Mr. Patrick Neary:

Through the contingency options exercise we did, we spent a lot of time developing how long it would take if a new procurement process were pursued. It was agreed in that exercise that the first step would be to set up a broadband agency or special purpose vehicle within the State that would be mandated to deliver broadband. The agency would then be tasked with developing a strategy. The exercise is similar to the one started in 2014. We brought together an international panel of experts. We used ComReg and we took on PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Analysys Mason, and Mason Hayes & Curran as advisers. We conducted a series of public consultations to develop the strategy, taking into account the state aid guidelines and views of the industry. That took 20 months. Mr. Griffin said we did not have 20 months in which to launch a new procurement process. We need to proceed much faster. Through parallel work, etc., we concluded we could do that, including through developing a new cost-benefit analysis, which is required under the public spending code, and conducting a project appraisal and preparing procurement documentation. We expected it would take 16 months just to get to the start of a new procurement process. Regarding the procurement itself, if there were a pre-qualification period of six months, dialogue and bilateral engagement with bidders, a further six months would elapse. To date, it has taken us 26 months to do that. Evaluating the final tender would take three months. Selecting a preferred bidder would take another three months. In our process to date, the final part has taken eight months. Taking an extremely optimistic view of procurement, we believe it would take 18 months to conclude a procurement process. Taking the two elements together, and taking the state aid approval process and the issue of contract closure into account, it would take at least 37 months to conclude a new procurement process from the start. That is a very optimistic view, based on a fair wind.