Mr. Mark Griffin:

The way the public spending code is currently structured, one is quite limited in terms of the issues one factors in when doing a cost-benefit analysis. Even allowing for the more limited approach taken in the cost-benefit analysis which we had to do, the cost benefit - the committee heard this from PwC - remained consistently positive. We made the point all along in the process that we are talking now about providing an infrastructure. We know some of the areas to which it will provide advantages. The areas the Senator mentioned are some of them. However, we are providing an infrastructure to deal with issues that have not even been conceived now.

Looking at the evolution of technology over the past ten years, there were no smartphones ten years ago. Everything that is done now by virtue of a smartphone can be seen, and the sort of high-tech technologies that are being produced. Even today, ESB has talked about the roll-out of its first tranche of smart meters in Cork over the next couple of years. High-speed broadband and technology are needed to ensure consumers reap the benefits of that in terms of time of use tariffs, better use of electricity in the home and the climate change agenda. This is a qualitative suite of benefits that are not allowed to be factored in or crunched with regard to the numbers, but to me they are as important, if not more important, than the things on which a figure can be put. That was a point we consistently made to our colleagues in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. We were very clear on that in the submission of the memorandum for Government. Some of the things this technology will do have not even been invented. Regarding the figures we saw, 50 billion devices will be connected to the Internet of things by 2020. This is a colossal figure. We are talking about smarter homes and offices and, down the road, autonomous driving. There is enormous potential. We have not fully conceived what that potential is but the provision of this fibre technology where there are unlimited download speeds and so on will be very important.

Regarding the roll-out, we are looking at having more than 200,000 homes passed by the end of the year with a large number of them connected in the intervention area . We have also provided in the contract for broadband connection points. This is the sort of stuff we have seen publicised in the Aran Islands where people can come together, get a high-speed connection, have a proper office set-up and be able to work from there well in advance of getting the connection in their home. This creates a very effective working community within the locality where people can work. If we look at Apple in Cork, we can see that a large number of people work from home where they can. More of that will happen. From speaking to the large technology companies, we know that they are absolutely up for this. The future of work and jobs will change dramatically. We will see individuals working from home but on a team basis, cloud computer services, collaborative conferences and so on. It is all there to be had and it is a big prize if we can get this right.