Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

People will now see the irony in the Minister's final statement on the previous question, that he is proud to be delivering broadband for Ireland. This is, perhaps, the greatest example of the Minister's lack of priority for delivering an IT infrastructure in the country. We have spent €80 million putting 64 MANs into the ground, but only three of them are giving a return to the State currently and providing a positive contribution to improving our backbone infrastructure.

The other 61, however, although many of them have been built for up to two years, sit there unlit while the Minister prevaricates on who he will allow to manage phase two of the MANS project. My understanding is that a preferred bidder was chosen in July. As five months have elapsed, why has the preferred bidder not been given a contract to manage the second phase of MANS? When one considers the success, in respect of return on investment, of the first phase of MANS, why is an investment of €80 million in public moneys allowed to lie in the ground unlit, while delays from the Minister continue?

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