Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

When I started in this role I informed the company that I would be applying all of the penalties I could legally apply and there would be no mercy shown. I did so because I did not want the idea to form that I would overlook issues and we would just try to work together. A range of penalty clauses apply for being late with the delivery of installation. Penalty clauses also apply if the service is unreliable. If the service is dropping, for example, specific euro amounts are charged. For the first two years of the contract, a grace period applies during which the penalty clauses for late installation are not applied. That period runs out in February 2022, after which the company will be charged if anything is late.

National Broadband Ireland is only paid for what it does. Each time it connects an entire deployment area, which is 4,000 people, it receives a large sum of money. However, it is not paid if it is not connecting.

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