Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley has called on the Government to stop wasting time and public money and to engage with the ESB to deliver the National Broadband Plan.
Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy Stanley said: “This Government has now spent seven years going down dead end cul de sacs with this Broadband Plan and we’re no further on.
“So far, this Government has spent €26m on consultant fees alone and not one metre of cable has been put down.
“This is farcical stuff. Reckless in the extreme. It has wasted time and wasted public money.
“In Laois, 12,720 homes are still waiting for broadband, and another 1200 in Offaly.
“We also have 11,477 people commuting out of Laois for work.’
“For the sake of job creation, for carbon reduction and for better community and family life, the Government must consider taking a step back from its plan and to realise that it is reckless economics.
“The plan, which I’ll remind people, is to give €3b euros of tax payers money to an American investor that has no experience whatsoever in broadband or telecommunications and doesn’t own a metre of cable.
“The Government needs to realise that is plan is banjaxed and it has been for a long time.’
“What we need to do, and what our amendment is calling for, is to talk with the ESB. A utility company that is state owned and has a proven track record.
“They are in the position to start rolling this in the near future. We need this Government to re-engage with ESB.”
Commenting later, on the news that Laois Partnership halted their planned investment into Broadband services due to the Government decision to go ahead with the National Broadband Plan Deputy Stanley said: “This shows the disjointed and haphazard approach that Government has to Broadband Provision.
“They have promised big and delivered very little. The Minister and his Department should have been upfront with the likes of Laois Partnership and encouraged them to assist in rolling out local Broadband networks.’’
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