Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am very concerned about this section of the correspondence relating to the national broadband plan. It seems the ground is being prepared for a further revision downwards of the targets by the end of 2022. I am anxious that we get full clarification of the portion of the correspondence suggesting that certain legacy issues resulting from Covid-19 will continue to impact the contracted targets for 2022. An Cathaoirleach will recall that at the hearing we asked several questions about precisely what the Covid-19 complications were considering that this was considered to be essential work throughout the pandemic. The sector itself was never closed down in the way the construction sector was, for example.

The answers we got were very broad, with reference to clusters of Covid cases, but when we asked for the numbers of those, they could not be provided. There was also reference to a British company whose personnel were not able to travel over as a result of Covid-19 but when we sought elaboration on that it transpired that the company in question is no longer contracted. Clearly, that is not the reason. It is important to get clarification as to the precise complications that have arisen as a result of Covid in order that we can assess whether there are provisions to ensure that this does not happen if we face further waves in the future.

The correspondence states that the Department expects NBI to submit this plan very shortly. My concern over the entire broadband plan is that NBI is essentially dictating what it considers to be the appropriate targets and then the Department is setting those as new milestones. As a result, it is important for us to get clear definitions of what the targets now are and what justification the company needs to provide in order for milestones to be amended.

The correspondence also outlines that it has spent €24.5 million on procurement advisory services. It would be useful to get a breakdown of the specific expenditure on those services.