Mr. Mark Griffin:

I will outline some of the highlights over the next 12 months. There is intensive work under way in the Department on a range of issues, including the detailed nature of the intervention strategy, the cost-benefit analysis for the programme and how the programme is to be funded. This work is expected to be completed over the next month or so. The intention then is to present a comprehensive draft strategy to Government for approval, to include consideration of a whole range of important issues such as the appropriate ownership model for the infrastructure, whether a single contractor or multiple contractors will be engaged to build this infrastructure, the intervention cost - which is a critical component of the overall project - how the funding will be secured, to what extent it will impact on the Exchequer, the duration of the contract and so on.