Sinn Féin will move a Dáil motion calling for the ESB to be appointed to deliver the rural broadband project.
Opposition parties - including Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin - have criticised the €3 billion National Broadband Plan, which was approved by the Government earlier this week.
The consortium led by Granahan McCourt - the sole remaining bidder in the tender process - has been named as the preferred bidder for the project to ensure 540,000 homes and businesses receive high-speed broadband.
Opponents of the current plan claim that it's flawed and that they would do it differently.
Now, Sinn Féin is moving a motion directly opposing the Government's plan - arguing that the appointment of the ESB would ensure the infrastructure remains in public ownership while delivering value for money.
The Government has previously indicated this would run afoul of state aid rules and that a new procurement process would be needed.
However, this motion is more designed to put pressure on Fianna Fáil.
Micheál Martin has said he'd like an agency set up within the ESB to deliver the plan - and now will have to either back the Sinn Féin motion going against the Government, or row back on his previous idea.
'Words but no action'
In a statement, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said: “Micheál Martin says he wouldn’t sign this plan but he won’t do anything about it. This is typical Fianna Fáil - words but no action.
“It is time for Fianna Fáil to put up or shut up. They should support Sinn Féin’s motion.”
Fine Gael TD Joe Carey, the chair of the Oireachtas Rural and Community Development Committee, criticised Sinn Féin over the move.
He argued: "Simply awarding the contract to the ESB is against EU State aid and procurement law. Obviously Sinn Fein doesn’t care about rural Ireland or the laws – something we already knew.
“The only legal route open to Sinn Fein is to axe the National Broadband Plan and go back to square one by re-starting the procurement process.
"This would add years to the process and delay broadband in areas where it is badly needed."
The motion being put forward in the Dáil means the row over the way forward for the broadband plan will continue into next week, as the local and European elections on May 24th loom.
