Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

They do. I will double-check if that is the case because I checked it a couple of hours ago in advance of this and I did not see it. I will check again.

I would rather be here talking about the many local issues that I and my party colleagues have in relation to the roll-out and how far behind it is but we are not there with this. There are too many questions.

The €50 million that was paid in fees and interest payments last year has prompted the Department to ask William Fry and EY to examine the funding structure of NBI at a time when, at committee and in response to parliamentary questions, etc., we are being told how far behind the roll-out is. I accept Covid had an impact but, on further interrogation in committee meetings, it does not tally that Covid is responsible for all of the level of delays and problems.

We are very concerned about Ireland being on the hook with an investment and corporate structure that has the potential to fleece the public purse. That is what it does, if they are not to deliver.

I believe the Minister of State's commitment in delivering this and making sure it is delivered, but we were talking all week about flexible work, about people working from home and, in a committee yesterday, about regenerating rural towns and villages and having people being able to live and work there. This is the lifeblood of any of that being a success. With this being so far behind and so far delayed and with the many questions that are popping up on a near monthly basis in relation to the finances, who or what investment firms are behind these companies and where those investment firms are based, is the Minister of State confident that the investment firms that are backing up NBI are in it for the long haul? This has been compared to landmarks in progression such as the ESB rural electrification programme and getting a telephone into every house but all those companies, be it ESB or Telecom Éireann, were State companies in it for the long haul at the time. I do not in my gut feel that this crowd are in it for the long haul.

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