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. Mark Griffin:

The penalties kick in, in most cases, at the end of contract year two. I understand the rationale for this is that it is expected that the first year or two of the contract is about mobilisation. There is a focus on that. At the end of contract year two, there is a delay to the milestone payment. Once that milestone is hit, there is a recalculation to determine the extent of the payment allowable. If it continues to be unmet for a period, one adjusts the net and says what the payment is.