Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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129. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will publish the briefing given to the Cabinet from his Department in regard to the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20628/19]

Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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130. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the briefing given to the Cabinet from his Department in regard to the national broadband plan is consistent with the correspondence from his Department that was published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20629/19]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 130 together.

As the Deputy is aware, Government records are confidential to Government. The Deputy will appreciate that in order to respect the rules in relation to Cabinet confidentiality, I am circumscribed in terms of outlining the content of the Government’s detailed discussions on the National Broadband Plan and what, specifically, was reported to Government by me and/or my Department in that context.

However, my Department’s advice in relation to the National Broadband Plan has been consistent over time, as will be clear from the briefing documents I have published in recent days. I can assure the Deputy that the Government was fully aware of the views of my Department as it deliberated on the proposal from the Minister for Communications Climate Action and Environment to approve the appointment of the Preferred Bidder to the National Broadband procurement process.