Results 6,101-6,120 of 10,460 for speaker:Gerry Horkan

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Mar 2022)

Gerry Horkan: When is it proposed to sit again?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: I thank our guests for their opening statements and for the briefing document. Many of the points I had intended to raise have been covered. There was a reference to the transposing of the EU code and the updating of the 2002 Act. They are kind of background issues that the consumer will not really be concerned with. While they are important, they are quite technical and will not be very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: That they provide broadband and phones.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: That is not there now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: Will the companies create the customer charters?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: Will ComReg audit them to make sure they have certain minimums? Will it say companies must have X, Y and Z in their customer charters?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: ComReg can insist that companies will not be able to say they will answer customer calls within an hour and then fail to comply with that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: ComReg can impose standards, or it will be able to impose standards.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: How does ComReg propose the sanction regime will work? Is it like a planning permission with regard to non-compliance? Will it send out warning notices? Is that in the Bill? A penalty of €5 million or 10% of turnover can be a large amount and, obviously, it will not be for a small offence. Where does the proportionality regime kick in? If a consumer rings up and does not get a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: That includes the redress aspect.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: Are those sanctioning capacities not there now?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: It is fair to say that is not there now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: On the "Prime Time" special, the chief executive of Eir stated the company had people in call centres working from home and while not saying "Tough luck", more or less said that people would have to put up with it. Is it the case that those operators will now face penalties, the consumer will be able to get both redress and compensation and the operator can be fined up to €5 million...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: Could it be more than €5 million or is €5 million the maximum?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: It is important that the penalties are quite punitive because there is no point in having a slap on the wrist type of fine that is cheaper not to resolve than to resolve. Fines are needed that will incentivise companies that do not behave. We all know companies that behave. Every one of us has at least one mobile phone. We all use these companies and they are fine most of the time, but...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: I have one final question. How is ComReg financed? Between the Department and ComReg, will it have enough resources to enforce and police all these extra sanctions and rules it will be given? ComReg obviously wants the powers. We have had representations from other people who are unhappy with the wholesale market. Operators rarely look for more rules, but they are looking for more rules...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: Who funds ComReg? This is just a final question. I asked it already, but I want an answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Enforcement) Bill: Discussion (23 Feb 2022)

Gerry Horkan: I am only looking for the answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Urban Area Speed Limits and Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (1 Mar 2022)

Gerry Horkan: I apologise that I was not able to be here for all of the discussion because I had another engagement. However, I read all of the briefing documents and the opening statements and I was here at the start. I watched online the RSA’s launch of the strategy back in December and its chairperson, Liz O'Donnell, is a former Deputy from my area, so I certainly fully support the work the RSA...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Urban Area Speed Limits and Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (1 Mar 2022)

Gerry Horkan: There is a good bit there, so sorry about that.