Mr. T.J. Malone:

Maybe I will take this one, if it is okay. Beginning with the question on local authorities, I will explain section 254 for people listening. When we set out on this project, a number of new telegraph poles needed to be put up in order to allow us to build our network across the entire country. We use as much existing infrastructure as is in place but it still requires an number of new poles. We set about getting a standardised set of guidelines in place with each of the local authorities. At that stage, we engaged with the County and City Management Association, the road management office, the Local Government Management Agency and the Department. We brought all parties together to get an idea of what good looks like because the thing you need more than anything when you are rolling a programme of this scale is predictability and fluidity for our contractors in order that we can predict with certainty that we can work when we go into a particular area. It is no different from building a house. When you put in your foundations, you need to know that your bricklayers are coming next and when your plasterers, roofers, etc., are coming. We are exactly same, only we have polers, cablers, etc., coming.

The biggest concern we had was that the local authority in County Galway would have one set of guidelines and that the authority in County Kerry would have a different set. We have engaged with them and that has now been agreed and is in place. It was signed off on and introduced by the Minister at a large forum involving more than 200 members of planning sections within the local authorities that was held on 5 May. The introduction of it is now starting to take place. Like anything, it takes a little while before it beds in with all the local authorities. In general, the local authorities are all extremely engaged and see the importance of this.

They are working very well with us to get this. Obviously, we are tight for resources.