Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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551. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the signing of a contract for the national broadband plan is contingent on upcoming legal challenges to which the bidder and-or partners of the bidder are a party; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37523/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The bidder in the NBP was required to demonstrate its capacity to meet the economic, technical and financial pre-qualification criteria as set out in the Project Information Memorandum. In addition, as with other procurement processes, the bidder was required to confirm it has the legal capacity and is not otherwise constrained (including constraints imposed by funders and/or other stakeholders) in relation to its ability to enter into a contract and to fulfil its role in the delivery of the Project. My Department has the right to verify that these requirements continue to be satisfied as part of its due diligence process prior to contract award.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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552. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the breakdown of the 133,000 premises which will be passed by the national broadband plan in the first two years; if each of the 133,000 premises will be passed or connected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37524/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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National Broadband Ireland (NBI) has indicated that the NBP State intervention will take an estimated 7 years from the beginning of deployment. A deployment plan can only be made available by NBI once a contract is signed. As outlined in the Deputy's question NBI is aiming to pass 133,000 premises at the end of the second year, with 70-100,000 passed each year thereafter until roll out is completed. Those premises which are passed and whose owners then place an order with a retail service provider will then be connected by NBI.