Government broadband deal is worst option says Laois Sinn Féin TD

A Laois Sinn Féin TD has branded the Government's broadband deal the worst of all options.

Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley criticised the Government’s broadband deal, which his Fine Gael constituency colleague and Minister Charlie Flanagan says will see €50 million spent connecting more than 12,000 Laois homes getting high-speed internet access.

The Sinn Féin Spokesperson for Rural Affairs went on to said it was essential that high-speed broadband is delivered to rural Ireland but that the service must remain in public ownership and that the ESB should have been mandated to roll it out.’

“People in the Midlands badly need access to high speed broadband, but this deal signed by Fine Gael represents the worst possible option.

 "It is a deal which will see the taxpayer handover €3b to a private developer and the public won’t even own the infrastructure at the end of the process. In fact, the private developer will own and control the entire company.

"The company, National Broadband Ireland (NBI) will have nine board members and only one of those board members will be a representative of the taxpayer.

“Rural Ireland has been waiting for 7 years and we’re now told by Fine Gael that it will be at least seven further years until the full rollout is complete. And from our own research, we believe that the process will take even longer than seven years due to the model which they have chosen.

"What we have also seen is that while the Government have been stalling and delaying for the last 7 years, private companies have been going into the Intervention Area and rolling out their own services," he said.

He said Sinn Féin believes that the ESB should be mandated to deliver broadband to the remaining homes within the intervention areas, which are not going to be serviced by a private company. 

“It is vital that we ensure that as much of the intervention area as possible remains in public ownership. We cannot allow another utility to be monopolised by private corporations. Especially such an important utility as broadband.

"There remains much doubt which regards to the competence and ability of the winning bidder to actually complete this contract. This is a bad deal for rural Ireland and the taxpayer,’’ concluded the TD.