Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:256 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the status of the implementation of the regional broadband programme; the basis of the Government decision for the adoption of the regional broadband programme; the economic and social grounds for the adoption of the programme; the evaluations, commercial and economic, including cost benefit and by whom, which were undertaken prior to the adoption of the programme; the conclusions of such evaluations in respect of the adoption of the proposed programme; the original and current timescale provided for the completion of the programme; the original and current estimated cost of carrying out the programme; the reasons for deviations, between original and current time-scales and cost estimates; the name and composition of the management entity, if selected, to be responsible for administering and operating the assets created by the programme; the model used for the selection of the management entity to be responsible for administering and operating the assets; the names and cost of consultants employed to advise on the selection of the management entity; if such consultants have connections to or an interest in the companies in competition for the management entity tender; the basis for selecting the management entity to be responsible for administering and operating the assets; the rules and contractual arrangements to be applied in respect of the distribution of revenues between the public bodies in which the ownership of the assets is vested; the regime to be applied in respect of the pricing of services provided over the assets created by the programme; the cost to date of consultancy services and contracts entered into in respect of the development of the programme and the installation of the assets; the role of his Department in the development of the programme and the operations of the management entity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25739/03]
