Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First, I am glad to put on the record the process that is under way to ensure the approximately 500,000 properties that will be unable to get high-speed broadband through normal commercial channels will be able to get it through a national broadband scheme which the Government is determined to deliver. The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has advised that the bidder in the national broadband procurement process is led by Granahan McCourt Capital and includes subcontractors Enet, Nokia, Actavo, the Kelly Group and KN Group. Enet will provide access to the metropolitan area network, MAN, infrastructure together with day-to-day operational activities. Nokia will provide a wide range of high-speed broadband equipment throughout the intervention area and the Kelly Group, KN Group and Actavo will provide the necessary staffing and construction expertise when building the fibre over the Eir network. Eir is also a key subcontractor to the bidder and will provide access to more than 1 million poles and 15,000 km of ducting to serve consumers in the intervention area. This tendering and procurement process is moving forward so we can complete the job of ensuring that homes and businesses in parts of rural Ireland can enjoy the high speed broadband connectivity they need to run their businesses and to interact, as many households do, with cities and towns.

On the second issue, the Minister, Deputy Naughten, has agreed to come to the House between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. today. He has agreed to make a detailed statement and to take questions from the Deputy and other Members who wish to ask them. It is appropriate to give him the opportunity to outline in detail what his involvement has been in meetings with Mr. David McCourt or anybody else, and to answer the questions Members are entitled to ask about a process as significant as this procurement process in order that he can reassure the House that his meetings and interactions have been appropriate and in no way have undermined the credibility of that process.

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