Results 5,301-5,320 of 20,057 for speaker:Brian Stanley

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (22 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: Is it at this point? Is it written into the contract or draft documents today?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (22 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: I know it is not, but is it written in? The Department is drafting it at the moment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (22 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: We have a complex process judging from the diagram the Department officials produced the other day. It is overseen by the board of National Broadband Ireland, which has one member representing the taxpayer. We have a letter. The only thing we have from a private investor is a letter of commitment at this stage in the process. We are three years into it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (22 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: I remember the Department officials and the Minister telling us that they had John Laing and SSE on board as well as all the financial firepower behind the project. Now, it has all evaporated like a ball of smoke. What we are left with now is a letter from a new company, one we are only hearing about this week. Those are the facts. Can we move on?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (22 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: Two companies pulled out in 2017. After that the Department drew up two contingency plans. I want to move on to that. In his opening statement, Mr. Ó hÓbáin pointed out that the Department investigated the need for a plan B. The Department published two contingency reports, one in 2018 and another in 2019. Both reports concluded there were viable State-led alternatives...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (22 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: We now know that the chosen model requires a subsidy to the tune of €1 billion for the rental of the poles. The Minister said it would cost €1 billion but Mr. Ó hÓbáin said today that it would cost €0.9 billion over 25 years in rent. If the ESB model had been used, the infrastructure would have been in place. The taxpayers will subsidise the project to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (22 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: I asked a straight question. Am I correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (22 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: The ESB network is in very good condition in terms of its pole structures and ducting. One can see when one drives around the country that a lot of Eir's poles are falling over into ditches and there has been very little investment in the basic infrastructure since it was privatised in 1999. First, Eir has got the 300,000 easiest to reach and most profitable households that banjaxed this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (22 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: That is correct.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (22 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: Given that the former Minister had had numerous meetings with the representatives of the consortium at that stage and the main investor, or who we thought was the main investor - it was David McCourt at that point - was it not the case that the whole process was in a very precarious state? Obviously Mr. McCourt had to be kept in the game because it was the only show in town. Was it not the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (22 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: I wish to ask one simple question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (22 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: I wish to ask one question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (22 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: We started out with a benchmark of €800 million or €0.8 billion for this project and the Minister stood up in the Chamber week after week to tell us the sum would cover the delivery of fibre broadband to every home, farm and business in the State. It has now been clarified that the Government and the Department have moved away from that. Even though there is not going to be...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Credits (28 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: 53. To ask the Minister for Finance the policy regarding personal tax credits (details supplied). [22339/19]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid Service Reform (28 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: 141. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if his Department will be carrying out a review of the threshold for eligibility for legal aid services (details supplied); and his plans to raise this threshold. [22349/19]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Infrastructure (28 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: 343. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to use a cable (details supplied) to benefit communities across the west of Ireland. [22286/19]

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: My first question is on the overall financing of the project. The Minister referred to projected growth but we are also aware of risks including the corporation tax yield from multinational companies and Brexit. The projected growth may not work out. A reply to a parliamentary question tabled by my colleague, Deputy Jonathan O'Brien, on 21 May said that it was estimated that the national...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: I ask the Minister to deal with this issue and the fact that taxpayers are front-loading the funding.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: Could I just ask for clarification on something?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (28 May 2019)

Brian Stanley: Obviously, the Minister cannot magic up income to fund capital spending. That money must come from somewhere and must come from State income - taxation and other sources of income. How is the Minister going to spend money twice? If he is going to use this pot of money for the national broadband scheme to subsidise this private operation, which the State will not own, he must do one of two...