Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 4, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following:
"2. (1) The Board may engage in all or any of the businesses of—(a) developing electronic communications networks and electronic communications services infrastructure,
(b) leasing, licensing and otherwise providing, making use of an engaging in any service in connection with electronic communications networks and electronic communications services infrastructure, and
(c) electronic communications networks or electronic communications services, or both, whether on wholesale or retail basis,in each case either alone or with any other company and shall have all such powers necessary or expedient for that purpose.
(2) When entering into a contract with any other company the Board must support job creation, growth, innovation and regeneration, to assist in the creation of training opportunities, to broaden the supplier base for the works and to avoid excessive concentration of purchasing power by ensuring that 25 per cent of the aggregate of its employees and the employees of the supply chain are persons who meet one of the following criteria, to be broken down as set out below:(a) 10 per cent of the employees to be employees of small enterprises, being companies that employ fewer than 50 persons and which have an annual turnover not exceeding €25,000,000 and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €25,000,000,
(b) 10 per cent of the employees to be people recruited from the unemployment register and,
(c) 5 per cent to be apprentices or persons who have graduated from third level education or left school in the preceding year prior to their employment,the contractor must advertise all vacancies locally in addition to any other method of job advertisement.".

There are two parts to this amendment. The section, as drafted, provides that "The Board may engage in all or any of the businesses of ... (b) leasing, licensing, selling and otherwise providing, making use of and engaging in any service in connection with electronic communications networks and electronic communications infrastructure". We propose that the word "selling" be omitted from that paragraph. We do not believe it is appropriate to have selling as an option included in the section. I would like to get the Minister's view on the reason it is included.