5 July 2017
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Labour spokesperson on Communications, Cork TD Seán Sherlock, has said reports of further delays to the rollout of the National Broadband Plan show the Government has lost control of the process.
It’s after the Minister for Communications indicated that delivery of the scheme looks set to be pushed back by at least a year, to 2019.
In a statement Deputy Sherlock said:
“There is a sense of smoke and mirrors about this latest announcement from Minister Naughten.
“The lack of an explanation and transparency for the delay suggests that Eir has the Minister over a barrel, and that he is no longer in control of the process.
“It appears on the face of it, that nothing can be delivered beyond a certain point until Eir have finished their connection process in select areas, which the Minister has indicated will not be until the end of next year.
“This leaves the Minister caught between two masters, and he needs to start showing some courage on this.
“With nearly one million homes and premises across rural Ireland currently without high-speed broadband, any further delay to the rollout of the Government scheme is simply unacceptable.”
