Results 5,341-5,360 of 20,057 for speaker:Brian Stanley
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (5 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: The Minister, Deputy Bruton, however, told this committee on 14 May: "In the case of a residential home it [the price] is set at €30 per month per subscriber. This is an entirely regulated business." Will the witness confirm this is the figure? What role ComReg did play in setting the figure and what is it based on?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (5 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: My first question is on the options paper, which formed the basis of the Government's decision afterwards, which was the gap model. The paper stated the gap-funding model had a number of advantages and outlined them: it was the cheapest option to the State overall, minimising exposure to risk. It recognised that it would take the advantage of competition between bidders to further lower the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (5 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: Like others, I contend that some of the objectives could have been achieved by using a different model. Some of what Ms Connolly has stated is incorrect. I have been monitoring the overall project. I have been discussing it with various people in this room and elsewhere for three years. This is the most unusual contract I have ever seen. It is a most unusual process. There were five...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (5 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: Did it assume that three and a half times as many homes would be covered?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (5 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: I wish to clarify something. I pointed out to the then Minister, Deputy Naughten, that the removal of the 300,000 premises would make the process more expensive. I compared it to farming, in that if one takes away the best land, a higher subsidy will be required to farm the bad land. The then Minister said that was not the case with the NBP. That is a matter of public record. Ms Connolly...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (5 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: I just asked her to clarify the point.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (5 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: Therefore, it did have an effect. Will Ms Connolly explain the impact of Eir which owned infrastructure and the ESB which also owned infrastructure being out of the race? Had either of these entities had stayed in the race to win the bid, would the project have been a lot cheaper?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (5 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: Was the fact that they owned the infrastructure a significant factor? In 2018 KPMG was asked to carry out the reappraisal of the national broadband plan. Not surprisingly, the report concluded that the initial KPMG appraisal was correct and that the preferred model should continue to be the State's and the Government's preferred model. In hindsight, does Ms Connolly believe it was...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (5 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: Would it not have been better for somebody else to examine it with a fresh set of eyes?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (5 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: In the reappraisal report KPMG was asked to cost viable alternative options as outlined by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. Will Ms Connolly explain why the decision was taken by KPMG not to carry out individual financial appraisals of each of the other four options?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (5 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: I refer to the reappraisal. There is a section in the report that deals with quantifying the costs of viable options and specified sources of funding. It goes on to deal with the financial appraisal model. It runs to 14 pages, 12 of which have been redacted. There is almost nothing left on those pages. Does Ms Connolly think it would be in the public interest, the interests of the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (5 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: Ms Connolly would have to say the gap was wide. It is €2.95 billion which is a wide gap to fill. That effectively is what has happened. I refer to the ownership model as set out in the contract. After 25 years the company or whoever the company sells it on to will own it. The facts are that the taxpayer will cough up €2.95 billion and that the board of NBI will have nine...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (11 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: 42. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps he is taking to simplify and speed up the process of approval by his Department for local authority housing schemes. [24032/19]
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (11 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: The question concerns the steps the Department's officials are taking to simplify and speed up the process for approval by the Department for local authority housing schemes. I approach this in a constructive way. I know the Department cannot magic up houses with the flick of a switch. I am trying to come at this from the point of view of solutions. I have spoken to both the Minister and...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (11 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. He referred to a timeline of 59 weeks, but this is not happening before 59 weeks in many cases. Schemes such as those in Portarlington and Conniberry Way in Portlaoise are all very welcome and all necessary, and I know the Department has taken some steps in this regard, but the process is still very slow and very costly. Since about 2002 or 2003...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (11 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: I am not saying the houses are low-quality. What I am saying is that they are-----
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (11 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: No, that is not the point I made. I said we need a generic template. The Conniberry Way units are finished. The Minister sitting beside the Minister of State opened them. They are of a very high quality. The point I am trying to get across to the Minister of State is that the template for those houses could be used in other counties and other locations in County Laois. They could be...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (11 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: That is the key point.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (11 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: That is what is putting a cost on the Exchequer. Templates would reduce the cost.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (11 Jun 2019)
Brian Stanley: The people on the waiting lists will support the proposal I made.