Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have listened to Mr. Hendrick's contributions from my office. It is one of the benefits of the Covid changes around here. Where the witnesses may have seen the negatives, we have seen the positives.

I thank the National Broadband Ireland representatives for the outlines and for their engagement with us. It was helpful also that we had the opportunity to meet with National Broadband Ireland on site. I will follow on from the comments by my colleague Deputy Ó Murchú. Perhaps the witnesses will come back to us with a detailed outline of issues National Broadband Ireland has that we might be able to resolve through our engagement with the Department. Rather than going back over those waters, it would be helpful to do that.

From public representatives' point of view, the only thing the people we engage with and the people we represent want to know daily is, "When am I getting my broadband?" We have spent time out of number explaining to them the complexities of the interface between the private and the public, the commercial and otherwise. They glaze over. They really do not want to know. We understand the complexity, as does National Broadband Ireland, but the people we represent want to know "when" rather than anything else. In different debates in the House I have mentioned, it would be helpful to us and, ultimately, to the customers and consumers if National Broadband Ireland could provide some level of forward planning or insight into where it is at.

I know that would have taken time at the beginning but there have been learnings since then. There is an interactive map that clearly delineates where NBI's responsibility begins and ends. It would be helpful if there were also indicative timeframes. I know NBI has been trying to indicate to people if they will be connected within the next six months or so but consumers who are three years out or beyond that can only see so far into the future. I always believe in telling constituents the truth rather than creating hope where I know none exists. If they are beyond two or three years and are closer to four, five or six years, it is better that they know now because some of them will make a decision to invest in another product in the short term, such as a satellite or some other package system. There are some options out there. The uncertainty is a killer for people. NBI should do everything it can in that regard. I know there is a cost involved and money does not just fall off trees but maybe that is something for which NBI can seek additional revenue from the Department. I would certainly support that. Anything that can be done there would be helpful because certainty is important to the consumer.

I do not want to overlap too much with what my colleague said. At one stage after he took office, the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, indicated a willingness within Government and in the programme for Government to try to hyper-charge the roll-out. That was always going to have limited capacity because there is only so much one can do on the ground at any one time. Does Mr. Hendrick have any thoughts on that? Is there anything he wants to share with us that might be helpful or that would bring the timeframe from seven years to five? Is that doable?

Mr. Hendrick addressed the media comments well in his statement. I do not want to dwell on them but there are issues and concerns there, some of which I would have expressed myself. I am on record with those comments prior to NBI being given the contract but I have always taken the view that once the contract is signed it is signed and we have to help get it done for the benefit of the people who need broadband. Is Mr. Hendrick confident that NBI is capitalised in a manner that allows it to do its work or is there still some background work to be done in shoring up that capital? Is there anything that concerns him as chief executive? That would be helpful.