Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I ask about the overall cost of the project and the breakdown per connection. Figures of approximately €2,000 per connection have been indicated but there is a cost of servicing the overall project of €2.6 billion in State aid and there is also €270 million of investment. Figures this morning indicate almost 30% take-up. We might assume the take-up reaches 40%. If all 540,000 premises and homes take it up, it would work out at €5,000 per house or premises. If 40% take it up, we are looking at almost €12,000 per household connection. The charge to the household or premises is €100. I understand there is deployment and mobilisation etc. to be done in the first year. In the first year there was less than €100,000 brought in. Do the witnesses have concerns about that? There is an overall cost to what we are doing. I agree with subvention and I understand the process cannot be done commercially. I support the idea of a national broadband plan but the cost of this at 40% take-up from homes passed is working out at almost €12,000 per household.