Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Bruton, to come before the House as soon as possible to explain the rationale behind the tentative decision relating to broadband roll-out. It is only a decision in principle. No contract has been signed and none will be signed during the lifetime of this Government. The matter to which I refer represents the death knell for this Government. I am of the view that this is a scandal. Granahan McCourt Capital is a US company. It does not own 1 m of fibre optic cable, one pole or a single duct. The Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Mr. Robert Watt, has given a stark warning to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, and the Government. The reason for him doing so is unprecedented. The ESB and EirGrid provide a service to every house in Ireland via poles, ducting and meters and yet they withdrew from the broadband tendering process because something stinks. There is something underhanded about this entire operation. SIRO, the joint venture involving Vodafone and the ESB-----