Breathnach questions why broadband plan costs twice as much in Louth as in Armagh

Louth TD Declan Breathnach has questioned why the preferred bidder for the state’s National Broadband Plan is rolling out broadband in the North for less than half of the cost.

Deputy Breathnach, who is Fianna Fáil's spokesperson on cross-border co-operation says that Granahan McCourt, which is the preferred bidder for the National Broadband Plan, is bidding for Project Stratum, an initiative to roll out broadband to 100,000 premises in rural areas in the North. 

The Louth TD said:

“High-speed broadband is vital and long overdue to rural Ireland, but we cannot write a blank cheque for the companies who are responsible for the service. The National Broadband Plan will cost about €5,000 per household, while Project Stratum will cost about €1,900 per household. 

“The same company is going to roll out the same service, in the same country, but is doing so for well over twice the price. While I accept that the plan to provide broadband in the two jurisdictions are different, the price difference raises further questions about the value for money which have been achieved through the tender process.” 

Breathnach concluded: “Other companies have said that they can deliver the same service for half the price of the National Broadband Plan.

"Granahan McCourt itself is willing to provide broadband in two parts of Ireland hugely different prices. The Minister for Communications needs to outline why it costs over twice as much to deliver broadband to Louth as it does in Armagh."