Broadband plan ‘won’t face review’ despite vote

Communications Minister Denis Naughten will not review the crisis-ridden national broadband plan despite committing to “absolutely” consider a Dáil vote calling for an assessment of the project.

More than 500,000 homes are waiting for high-speed connections under the plan.

Provider Eir withdrew last week from the competition leaving Enet as the sole bidder for the project, to connect mainly rural homes.

Mr Naughten said he would not ignore a Dáil opposition vote yesterday proposing the plan be reviewed.

Earlier, the opposition defeated the Government in the Dáil in a vote over rural broadband.

A Fianna Fáil motion demanding a review of the national plan was passed by 77 to 48.

The motion also called for the Government to consider taking the project back into State ownership or to use existing ESB facilities for the roll-out.

A Sinn Féin amendment to the motion added the ownership request.

Despite earlier this week suggesting a review would delay the Enet roll-out for the 540,000 premises, Mr Naughten instead told the Oireachtas communications committee yesterday he would “absolutely” consider the Dáil proposal.

Furthermore, the Government would meet next week, he noted.

“It is not my intention to ignore the Dáil over this,” he told committee members.

But speaking to the Irish Examiner last night, the minister’s officials said after the meeting that his position “remained the same”; that he did not favour a review of the broadband plan; and that Cabinet had backed his position earlier this week and noted that such action could delay the roll-out and even threaten to collapse the whole project.

“This doesn’t mean he will consider a review. He will consider the Dáil vote. But his position remains the same,” insisted his spokeswoman.

Senior Fianna Fáil sources last night said they would await the communications ministers’ consideration of the Dáil vote and that “all that matters is getting communities connected.”

It was also pointed out though that the issue did not form part of the confidence and supply agreement, whereby Fianna Fail supports Fine Gael in power.

Meanwhile, Mr Naughten outlined how he thinks the project could be agreed and contracted by September this year. It would then take three years to connect the 540,000 premises under the plan, he pledged.

When completed, there would be a “minimum standard” for broadband, he said, just like there was guaranteed post five days a week.

The minister also told Fine Gael senator Tim Lombard that he does not believe there are any more obstacles to the plan.

However, Fianna Fáil’s Stephen Donnelly blasted the Government’s record on broadband, saying Irish people have been “screwed” by monopolies here.

Irish people pay the third highest price for broadband in EU, said Mr Donnelly, but the quality of connection is ranked 27th in the union.