Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I mentioned the issue of quality and I am glad to hear the Minister is monitoring it. It needs to be monitored and rolled out very quickly. The issue of broadband quality is essential. We need high-speed broadband that will require fibre-to-the-home because of modern demands in terms of business and students' needs. That is what the industry has told us.

A further concern is that one of the three preferred bidders is trying to capture part of the market before the contract is awarded. One of the Minister's ministerial colleagues raised concerns about this. Eir seems to be creating a situation where doughnut areas are being created around certain towns and centres where there is broadband connectivity and it is also cherry-picking where it will serve in terms of the rural areas. If one of the providers is cherry-picking places in the yellow area, that will make it very difficult competitively for the other bidders to roll out the scheme. I am not sure what the Minister can do about that but this matter must be examined and the Minister must intervene.

My other question relates to the timeline. Once the procurement process is done, we need a date for its completion and a timeline for roll-out of quality broadband. I ask the Minister to intervene with regard to the issue that has arisen in the past six months and revert to Members on it because it is of serious concern. The three bidders are big boys and girls and they are able to fight their own corner but their concern is that if they engage in cherry-picking, inevitably they will distort the process and make it difficult for others to go into the market. Some areas will be left behind regardless of whether the Minister and I like it.

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