Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I have two questions. The statement by the European Council states: "The European Council today adopted an agenda calling for swift and determined progress: ... to create the right conditions for stimulating new business opportunities by: ... ensuring very high-capacity fixed and wireless broadband connectivity across Europe, which is a precondition for future competitiveness." The Cabinet made a very bad decision today to privatise the future national broadband network. At the Council meeting or in conversations, has any pressure been placed on Ireland to make a decision to privatise the network rather than keeping it in public ownership, as a strategic asset should be?

In the Minister's conversations with other foreign Ministers regarding Brexit, is there an acceptance that Ireland may very well need its own bilateral agreements with the UK, which may supersede general UK-EU negotiations after the serving of the Article 50 notice?

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