In November 2019, the Government signed the contract for the national broadband plan, despite several warnings that it was a bad deal for the taxpayer. Indeed, the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform warned that the consortium could recoup all of its money by 2028 and then sell up shop. Nevertheless, the taxpayer agreed to fork out €2.7 billion for a network that we will never own. The broadband plan is now way behind schedule. Its target for homes connected by next January has been cut in half. Today, we have learned that David McCourt and other investors were paid out €50 million in 2020 before a single home was even connected, with the taxpayer paying them €43 million. Will the Tánaiste tell us how the investors were able to suck out money before a single home was connected? I ask him to confirm that the Government will publish the criteria linking State payments to the milestones reached.

The national broadband plan is behind schedule, but it will catch up. When the plan is complete in a few years' time, nobody will doubt that this was a good investment. This is the biggest investment in the history of rural Ireland, linking up half a million homes, farms and businesses-----

What about the investors sucking out the money?

-----to high-speed broadband. It was opposed by the Deputy's party. I hope people remember that when the next election comes-----

So do I. What about the investors sucking out the money?

-----and they have the broadband in their homes. I do not have any information on the commercial aspects of National Broadband Ireland.

The Tánaiste signed the contract.

I do not know if the criteria can be published, but if they can, I am sure we will publish them.