Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 3 July 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment

National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed)

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

I thank the delegates for their comprehensive presentation. It was certainly more comprehensive than the initial response of the Department to the presentation made by Eir to the committee last week. The Taoiseach told the Dáil that Eir's offer of €1 billion was the result of not including VAT or connection charges, which was subsequently proved to be incorrect. Somebody in the Department's press office hastily got that response out and left the Taoiseach with egg on his face, but that is not a matter for the delegates.

Representatives of Eir told the committee last week that it could provide high speed broadband access for 542,000 homes, premises and farms dotted throughout the intervention area for €1 billion. Members of the committee represent taxpayers and the people who need broadband. It would be foolish of us not to pursue the matter as far as possible and anything I say should be taken in that context. It seems, based on the presentation made, the lengthy responses, the layers of complexity involved and the rules and regulations which must be met, that in order to protect the €1 billion, the State will have to spend another €2 billion. That seems ridiculous to the taxpayer and, I am sure, the people waiting for broadband. Eir which has been getting a bit of a bashing from the Department in recent days - it often gets a bashing from me on other issues - is being portrayed as the big baddie, whereas the truth is the Department entered into an arrangement with Eir to roll out broadband in the original intervention area covering 300,000 homes. Successive Ministers have gathered political capital for their foresight in bringing it about. We know what the ESB stated and the implications. Are we spending €2 billion to protect €1 billion?

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