James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I confirm that I am within the confines of the Leinster House campus. I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee. We had an interesting opportunity to engage with representatives of NBI earlier today. I have a question regarding the interaction between NBI and the Department. An issue I raised with NBI was around the knock-on impacts of the Covid pandemic on the original roll-out plan. Is the Department confident the roll-out will be on target towards the end of this year?

I also want to address the matter of construction inflation. In every sector, we have seen enormous rises in the cost of construction, including in respect of labour inputs. I am aware a fixed agreement is in place regarding the costs for installation. Does the Department have any concerns about renegotiating that agreement when it expires? When will the agreement expire?