Fianna Fáil chief takes aim at ‘compromised’ broadband process

The National Broadband Plan tendering process has been “hopelessly compromised”, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said.

The sentiment was echoed by other members of the Opposition. Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy said the process was “absolutely flawed”. Sinn Féin communications spokesman Brian Stanley said it was in a “shambolic state” and a Plan B was required.

But Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring urged the Opposition to wait for the independent auditor’s report, which is expected this week.

“We don’t want this to be an excuse to delay rural broadband,” said Mr Ring. Three bidders had left the process because “the cream is gone” for them, but 540,000 homes and businesses are still waiting.

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The tendering process is for a contract worth up to €500 million to provide high-speed broadband in mainly rural areas which cannot access it now.

The process was thrown into chaos as former minister for communications Denis Naughten resigned in the wake of revelations of meetings and private dinners with Granahan McCourt’s founder and chairman David McCourt, leader of the last remaining bidder.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar ordered an internal review of the process to establish whether it has been compromised and the risk of legal challenge.

Ms Murphy said the procurement rules for the process were very clear in relation to the kind of contact there should be during the tendering process.

“Canvassing will disqualify is pretty much what it’s about,” she said.

She said minutes of the June 26th meeting showed that “the kind of discussions that was taking place was horse trading about the cost and the rules set out that this is not a discussion the Minister should be involved in”.

What the politicians said

Concerns have been raised that the process would be open to legal challenge from the other bidders who dropped out, if it continued in its current format.

Mr Martin speaking on RTÉ's This Week programme said the assessment was under way. But "it seems to be me that it has been hopelessly compromised unless someone can prove otherwise".

On RTÉ's The Week in Politics Ms Murphy said the process was now absolutely flawed.

Mr Martin said the plan was compromised because the minister as the ultimate decision maker met Mr McCourt.

Ms Murphy said “we have to have an open and honest discussion about the way to proceed” and how to get broadband delivered as quickly as possible.

She believed there was more than one option but said that the opposition parties should not be excluded from the discussion if they had a contribution to make.