Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

Eircom's fixed line network is one of many regulated communications networks in Ireland. The communications landscape has been transformed over the last decade. Where once we had just one publicly owned telecommunications company, we now have close to 400 operators in the communications area. Ireland now has a mix of mobile, wireless, cable and fixed networks all of which are capable of delivering high-quality, innovative telecommunications services including broadband. The regulation of these networks, including Eircom, is a matter for the independent Commission for Communications Regulation.

My role as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is to ensure the best possible legislative and regulatory framework for telecommunications services to promote the public interest in this area. In my view the public interest is best served in the telecommunications sector by having a state of the art, affordable and accessible telecommunications service that can be used sustainably for social and economic development. My priority therefore, is to provide the policy framework for the sector as a whole to facilitate the provision of competitive high-quality communications services across a range of infrastructure platforms.

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