Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that this Bill is before the House. We would generally be supportive of it and the intention underpinning it. We will table amendments on it as it progresses through the different Stages.

The Bill is technical in nature. We believe the policy in the Bill, which achieves public ownership of telecommunications infrastructure, and the Minister of State's control over that, is sound. Sinn Féin believes in the vital need to have a modern telecommunications framework that would underpin and aid the development of what has become a basic service, namely, high-speed broadband. We know that service is needed in the west in the same way as it is needed everywhere else in the country.

We are behind in the rolling out of the broadband plan. Hopefully, the procurement process will be completed fairly early in the year and that we will see work commencing. While broadband access should be a basic service, unfortunately, 542,000 households and premises are not any closer to knowing when they will get such access but, hopefully, that can be progressed. Our intention is to continue pushing for that.

On the specific provisions of the Bill, it will transfer control of Gas Networks Ireland land and infrastructure to the Minister and will create new interest in favour of the Minister. That seems to be a technical operation. It relates to the Corrib gas pipeline and to opening up the ducting already in place for other uses. However, what may not be technical in operation is the intention of future Ministers. When the Minister of State, the Minister, Deputy Naughten, and I are no longer in this House, there will be the issue of the ownership of the ducting. It is crucial, therefore, that the powers are vested in the Minister under the Act regarding future actions taken with the ducting. That is the key aspect. The State needs to be in ownership of this continually for the benefit of the people, job creation and economic development, particularly in rural Ireland.

What the people of the State will gain from this measure is a different question. Will there be ongoing management to the benefit of the people? Will there be an income to the State from it because private companies will be using it? I understand the Minister stated in the Seanad that it is his intention to tender out the operation. I note that he has named an entity called the management service entity, MSE. It would seem that the intention in the Bill is to establish such an entity to oversee it, but there is a fear that this legislation could pave the way for future private ownership to make the ownership and the rights clearer and make it easier for the Minister, or future Ministers, to sell it off to the highest bidder.

There are many examples of failed private sales in telecoms. Unfortunately, the sale of Telecom Éireann in 1999, which I understand was presided over by the then Minister for Public Enterprise, Mrs. Mary O'Rourke, has left a bitter taste and bad legacy in terms of telecommunications infrastructure. As a result of that sale, the State lost out in respect of infrastructure, while citizens lost out financially. It is shocking that so much taxpayers' money was spent building a modern company that underwent a major transformation in the 1980s and early 1990s only to be sold off. As a result of the efforts made by Telecom Éireann workers at the time, we moved from having a completely outdated system under the old Department of Posts and Telegraphs to having the most modern telecommunications system in Europe, if not the western world, as overseas visitors and many people in the industry testified. We do not want a repeat of that scenario. We should not build up successful State assets to have them sold off for short-term gain. Privatisation and previous Governments' short-sightedness in telecommunications have impaired economic growth and failed citizens. If the telecoms system were still in public ownership, the national broadband plan would be much more straightforward.

The privatisation model has failed in telecommunications and has not served citizens. We must not allow asset stripping. Ducting is an important asset for the State, particularly in the counties that will be served.

With regard to the national broadband plan, 542,000 homes and businesses have been left high and dry by delays in the process of rolling out broadband. Farmers, students, business owners and ordinary householders have been left without a broadband service.

Under the privatisation model, we have been strangled by private interests. This Bill creates a particular fear because it will be at a junction of private capitalist interest. We have the transatlantic cable and a growing number of data centres. While the jobs created through these new centres are welcome, the cabling provided for in the Bill will be in close proximity to the proposed data centre in Athenry. These projects encompass large international business interests whose influence should not guide future ownership of any State owned property. Such matters should be guided only by the best interests of the 4.7 million people in this State and the 6.6 million people living on the island. The best return for the people should be the primary objective.

Communications infrastructure will prove essential to economic development, as has been demonstrated over the years. We must strive to have the best possible telecommunications system because, as an island nation, we are out on a limb and need fast and efficient communications networks to overcome this.

Quality of life issues are felt most in rural Ireland where any economic development will also be underpinned by the development of modern communications. Maintaining ownership of communications infrastructure in the hands of the State would give greater control in the interests of people.

Large corporations will be involved in this area. In the past, such companies had significant influence. While everyone is entitled to lobby, we must not forget those whom we have been elected to serve because they are the most important people at the end of the day.

The development of ducting 13 years ago on the instruction of the then Minister was one of the few acts in public policy in recent years that has lent itself to State ownership of telecommunications. The greater public ownership model for telecommunications must be urgently considered and should be the priority path for the national broadband plan. A motion, amended by me, was passed in the House last month. It called for an examination of the feasibility of progressing the national broadband plan through the public ownership model. Under the current model, the number of bids has been reduced to one, which swings the pendulum in terms of bargaining power towards corporate interests and away from the Oireachtas and Minister, although he may protest that the contrary is the case.

While the Bill deals with one artery of infrastructure, we must set about this properly given that we are starting from scratch. We should use the ducting systems for the best purposes in terms of public ownership.

The Bill deals in part with gas infrastructure. Infrastructure is also being installed along water pipelines owned by Irish Water. A cabling and ducting system runs alongside the railway network and some cabling also runs alongside motorways, which are owned by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, formerly known as the National Roads Authority. I presume this cabling will remain in State ownership. Who owns the ducting in place alongside railway lines? Some of this is being used as a backhaul system for the metropolitan area networks, MANs. We also have gas pipelines. I am trying to convey to the Minister of State that there is a significant amount of ducting infrastructure in place. Who owns this infrastructure? Will the agency to which the Minister of State referred manage all of it? Will the taxpayer receive a return on this expensive infrastructure? If companies use it, will local authorities or the Department receive revenue? People will ask this question because it is important. We also have a large State owned electricity network which criss-crosses the landscape. We must consider how this infrastructure can be utilised.

The metropolitan area networks operate in 90 towns and are supplied by the backhaul system. I understand the MANs are in State hands. Is it the Department's intention to draw all of this infrastructure together in a uniform system at some point? The more one studies this matter, the more a picture emerges of a complex tapestry of ducting being run by different infrastructure, whether roads, railways, Irish Water or, as in this case, the gas network. How will it be used to assist in rolling out the national broadband plan, which we all want completed quickly? To what other uses can it be put? Will a dividend be paid to the State or local authorities by companies which gain access to it?

As I indicated, Sinn Féin will table some amendments. The spirit of the Bill is good and we will support it. I would like the areas to which I alluded strengthened to ensure there is no risk of this valuable infrastructure being sold off for short-term gain or for other short-sighted reasons. I ask the Minister of State to address that issue. I look forward to the Bill's passage.

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