Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I accept, particularly in the beginning, that problems arose specific to the pandemic. We all know that in big infrastructural projects one gets better as one goes along. That is accepted, but it is a matter of ensuring that this happens.

I have had conversations with NBI. It is obviously looking for what it terms "a self-install product" which would give it a greater capacity in relation to delivering on part of the build. Its conversations, as far as I understand, with Eir are that Eir has increased its capacity to make sure it catches up with the Covid delays so that we can deliver a seven-year project but it will be insufficient to deliver on an acceleration of a year. I think there are legal issues. I am merely looking for an update on where that conversation is, on whether we can deliver the self-install product, on whether Eir will increase its capacity and on where we are on putting it on a contractual basis to ensure that we get delivery in six years. Where people have been delivered fibre, it is absolutely brilliant. It is about all those who are not connected.

I also welcome the fact ComReg is working on offering people alternatives in their areas if they will be waiting another four or five years.

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