Results 3,401-3,420 of 5,164 for speaker:Joe O'Reilly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: We are back to the 25 years. What I am trying to nail is the populist argument that the State is foregoing some big asset and that it is recklessly letting of something that is valuable. The truth is that after the span and for the subsequent ten years to reach the 35 years, there is nothing in it for the State other than hopefully a clawback from a better take-up than we anticipate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Perhaps Dr. Palcic can take my question and then we will take the variation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: No, but there is nothing to suggest it will be a very valuable asset either.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: It is speculative. I could win the prize bonds, too. It is speculative, basically.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: It is good that we have nailed the concept that it has some intrinsic value. Assuming the high level of take-up outlined by Deputy Dooley, do the witnesses accept that the clawback will achieve the taxpayers' requirements, as happened in the UK? When Deputy Dooley was out of the room I made that the point that in the UK whereas BT anticipated 20% take-up of the service, it was 40%. In his...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Yes, but the infrastructure will be continually renewed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: The operator might also want to have something to sell.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: What is the alternative?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: We can all pose questions such as what happens if the Ice Age returns or there is a tornado or an earthquake this evening. I am interested in knowing the alternative to using the Eir infrastructure.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: It should be used and that is what the contractor is doing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Dr. Palcic's criticisms of the project are criticisms that anyone could make. I am not suggesting he does not have an expertise in this area - far from it - but his criticisms are ones which the man in the bar or anyone could make. For example, the man in the bar could say this will not work, we should retain ownership of the network because it will be great asset, take-up will be low, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: What is Dr. Palcic's assessment of the clawback? Does he think it has enough teeth and will it work?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Would that be effective?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: It would hardly want to walk away from a good product. Nobody is going to want to do that with an asset of this value. If the operator does want to walk away, it cannot flip the asset under the contract. Assuming that after a set number of years it could flip it, the company buying it would have a commercial imperative and an imperative to its bank to keep it going. One could make the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: With respect, this is core to it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: They are core questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Taxpayers want to know.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: They deliver an incentive----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Somebody purchasing this company would be similarly regulated.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: I will come back in later. Deputy O'Connell asked the question.