Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----the terms and conditions under which state aid would be provided to bidders to provide a national broadband service that ensures 25% of the population is not left behind were published. Under that procedure, as the Deputy knows, Eir went through the pre-qualification stage and agreed to the approach and it submitted a bid of €2.7 billion. That was in accordance with state aid rules, public expenditure rules and the proper oversight and governance of how State money would be provided. Eir subsequently withdrew from the process. It has indicated in hearings this week that it believes this could be done at a much cheaper cost. However, it seems that Eir does not envisage that its approach would submit to the requirements of the state aid rules that were set out. As the Taoiseach indicated yesterday, we need to explore precisely what Eir is proposing. As the Deputy knows, we undertook a procurement process. That was done with every bidder treated in the same way. We reached a point at which a preferred bidder was appointed.

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