Results 1,941-1,960 of 10,577 for speaker:Barry Cowen

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Administration (28 May 2019)

Barry Cowen: 377. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the contract in question in relation to the national broadband plan is between the State and a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22653/19]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Administration (28 May 2019)

Barry Cowen: 378. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 239 of 15 May 2019, the agreement to be put in place between the holding company and a company (details supplied); if it will provide a legal guarantee that the company will provide extra equity as a contingency in order to fulfil the national broadband plan; if it fails to be...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Administration (28 May 2019)

Barry Cowen: 379. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 239 of 15 May 2019, the agreement to be put in place between the holding company and a company (details supplied); if it will provide a legal guarantee that the company will provide extra equity as a contingency in order to fulfil the national broadband plan; if it fails to be...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Administration (28 May 2019)

Barry Cowen: 380. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 239 of 15 May 2019, the agreement to be put in place between the holding company and a company (details supplied); if it will provide a legal guarantee that the company will provide extra equity as a contingency in order to fulfil the national broadband plan; if it fails to be...

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

Barry Cowen: I thank the Minister for coming before the committee to assist us in properly scrutinising, analysing, questioning, and querying this decision of Government. We preface our remarks, as always, by saying that we all accept and that nobody disputes this infrastructure is badly needed. It is most definitely needed throughout the entirety of the country. It is many years overdue. Many...

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

Barry Cowen: Yes. That must be clarified. We are still awaiting details of the €400 million overspend on the children's hospital. The Minister gave details of €100 million in this year, but there is €400 million between now and 2021. There is a further €400 million on this issue between now and 2021 and €1.5 billion between 2021 and 2027. The Minister says it will...

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

Barry Cowen: We need to know what implications it has. This refers back to how the Minister counteracts the advice given to him. What way did he respond to that? Who did he meet? What record is there of the discussions or negotiations he had to allow him to arrive at the conclusion he has taken?

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

Barry Cowen: My question was not answered.

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

Barry Cowen: There are two. The Minister said the risk is capped from the State's perspective. That is based on the assumption that NBI has the capacity to soak up any associated risk that it may incur. What lock system is in place in the contract to ensure that is the case? If there is none, the State will still be left carrying the can anyway. That is why I said NBI is made up of Tetrad and Granahan...

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

Barry Cowen: Then bring the contracts and get the holding company on the hook.

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

Barry Cowen: I would have sought the information anyway.

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

Barry Cowen: Please publish them and the costs.

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

Barry Cowen: I have a couple of questions and I am keen to take them one by one. Many issues and clarifications remain outstanding prior to the contract being signed. The Minister said he will not sign until he is satisfied those issues are resolved. If for any reason the contract is not signed, what is the State's obligation to the consortium, having conferred preferred bidder status on the bidder?

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

Barry Cowen: What if it is not signed at all? What if there is no contract?

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

Barry Cowen: That is if it is not signed. If the Government does not get the clarifications we asked for or a lock system to ensure the State is not on the hook in the event of the consortium going belly up-----

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

Barry Cowen: The Minister is not answering the question.

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

Barry Cowen: Have we an obligation to pay the consortium compensation if the contract is not signed?

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

Barry Cowen: The Minister said he was heavily involved in studying alternatives. Were the alternatives based on information provided by Granahan McCourt?

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

Barry Cowen: The Minister published some information which has not been redacted or blanked out. It states that the information presented in the document was developed with the intent of illustrating what could be achieved in a plan B scenario using high-level assumptions and assuming favourable timelines to complete several complex tasks. It states that the subsidy estimates presented in the paper, as...

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

Barry Cowen: This paper was shared between the Minister and the Department of the Taoiseach for their consideration only and was then published by the Minister. It states that timelines and other supporting assumptions were taken from information by the bidder and experience gained. This is information not from his officials or officials from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and...