Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The committee will write to NBI on a number of matters. Mr. Hendrick has confirmed that under the contract, the company has scope to look at filling in the gaps with a provider, possibly Eir. It may be able to come to some commercial agreement. NBI was set up to deal with the intervention areas. As part of that, it has to build out the network and in five or six years, it will have a nationwide network that will be able to compete with other service providers, not just in the intervention areas but in other areas as well. That is what I understand from today's meeting. National Broadband Ireland was set up primarily to deal with the intervention areas but there are critical areas that must be addressed. There are people who can look over the ditch at their neighbours with high-speed broadband but they will have to wait for four or five years for a broadband connection.

That is wholly unacceptable. We will write to NBI and our guests have given us a commitment. Am I correct in saying that nothing in the terms of the contract prevents NBI from engaging in discussions with Eir to come to a commercial arrangement to deal specifically with the blue gap areas? That is a "Yes" or "No" question.