Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
FIANNA FÁIL WON’T bring down the government over the National Broadband Plan contract, according to the party’s communications spokesperson.
At the launch of the Oireachtas Communications Committee report on the broadband plan, which does not garner support from the committee’s Fine Gael members, Timmy Dooley said Fianna Fáil continues to support the government in the confidence and supply agreement.
Last week, the committee voted on a number of recommendations, backing the proposal for the broadband network to remain in public ownership.
The committee – which investigated the government’s decision to award Granahan McCourt preferred bidder status for the multi-billion euro contract – voted to recommend that the government reopen talks over the network.
One of the only recommendations not adopted by the committee today was a proposal from Fine Gael members to sign the contract and to roll-out the network as soon as possible.
The report also recommends that the government commission an external and independent review on whether the current proposal is value for money.
“Are we going to bring down the government on the strength of whether they are going to accept this report or not, the answer is no. No, we won’t bring down the government on this,” said Dooley today.
He said in their role as the opposition, Fianna Fáil has been “responsible” in highlighting their concerns about the current plan on the table and its €3 billion price tag.
He said the decision on whether to sign the contract is ultimately a matter for the government to decide, stating that no Dail motion or debate is going to change things, in his view.
He told TheJournal.ie that the government must now decide if it is going to listen or ignore an Oireachtas committee’s recommendations on the future of the National Broadband Plan.
Chairperson of the committee Hildegarde Naughten, who is also a Fine Gael TD, said any further reviews into the plan will only delay the roll out of rural broadband further.
Outlining the timetable, she said the committee’s report will now go to the Communications Minister Richard Bruton to consider.
She said the minister has committed to assessing the report before signing the contract with the preferred bidder.
Government sources told this publication last week that it is keen to sign the contract and “get started right away”.
They hit back at Fianna Fail’s position to carry out a review, stating that nothing new will be discovered.
“When the NBP was announced back in May, the opposition claimed they had an alternative that would be cheaper for the taxpayer and deliver broadband to rural Ireland more swiftly.
“After months of hearings, the opposition’s big plan is to delay the roll out, and instead commission more reports, and hire more consultants.
“It’s proof positive that there is no better plan,” they said.
Dooley questioned if the government will continue to “bury their heads in the sand”, stating that the Eir offer, where the company said the network could be delivered for a lot less money than the €3 billion, should be further investigated.
He said if Eir can deliver the plan for €2 billion less, then a delay is warranted so as to ascertain if it is actually deliverable. Ultimately, however, Dooley said this is a government decision.
Course not they are all in it.
@Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland: not really, with Brexit coming no TD wants to fight an election. They’re all getting paid nonetheless, why rock the boat.
@Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland: I’ve got a word in my mind starts with A P.-_-.
Fianna Fáil are worse than hurlers on the ditch… They whinge about everything yet allow it to propagate by propping up the government.
@iohanx: That Brexit excuse is really starting to wear thin with me now to be honest.
@Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland: course not they want to keep their noses in the trough for as long as possible ,stuff silly principles
@Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland: time FF got it’s act together. So they agree that the broadband can be handed to a minority investor so that the electorate can be screwed again. Corrib fields repeat. Why am I not surprised.
They’re not going to bring down their coalition partners!! They’re all riding the same gravy train!!
@Niall Sheridan: I love gravy
@Niall Sheridan:
The disease ridden snouts are ready to leave the trough yet.
Of course the government will sign it sure why would they want to do it for less 3billion or 1 billion. They would pick 3 any day. Sure just look at the joke of children’s hospital costs and location and they just continue to go ahead with it – headless chickens
@The Observer: the idea of being in opposition FF and SF is to question and fight these proposals, but why not sit there and say nothing
@The Observer: did you just reply to your own comment?
Forget to switch accounts or what
@The Observer: The worst Government in history supported by the worst opposition..Only in Ireland would you get away with such a level of inability ineptitude and arrogance.
I live in rural Ireland, can’t get speeds better than 5/6 MB and would love high speed broadband but no way am I as a heavily taxed paye worker happy that our government will spend 3 Billion to deliver this service. Its madness. Election now please.
@Manbackonboard: I live in urban Ireland, a hard working tax-payer, our rent and mortgage payments are ridiculous in urban areas, I already pay for my own broadband, when is rural Ireland going to subsidise our rents and mortgages seeing as they have it so cheap?
@Manbackonboard: I am also in rural Ireland with speeds of 2/3 mb, totally agree with you and would not expect the government to fork out 3 billion to solve the problem, crazy stuff! Children’s hospital and this shows signs of incompetence but with no proper opposition this type of waste is allowed continue. Prefer if they spent the 3 billion on our health service which is shocking or home care help for those in need.
@Mairead1990: Probably at the same time you start compensating us for the lack of public transport services and amenities down the country..yes you have high rents but you have everything else as well..
