Broadband plan review call rejected

The Government and Fianna Fáil are set to clash tonight over the botched broadband procurement plan, after cabinet sources said they will refuse the opposition party’s request to review the tendering process.

In a private members motion in the Dáil tonight, Fianna Fáil communications spokesman Timmy Dooley will urge the Government to immediately stall the procurement process and review what has gone wrong.

Mr Dooley and his party has demanded a fully independent, two month review to take place as a matter of urgency after last week’s revelations Eir was pulling out of the project.

However, Communications Minister Denis Naughten will ask Cabinet this morning to support a counter-motion rejecting calls for a review .

Also today , Health Minister Simon Harris will receive the go ahead publish a seven-year plan to develop at least three major trauma centres in Dublin, Cork, and Galway, by 2025.

Mr Harris will tell cabinet today new de facto centres of excellence must be developed in set parts of the country for patients suffering from major trauma due to severe head injuries and life-threatening car crashes.

The report, drawn up based on recommendations by doctors and patients, is understood to specifically say no services will be cut in other hospitals.

However, it is expected to be criticised due to service reconfiguration concerns stemming back to the Hanly report in the early 2000s which recommended the downgrading of services in some rural hospitals.

Meanwhile, today’s cabinet meeting will also hear Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe say he has set up a working group to examine how to merge USC and PRSI as promised in Budget 2018.

The Finance Department-chaired group will be told the merger needs to be phased in over a number of years.