Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

They did. They stated it was a very limited role. Mr. Mulligan confirmed that they have had no involvement of any description since 2018.

In relation to the overall project, there are a couple of points that are fairly clear to the public and those, such as ourselves, looking at it. One is that the 340,000 premises that have been cherry-picked by Eir, and that Eir is serving commercially, created significant problems. We had a discussion around that. That created many difficulties in terms of the complexities and the cost and logistical problems which Mr. Neary would have dealt with, as well as technical matters around the rest of the project involving the other 500,000 premises. The ESB and Eir walked away after that and both of them confirmed that that is why. After that, they basically left the process.

Then there is the cost. The issue that the public is really exercised about is that we will take almost €1 billion of Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer's money and we will give it to this entity that is backed by American investors. I have nothing against Americans - it just happens to be so. That American investor will then hand this to another private entity called Eir in order that it can hang the cables to get the broadband to the people's houses that people will then pay for. Is not that the crux of this issue? Are not those two factors, the 340,000 premises being taken out of the 840,000 and that there has to be a subsidy paid to the private investment entity to hand to another entity - another private company which, by the way, we owned until it was privatised - the root of this whole problem? It is unfortunate that we do not still have the infrastructure in State ownership because it would have saved a great deal of hassle for everyone. Is not that the crux of what has driven the price of this project out through the roof?