actually the monopoly access which is being supported to build that pool of customers, which will really drive the future valuation.

The Department's expectation is that in approximately ten years 80% of the 542,000 premises will have signed up to the network. Therefore, that is the value.