Taoiseach: Renationalising Eir to run National Broadband Plan would be double cost of proposed 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.

The controversy surrounding the roll-out of high-speed internet access to rural Ireland dominated Leaders' Questions in the Dáil where Mr Varadkar confirmed the private consortium would only be providing €220 million initially, compared with a State investment of nearly €3 billion.