Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 8 February 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment

National Broadband Plan: Discussion

2:40 pm

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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It is part of the overall procurement process.

The question of access to the physical infrastructure, such as poles and ducts, will be covered in the infrastructure access legislation that we intend to introduce and about which I spoke a few minutes ago. That legislation will provide clarity for the next 25 years in relation to this issue.

As members are aware, I have no role whatsoever with regard to freedom of information requests. I am sure everyone here will verify that when I was appointed as Minister, I told all the senior staff within the Department that I wanted as much information as possible to be released to colleagues, either through direct requests or parliamentary questions. I did not want to see people having to wait to for responses to freedom of information requests to get information. I know that a number of colleagues have had individual briefings on this issue and other issues within my Department. That is my approach. That is why, when Deputy Eamon Ryan asked me earlier to release information regarding the engagements with Eir, I said I was very happy to do so. That is why I released the correspondence between me and Mr. Richard Moat. That is why I gave Deputy Dooley a commitment on the two dates for the release of the available documentation regarding the correspondence of 17 July and the note of 30 August that I received from Mr. Moat.