Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

There is leeway in terms of getting other operators to provide some of that in cases where they can do so in an economic and efficient manner. The benefit for the country will be when we roll this out, combined with the recent increased investment by Virgin Media and SIRO, as well as Eir, the NBI and other operators. We are within grasp of the prize of having what will probably be the most comprehensive high-quality fibre connectivity across the country. The economic benefits of that are immense in terms of how we deliver public services and support balanced regional and economic development. This is a project that delivers real value for money.

On the contractual issues around places that are between two areas, the Department has to make sure there is proper management of the contract so that there is not undue spending. The public wants acceleration and the network to be built faster.