Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are not as far away today as we were a year ago. The reality is that we have a final bid submitted by the bidder at the end of the process. I have heard various comments of concern and that is the reason I and my officials are taking the time to tease through this to make sure that any recommendation I make is made on the best advice possible. It is not true to say that the State was in a position to refuse a commercial entity that wanted to carve out from a state aid package. Under state aid, if an undertaking is commercial and a company makes a claim that it is commercial, then the State cannot include it in a State intervention area. That is the reality.

The system is not to be delivered by copper. This is to be delivered by fibre to the home. That is to future proof it. All of those who entered the competition were going to use such technology. The aim was to future proof the system.

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