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THE DEPARTMENT OF Communications, Climate Action and Environment plans to spend nearly €1 million on legal services for the delivery of the National Broadband Plan.
The NBP is the Government’s plan to roll-out high-speed broadband to 1.1 million people living and working in nearly 540,000 premises – homes, schools, businesses and farms – where commercial operators won’t commit to delivering service.
In November, the Government signed off on a €3 billion contract after The European Commission granted State Aid for the project, which has been beset by delays.
A tender issued on Friday for legal advisory services to support the delivery and governance of the NBP shows the Department is currently in the process of establishing ‘The Unit’ which will manage and enforce all contract governance associated with the NBP.
As a result, it requires a service provider to deliver legal advice and has set aside €980,000 to cover these costs over a two-year period.
It requires legal services in the following areas; Commercial law, Telecommunications law, Procurement law, State Aid law and litigation.
In November, National Broadband Ireland was awarded a contract for NBP after a controversial bidding process which led to leading bidders withdrawing from consideration. A contract was expected to be awarded in 2018.
Former communications Minister Denis Naughten resigned, however, after revelations of meetings with Head of Granahan McCourt, David McCourt.
Granahan McCourt was the sole remaining bidder when it was granted ‘Preferred Bidder’ status in 2019.
Opposition parties have criticised Government for signing the NPB contract, arguing Ireland’s broadband network should be publicly owned considering the State is investing significant money in it.
In January, the Department said that it expected “significant interest” after issuing a tender for wireless access points for the NBP.
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I hope this is stopped with whatever government comes in, can’t believe that we spend 3 billion and don’t even Owen it, this is not right
@Mick Hannigan: Insanity we won’t own the network but it won’t be stopped. It is all about transfering public money into private hands. Neo-liberalism 101.
@Mick Hannigan: €1 million to ‘ legally’ give away €3 Billion… welcome to FFG world!!!!
@M Bowe: another million on top of the €7 million spent to date on legal fees fighting the €13 billion Apple fine.
@Mick Hannigan: They should just wait another year or 2 for musks starlink. Satelite broadband low latency and most likley cheaper than all other providers. I dont understand how they can charge up to 75 per month here and u get 2 times speed on continent for less than half the cost.
All those projects are going to end up very bad i.e. with the usual tribunal attached to the end of it.
Most expensive broadband in the world.
Most expensive hospital in the world.
Either Blues are dopes or simply corrupted beyond recognition….
€980k isn’t an exorbitant sum in legal fees over two years given the size of the underlying contract; however, expect the final figure for legal fees to end up being many multiples of that figure
So what happens when Elon Musk’s starlink is operational, would we even need a rural wired broadband?!?
Look like this problem is soon to solve itself and we will have wasted €3,000,000,000 of taxpayers money
@Tony Gordon: never mind starlink, closer to the ground youve got FWA and 5G in place by the end of this year – all done by private companies on a commercial basis.
@Tony Gordon: Was just going to say the same thing. New technologies will render it redundant by the time it gets done. A complete misappropriation of taxpayers money.
@Tony Gordon: A giant vanity project by Musk which will lose investors a fortune. Even 5G has already surpassed anything Starlink can offer, so will only be an attractive offering in areas where 4/5G is not an option, and areas where 4/5G are not currently available tend to be either low population density areas or poor areas. Even if Starlink is to break even it’s offering will be expensive.
@Tommy Roche: expensive maybe….3bn euro buys a lot of data
Government – can you please quote us for two years of legal fees
Legal firm – yes no problem it will be 979,999.99
I always love knowing somebody’s budget before i bid a job!
Wait wait…. *grabs popcorn*….. and Go!
No need for it now, Imagine doing a fine job.
Just get it done please.
@sean de paore: no, let’s not.
Elon musk will have broadband globally once project star link is up and running . Clowns.
There is more than 1 virus destroying this economy, & outrageous legal costs is up there.
Surely our AG has his own team of leagle beagles, so why this expense on top?
Just read the motor insurance claims analysis, & 33% of settlements went to lawyers. That indicates that there is huge scope to cut insurance premium costs, if the state sets up a 3rd party only insurance, on regulated compensation terms, & let the foreign outfits offer better policies on a competitive basis.
Same for voluntary non profesdional sports & social organisations to halt the steady destruction of these by liability insurance cost.
@Ollie Conroy: fwa is garbage, I’m on so called 5g and have 2mb right now and every evening and weekend.
Have you any idea of the density and backhaul needed for 5g.. and the continual replacements that will be needed to “fix” Xg every 5 years or so. We’ve flogged the fwa horse enough already.
have your say