Officials defend rural broadband roll-out

GOVERNMENT officials have defended their plan for a nationwide broadband roll-out, insisting the heavily-criticised tender process is fit for purpose.

Appearing before the Oireachtas committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment yesterday, officials from the Department of Communications said there is no way to hasten a process that is now in its third year.

Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley questioned whether it was acceptable that the process has taken this long and has yet to appoint a bidder. Programme official Ciarán Ó hÓbáin told the committee that the project was being well managed.

‘I am absolutely satisfied with the governance of the process,’ Mr Ó hÓbáin said.

‘But the complexity of the process and the obligation of the State in terms of getting it right are onerous,’ he added.

Mr Dooley cited the 540,000 premises who are not able to get broadband. ‘I don’t think they’ll understand that when you say it’s being well managed,’ he said.

‘You may be dotting all the Is and crossing all the Ts and covering everyone’s proverbial but the reality is it doesn’t seem to me to be an efficient process.’

A contract is expected to be awarded by the end of September.

The project aims to deliver highspeed internet to every rural household and business.