Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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858. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has finalised an estimated cost for the national broadband plan; if this cost is €3 billion; if there are a range of estimated costs; the scenarios associated with these different costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45551/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The procurement process to appoint a bidder for the State intervention network is now at the final stage, with evaluation ongoing of the final tender submission received on 18 September. The Taoiseach has asked Mr Peter Smyth, the independent process auditor to the NBP procurement to review the process. Mr. Smyth will submit a report to the Taoiseach and to me as Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. This review is taking place in parallel to the evaluation being carried out by the Department’s procurement team on the final tender.

The level of subsidy required to bring high speed broadband services to the 540,000 in the NBP State intervention area is to be determined through the procurement process.