Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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This might be described as taking liberties but I have to go to the Dáil Chamber for a debate and might not get back here before we finish dealing with the work programme. We had a hearing with representatives of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications at which we discussed the national broadband plan, among other issues. With respect to the national broadband plan, there has been an extensive series of articles in The Currencythat have a number of very worrying aspects in terms of the beneficial ownership of the consortium and, critically, in terms of investors having been paid substantial sums of taxpayers’ money in 2020 before a single home was even connected under the plan. I believe we proposed that representatives of the Department appear before the committee alongside representatives associated with the national broadband plan so as to expedite this matter as quickly as possible in the new year. If that could be accommodated by the members, I would appreciate it.