Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

133. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the meetings which have taken place between his Department and representatives of companies (details supplied) since December 2015; the dates on which these meetings took place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23092/19]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

134. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he or his predecessor met with a person (details supplied) since December 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23093/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 134 together.

The National Broadband Plan procurement process, by its nature, has required a significant level of interaction with each of the bidders that participated in that process. This includes meetings between the National Broadband Plan Procurement Team and representatives of the final bidder, Granahan McCourt, since the Competitive Dialogue process commenced in July 2016. I have not been involved in any of those meetings.

It is a matter of public record that my predecessor attended a meeting which took place in New York in July 2018. A minute of this meeting together with a record of the attendees was published last year.

To date, my Department has held over 800 hours of dialogue with bidders in the procurement process, including Granahan McCourt. No meetings were held with Tetrad Corporation or McCourt Global LLC.