The Taoiseach has defended the Communications Minister’s meetings with a business man involved in the consortium bidding for the tender for the National Broadband Plan which is worth over 500 million euro.
Leo Varadkar says Denis Naughten is not involved in the procurement process and that he will clarify his contacts with David McCourt in the Dáil today.
He says there is protocol around how meetings should occur but the communications minister has to be able to talk to CEO’s and people who might be interested in the bid process about other issues.
Meanwhile Fianna Fáil’s communications spokesperson Timmy Dooley is accusing the Government’s plan to roll out broadband of being flawed.
He says Minister Denis Naughten must explain his involvement in the process to date.
