Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not suggesting that the Minister and the Department in their review of this will agree that there should not be some continuation of a scheme like ConnectIreland. It has brought a verifiable number of jobs to dispersed regions of the country, jobs that are very valuable in those regions. I was always a strong supporter of this, with the ambassadors, but it seems to have run into difficulties between both the ConnectIreland personnel and the IDA. I cannot comment if that was in regard to the litigation there but I can say that if the Minister was to extend this contract, she or the IDA would have to go for public procurement. The board considered that last November and it made its decision on that.

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