Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I accept Eir is entitled to make a bid to pick off the most lucrative households and businesses but the State was in a position to say "No" as well. The logic of that would carry over into other infrastructure in the State and that has not happened.

There are significant problems with the current system. The town of Stradbally is served by a mast and my information is that the mast is composed of copper. We are left with a shambolic system. Despite the fact that in the programme for Government it was stated that additional Exchequer capital would be provided if needed to deliver on the commitment to bring next generation broadband to every house and business in the country by 2020, we are as far away from that today as we were this time last year. We are hearing the same answers as we heard previously.

Is the Minister stitching in conditions in the tendering process that the cost cannot escalate over the term of the contract, in other words, that the costs cannot escalate beyond whatever price is agreed with the remaining bidder over the term of the contract?

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