Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I confirm that I am in my office in Leinster House. I thank the witnesses for coming before us today and for their continued engagement with the committee. I want to recognise the fact that I was on a field trip with Mr. Malone, Ms Collins and some more of the NBI team in parts of County Clare like Cratloe, Meelick and Ardnacrusha. It was great to see on the ground the issues NBI encounters on a daily basis and great to get an understanding of the issues, where the pinch points are and the type of work that NBI does to make this enormous project a reality. It would be beneficial if this whole committee went out and saw on the ground the type of work and the challenges that are posed. Coming away from that day, I had a deeper understanding of that work, and I thank the witnesses for that. I thought it was a very good exercise and perhaps, as I have suggested, this committee should seek to have such a field trip in the future.

There is disappointment with the level of progress. Obviously, Covid had to have a deep impact on the type of work NBI is doing. It is encouraging to hear that NBI is determined to make up the six months it has lost and it is good to hear of the work it has put in place in the gap intervention areas, which is one of the issues the committee homed in on.

Will the witnesses elaborate on that type of work and when they expect we will see the outcome of that work in terms of pilots? I notice the witnesses were calling them clusters and reference was made to identifying these clusters and going in to address the issues. With regard to Cratloe, I made representations and I know NBI is advancing a solution for a particular road there, which is very welcome.

In regard to County Clare, as Mr. Malone described it, the project is coming out from the exchange in Limerick and building back into south-east Clare and east Clare, then going back into areas like Shannon, Newmarket, Ennis and Clarecastle, as well as west Clare and north Clare. It would be advantageous if the witnesses could explain to the committee, which is a public forum, why it needs to be that way, why these delays will happen and why the scheme is to be built in a particular way. They might also explain how many houses in County Clare have been surveyed and how many connections will be made by the end of this year and into next year.