Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is great disappointment, dismay, frustration and even anger at the Government's and Fine Gael's collective failure to deliver on the commitment made by the then Deputy and former Minister, Mr. Pat Rabbitte, to deliver broadband to every household in the country at a cost of €500 million. The Taoiseach's mutterings in recent days suggest that will not now be the case. What role has the Minister and his Department played in seeking to ensure that commitment could be lived up to? What processes are in place to ensure due diligence and evaluation during the awarding of a contract to protect the best interests of the taxpayer? The Taoiseach is failing to live up to the commitment he made. He stated this was a personal crusade. This project has the potential to unravel in a similar fashion to the national children's hospital project, unfortunately. I want the Minister to allay that fear.

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