@Mairead1990: OK mairead with that narrow thinking would you be in favour of only people with children paying taxes towards the children’s allowance. How about schools, public transport. Your argument is weak.
@Mairead1990: Also you live in Canada and not urban Ireland.
@Ed: Good man. What a burn…
@Mairead1990: expert at divide and conquer.
@Mairead1990: Remember its rhe shannon river which powers your home.
@Manbackonboard: If you want to give me your Eircode, I’ll should be able to find a rural ISP who can offer you much higher speeds
@Eric McTible: If you want to give me your Eircode, I’ll should be able to find a rural ISP who can offer you much higher speeds too
Since the vote on brexit the UK have had a general election and 3 changes of prim minster, and were been told we can do that because of brexit, there is no opposition the dail is just one big party laughing at the rest of us
Naughten to see here.
@Padraic O Sullivan: I see what you did there
Basically we live in a dictatorship. All parties are the same. Whoever is in power have their own interests at heart not those of the rest of us
As colition partners in the FG/F.F. government it would be impossible for the deputy leader of the blueshirts Michael Martin to go against his boss Leo… The F.F. party that facilitated the gangsterism of the banks and developers now keep in power the blueshirts who only made matters worse..The pox and the plague United.
One thing we have in common with the UK , the opposition is totally useless.
@The long walk home☘️: what opposition?
@The long walk home☘️: ff arent in opposition, theyre basically a junior partner but because they both feared sf becoming more popular they came up with the current farcical arrangement
Fianna Fáil cowards
FF are a still party,still talking, still pretending, still in denial, still two faced and still irrelevant, still you’d think they could change, nah never happen.
FFG.. Still pretending to be different …
They know when they are on a good thing
The consortium is investing 200 Million, the government is investing 3 Billion and when it’s all completed the government hands the lot, lock stock and barrel to the consortium to do what they want by way of charges etc. And FF see nothing wrong in this?
Democracy is dead. The country is ruled by a Plutocratic cabal.
Nothing, it seems will rid the country of this cabal short of a revolution.
From here on in FF are going to back FG and vice versa. They don’t have the numbers anymore for one party rule. So the pretence is over, they both have the same policies and they will try to keep the charade going as long as possible. Hopefully in the near future more people will kop on and see that they are only in it for the money.
Dont look at me, I know naughten
My favourite comedy is
‘ Much ado about Naughten ‘
Or the health crisis, or cervical cancer scandal, or the state the defence forces and Gardai are in, or the housing crisis……so what will FF pull the government down over??
It’s all bull…only reason is because FF aren’t high enough in the polls to mount a challenge
How about building a high speed rail network from Dublin to Cork, Limerick and Galway? Is this not an answer to decentralising Dublin. Imagine being able to travel from Cork to Dublin in an hour. Businesses could relocate to these centres, it would allow people to work in Dublin but live in these locations and it would sort out the housing challenge with more building outside Dublin in provincial cities, towns and their satellite rural areas. This would re energise rural areas, improve the people’s quality of life, increase employment opportunities outside Dublin, ensure housing affordability and halt Dublin’s urban sprawl. It’s time for some positive action in terms of structural spending.
@Mr T:
Building high speed train services between our busiest, most congested cities won’t improve Ireland’s housing crisis.
More slow trains from provincial towns for commuters trying to reach those congested cites is probably the better more cost effective option, augmented where possible by double trackways.
Anyway, Inter-city one-hour trains would only frighten lots of horses in our peaceful countryside. But rolling out the National Broadband Plan would be a great investment, facilitating remote working and keeping folks in the countryside. This should be done without delay as our economy slows a bit because of Brexit.
@Rory J Leonard: Agreed, let’s not upset the horses and take things nice and slow. That’s the way to get things done!
Snakiest political party in western Europe. Agrarian populism must be eradicated.
Fianna Fáil couldn’t “pull down “ their own pants the bints
FF=FG they are the same all the one.
Lovers
Scrap the committee’s, FG and FF are controlling the country, end ov
Polls not in their favour, then?
Corrupt corporate governance dictatorship
They are soooooo good Figures must not add up yet
Gravey train continues. FF are,a disgrace.
well now -there’s a surprise !!!
They are an excuse for an opposition party
The pigs don’t want to take their snouts out of the swill.
The plan is already outdated along with the technology. Worst part is the contract states if Eir or other providers provide service to the addresses already identified they get paid for the work anyway. That means as broadband providers bring broadband to these areas as they are right now and using new technology bypass the entire project the company with the contract will still get billions for doing absolutely no work.
Self serving clowns
Anyone in rural Ireland looking for higher speeds, try your local rural ISP.
Hi Christina, rural Ireland is now getting high speed broad band with Imagine.ie, this would be a positive story about a service for people, not another government spin to get votes and more taxpayers money
Fianna fail do nothing except collect their salaries
have your say