The Government will sign a €3bn contract for the supply of rural broadband later this year after categorically ruling out an offer of a cheaper option for high-speed connections.

The credibility of the Government, elected or permanent, around major projects is not beyond question.

The National Broadband Plan has been thrown into fresh confusion after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government will consider Eir’s claim it could deliver it for less than €1bn.

The Taoiseach has indicated that the Government could restart the National Broadband Plan (NBP) tender process after Eir claimed they could deliver the high speed network for one third of the current price.

The consortium developing the State’s multibillion-euro national broadband project has been accused of “bringing nothing” to the plan amid claims a separate company is part-funding its investment.

The Department of Public Expenditure’s top civil servant has refused to come before an Oireachtas committee investigation into broadband today.

The Department of Public Expenditure’s top civil servant looks likely to snub an Oireachtas broadband investigation until after the local elections.

The Department of Public Expenditure's top civil servant has yet to say whether he will appear before Wednesday's Oireachtas committee's broadband investigation.

A cross-party investigation into the €5bn national broadband plan will also look at the best way to roll out a high-speed network to rural Ireland.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he supports an Oireachtas investigation into the national broadband plan, amid opposition warnings that billions of euro more must be found to fund the project.

Opposition calls to take Eircom back into state ownership to run the National Broadband Plan could cost up to €9bn, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

Cross-party support for an Oireachtas committee investigation into the €5bn national broadband plan is likely to be agreed as the Government urges opposition parties to back the plan.

Opposition calls to renationalise the former state telephone company, Eir, and have it run the National Broadband Plan would cost up to €9 billion, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

Minister for Communications Richard Bruton has said that the National Broadband Plan is the cheapest and most effective option for the provision of broadband.

Richard Bruton claims that will be the cost to Granahan McCourt over the lifetime of the 25-year contract.

The €3bn State investment in the controversial National Broadband Plan has been labelled “the worst deal ever seen” after it emerged that the private operator chosen to deliver it will only invest €200m equity in it.

Last week’s Government decision to award the national broadband plan contract to Granahan McCourt wasn’t the only big recent announcement about improving rural connectivity.

The Communications Minister has also refused to say how much of the €5bn broadband rollout cost will be footed by rural homeowners and businesses.

The Government’s report into the broadband lobbying fiasco will face immediate “whitewash” claims if it says the project has not been damaged by Denis Naughten’s serial meetings with the only bidder in the process.

Communications Minister Denis Naughten has been accused of “contaminating” the tendering process for the State’s multimillion-euro national broadband contract.

Enet has said it remains committed to the National Broadband Plan project despite one of the consortium’s major players dropping out of the process. Enet is the only bidder for the plan.