Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Tánaiste about the latest failure to complete the national broadband tender. When I asked the Minister, Deputy Bruton, about this during Question Time just over a week ago, we were told the tender should be announced before Easter. This is the latest in a long series of delays and it is becoming farcical. There are 540,000 households and businesses, 25,000 of them in Laois-Offaly, awaiting this. Since 2012 we have had two Governments, four Ministers and one false start after another. Like other Deputies, I am left in the dark as to what is going on, but what we do know is that the Taoiseach confirmed this week that the cost has now gone up to €3 billion. Previous Ministers have told me that some 80 civil servants and consultants are working on the tendering process on behalf of the Government. We know there is only one bidder or investor left in the tendering process. People have waited long enough for this. It is holding back job creation-----

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