Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is a very complex contract. The contract paperwork runs to approximately 2,000 pages. I am in regular contact with the team that is managing this to make sure there is no delay within the competency of the Department, but the three bidders have sought additional time for this process. The last thing I want to see happen is that we would award a contract and spend the next five years in court deciding who will carry out the work while rural Ireland is left without high-speed broadband.

I am doing a number of things. First, I am intensively monitoring this process to make sure there is no delay on our side and I am encouraging and putting as much pressure as possible on the bidders to turn around their aspect of it as quickly as possible within the confines of the procurement process in which we are involved. Second, we are trying to facilitate the private telecommunications companies in rolling out their network and plans. They are spending approximately €1.7 million on average a day at present. I want to facilitate them in rolling that out quicker with respect to mobile, wireless and fixed-line broadband services.

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