Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will speak to two developments in the context of the release of documentation under the Freedom of Information Act pertaining to the national broadband plan. It has emerged that at a meeting last September that was attended by the then Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten, very serious reservations were articulated by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and his Secretary General about the national broadband plan and the need for it to pause. At the meeting which was held the day before the Granahan McCourt consortium submitted the final tender Deputy Naughten indicated that the bill had risen by more than €300 million in one month. The Secretary General wanted it to pause and said he had very serious reservations. We have learned today that Eir is stating to the Oireachtas committee responsible for this issue that it could do it for €1 billion. For several weeks the Taoiseach has been tackling various people in the Opposition, saying they want to spend here, there and everywhere, but an increase of €300 million in one month suggests not too many on the Government side are overly exercised about runaway expenditure on major projects. Does the Taoiseach agree with the Secretary General at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that the project needs to be paused? Is the Government going ahead with the commitment it gave to the Dáil last month, or is it open to pausing the plan, reflecting on it and talking to the people charged with managing public expenditure for the Government?

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