Results 6,801-6,820 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

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

Eamon Ryan: Section 47 relates to the prohibition on opening postal packets and mailbags. Subsection (4) provides for exemptions to this prohibition and these exemptions include anyone who is acting on foot of a direction issued by the Minister under section 110 of the Post and Telecommunications Services Act 1983. Amendment No. 46 clarifies that section 110 of the 1983 Act, as listed in section...

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

Eamon Ryan: These amendments deal purely with interception and the ability of the judicial system to do that. I will confer again with the Attorney General's office as to whether there are wider provisions in terms of illegal activities which use mail services. I agree with both Senators that one must be vigilant towards such activity, but that is not the intent to these two amendments.

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

Eamon Ryan: Section 52 provides that summary proceedings for offences under this Bill can be taken within 12 months of the offence being committed, rather than six months. This proposed amendment includes a further offence under this section. The relevant offence is contained in section 13 of the Communications Regulation (Premium Rate Services and Electronic Communications Infrastructure) Act 2010,...

Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I met an official who works with me this morning, Mr. Eoin Sweeney of the Marine Institute. He was saying that he was over in Europe last week where they were offering him condolences on the conditions in Ireland, and he came back with an optimistic line. He said to them that we are undoubtedly going through a very hard winter but what we know from experience, and what there is a sense of...

Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I wish to share with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Martin.

Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: And the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran.

Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Ten minutes each. I was quoting a colleague, Mr. Sweeney, who was using the metaphor that we are in a very hard winter but the sense in this country is sometimes one can get a good summer and the land will recover, that we have real capabilities in this country that will thrive after we get over some of the mistakes, some of the dead wood of the past that we must remove. We are starting to...

Written Answers — State Bodies: State Bodies (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I can inform the Deputy that decisions to award payments in respect of employees at senior management level in bodies under the aegis of my Department, whose remuneration includes bonuses, are made by the boards of the agencies concerned, subject to the terms and criteria in the agreed associated remuneration schemes. Accordingly, the bases of any such awards are matters for the boards of...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: No member of staff in my Department has received a bonus payment in the past 12 months.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The amendment places the Acts listed in this section in chronological order and also clarifies that free election post is provided to candidates pursuant to section 25 rather than section 28 of Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937. I bow to the experience of Members on this and I am interested to hear their thoughts but the amendment provides for electoral communications.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I said earlier I would bow to the greater experience of Senators on this. I ran for the university panel in the Seanad.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I am afraid I did not. As a young man, I was full of ambition but I was so uncertain of winning a seat that I had my mother tallying my box. With the Senator being an O'Toole and me a Ryan, our boxes were beside each other alphabetically. His daughters were tallying his box and my mother looked on as the wheelbarrows arrived and pitched the votes into his box while my mother took out her...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I could not.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: They do. I am informed by my officials that it is not registered post - I will check that detail to make certain - but that the usual arrangements-----

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Perhaps austerity has hit even Seanad elections.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I will check on the details and revert to the Senator. It is a direct payment to An Post, for which the arrangements are set by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in the scheduling of elections. There are mechanisms for the Minister to set the conditions. However, the purpose of the amendment is to order the Bill correctly and ensure the error in terms of it...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Chapter 11 of the Bill amends provisions contained in various electoral Acts that relate to the recoupment of expenses incurred by An Post in the provision of free postage for election candidates and extends the provisions to all postal service providers. The amendment corrects an omission by inserting a section clarifying that costs incurred in the provision of free election post for...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: This section amends the Presidential Elections Act 1993, making it possible for postal service providers other than An Post to be selected for the purposes of providing election candidates with free postage. The amendment is a textual amendment to clarify section 32 of the 1993 Act which enables the postal service provider to request a security to cover the eventuality where a candidate who...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: This section enables the Minister to establish, maintain and operate a national postcode system. The amendment relates to the definition of "postcode" and makes it clear that the postcode relates to the address, not to the individual to whom the mail item is sent. When an individual moves house, the postcode stays with the address. From a data protection point of view, it is important to...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I am happy to brief the House. There has been significant progress made in recent months. We have been examining the detailed arrangements and, with everything we have seen, the introduction of a postcode system makes more sense. There would be huge efficiencies and cost savings for postal service providers and huge benefits in public service administration and for other users. My...