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

The e-tenders system has been in place for a long time and requires to be updated. We asked bidders and suppliers what they would like the tendering system to do differently and we have determined that we need a new tendering system. It will be the best we can get. We are being careful and this is not being tendered for on the existing e-tenders system so there is no advantage to the incumbent.

On the NBP, the Deputy asked about encroachment. There is an intervention area where the national broadband plan applies. It is not, however, an exclusion zone in which no commercial company can operate. If any of the major three commercial companies in the market which put in fibre to the home wants to deliver broadband or any other technology of broadband, they can do so. That has happened. I note a recent report that 45,000 homes in rural Ireland had been given extremely high-speed broadband by a commercial provider. That is great as it means these households now have a choice between different suppliers, whether it is the subvented supplier or a commercial supplier. That is an advantage which was foreseen in the contract and accords with what was in the tender and contract.

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