Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 10 February 2022

Public Accounts Committee

2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
National Broadband Plan Expenditure and Related Matters

9:30 am

Mr. Peter Hendrick:

In terms of demand, it is clear now that everybody needs high-speed broadband. The certainty around the demand of broadband is clear. Around construction, we have measured the volumes and looked at whether we can meet the volumes. A key part of this, for example, would be contracting Eir to increase the capacity, the number of poles, the number of kilometres of duct, and so on. We have measured it out. From where we sit today, with confidence in the programme going forward, we know what all the variables are and we know what the volumetrics are in order to deliver this project. It gives us much more confidence.