Clash of the civil servants lays bare an urban-rural split

Mark Griffin, from Galway, defended rural broadband
Dubliner Robert Watt is strongly opposed to the NBP

In simple terms, the broadband contract has witnessed a battle between an urban-born civil servant and a rural one. Department of Public Expenditure and Reform secretary general Robert Watt, who has outlined his trenchant opposition to the €3 billion deal, is from Dublin. Department of Communications secretary general Mark Griffin, who is equally adamant that it is value for money, is from Galway city.

Griffin has ...