Results 4,521-4,540 of 5,184 for speaker:Joe O'Reilly

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I fully accept the Minister of State's thesis and Members would have taken that as a given. I believe reference was made on Second Stage that Members are more than aware of the degree to which information technology has caught on and is being used. In a way this makes it more necessary to be supportive of the universal service obligation and supportive of An Post. It will not simply face...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: Tributes have been rightfully paid to the generosity and resilience of our people in the snowy weather during the past few days but it is worthy of mention yet again that the level of restraint and control our people have shown during the economic crisis in recent months is remarkable. Because they have shown this they deserve fairness and hope. What was contained in the Central Bank report...

Seanad: Tributes to Member of Staff (2 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I will be brief because previous speakers have expressed the sentiments we all share. I acknowledge how courteous, good humoured and pleasant and efficient Shay has been. We are all very grateful to him for the manner in which he has treated us all and for being highly approachable at all times. He is a perfect gentlemen and has done a great job during the years. I wish him well. I join...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: Senators on this side of the House are uncomfortable with leaving the wording as it stands. We are concerned that the provision may be used to undermine the principle of a universal service at some point in the future. In order to make a fast buck by providing a cheap service, it may be decided to require people from a dispersed community to get their post from an installation, that is, a...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I strongly support this amendment. Yesterday I contacted the Bills Office to append my name in its support. Obviously, it goes without saying that trade unions and workers are important stakeholders in An Post and in the delivery of the postal services. We can be very proud of them, something I say in an unpatronising way. Our postal staff at local level and up the line, those with whom...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: He is one of An Post's best customers.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I am also a former temporary postman.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: On behalf of my party, I wish to acknowledge that the Minister is going back to the drawing board in respect of this matter. I take on board what he said. The approach he has adopted is appreciated because there is no logic in dividing the House in respect of such a central issue.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: The general thrust and purpose of these amendments is - while accepting the diktats of Europe and the requirements of the relevant directive - to preserve the universal service obligation that applies in this country. In other words, our aim is to ensure that, with no exceptions, people's post will be delivered to them each day regardless of where they live. That is what we are trying to...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: That is not workable.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I move amendment No. 1: In page 9, subsection (1), between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: " "distribution centre" means the main hub location where efficient automatic processing of mail takes place in large volumes sufficient for the operation of a national mail collection and delivery network;". The objective of this amendment is to ensure we will continue to have a clear...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: There has been considerable investment in the existing centres - €100 million of State funds and personnel - and that is investment worth protecting. I appeal, therefore, to the Minister to consider this amendment on the basis that we should provide statutory protection for them. Access to the market should not be below the level of existing centre, in other words, a smaller unit. While...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I support Senator O'Toole's proposition. We are not seeking to thwart the process of independent regulation but there should be ministerial oversight in order that the ultimate responsibility and capacity to interfere should rest with the Minister through the Oireachtas. Senator O'Toole makes the point well that we are not seeking a position where the Minister would interfere daily with...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Second Stage (24 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister and acknowledge the fact that he has initiated a number of Bills in the House and has engaged fully with the House on all occasions. As we are debating the postal services Bill, it is worth acknowledging the current success of An Post in terms of delivery speed. The recent ComReg report is heartening in that respect. A total of 87% of mail is delivered throughout the...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Second Stage (24 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: A community is losing another vital service following the amalgamation of schools and the closure of the Garda station, which is all very depressing and brings back memories of the 1950s. There is a risk that this legislation will lead to the closure of small local postal outlets as a consequence of opening up to competition. While this is happening already to an extent, at least there is...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: It merits repeating once more that the country is in grave difficulty and that people are genuinely anxious and afraid. Taking Senator Harris's metaphor of firing on ambulances, it is important that an Opposition party identify and echo people's concern as to why those ambulances are present. They are present because of cosy cartels and successive years of mismanagement by Fianna Fáil...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: It also merits repeating that the people need an immediate election. Yesterday, the Taoiseach should have put the negotiations on hold, arranged to delay the budget and called an election in the minimal constitutional period. This is what the people want. The public wants a new source of hope and people who are responsible and were at a remove from those who were running the country. They...

Seanad: Death of Member: Expressions of Sympathy (17 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I express my sincere sympathy to Kieran's wife, Mary, his children, his mother, Delia, his extended family and his political colleagues. I met Kieran first during the previous Seanad campaign. For geographical reasons, we both visited a couple of houses of Independent councillors in County Clare and we got chatting to him. We became friends and our friendship remained. We would always...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: People have a real issue with the denial, obfuscation and distortion of the facts over a number of months. I do not refer to the highly dramatic denial that took place on "The Week in Politics" television programme the other night but to the denial, lack of information and lack of clarity that preceded it. People needed to know where they stood and need the truth at least but are most angry...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: Moreover, it is clear that we got it dramatically wrong in the case of Anglo Irish Bank and that the people are angry about this. In the midst of all this, the issue that impinges on me from my work every day is that we must have a jobs strategy. Ireland must come out of the next few days with a job strategy based on green energy, food processing, a sectoral approach and on tourism. Food...