Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 7:

In page 13, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following: “(c) by the insertion of the following section after section 8A:

“Conferring of functions in relation to telecommunications infrastructure on Board

8B.(1) Subject to subsection (2), the majority-shareholding Minister may by order confer on the Board the function to develop, maintain and operate telecommunications infrastructure, where the majority-shareholding Minister thinks proper and specifies in the order, and any such order may provide for the performance of the function subject to conditions specified in the order and may contain such incidental and supplementary provisions as the majority-shareholding Minister thinks necessary or expedient for giving full effect to the order.

(2) An order made under subsection (1) shall be made subject to—

(a) the consent of the Minister for Finance, where the majority-shareholding Minister is not the Minister for Finance,

(b) the consultation of the Minister,

(c) the consultation of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, and

(d) the consultation of any other Minister of the Government (other than the Minister for Finance where the consent of that Minister is required in accordance with paragraph (a)), who in the opinion of the majority-shareholding Minister having regard to the functions of that other Minister ought to be consulted.

(3) When an order under this section is proposed to be made by the majority-shareholding Minister, a draft of the order shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas and the order shall not be made until a resolution approving the draft has been passed by each such House.

(4) In this section, ‘telecommunications infrastructure’ means infrastructure and equipment which permit the conveyance of signals for telecommunications and electronic communications.”,”.