Results 8,121-8,140 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Ba mhaith liom a deis seo a thapú labhairt ar an mBille agus cuid de na moltaí atá sna leasuithe atá á moladh ag an Aire a phlé go ginearálta. Sin a dhéantar ar an Dara Chéim de Bhille. I bprionsabal tá mé go mór i bhfabhar an méid atá á dhéanamh ag an Aire. Go deimhin is é an Rialtas deiridh a chuir an tuairim chun cinn gur cheart go mbeadh cuid den cheadúnas ar fáil le...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I was never a Minister with responsibility for broadcasting. Give me a year and I will do it.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: There are many amendments in this group. We are approaching the 7 o'clock bell. In general, I welcome these proposals. However, I join Deputy Ferris in criticising on a number of grounds the means by which this is being done. I object to major broadcasting legislation being stuck in as an addendum to a postal communications Bill. I was never happy when we did it in government because it...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: As I was saying when the debate adjourned, I must protest at the introduction of these amendments at this late stage of the Bill. I agree with the substance of the amendments, but I believe that if they were to be in this Bill - I do not think they should be in the Bill at all - then they should have been introduced when the Bill was published. There was plenty of time to do so. Committee...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: A communications and postal services Bill.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: If the Minister had introduced it in time, we would have had all the time in the world to deal with it.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I asked the Minister that question but I did not get an answer to it.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: On amendment No. 28, I welcome the addition of the phrase "the capital investment in the postal network made by the universal postal service provider concerned". This shows that the Minister at least took this much from the debate on Committee Stage. However, I share Deputy Ferris's concern that the Bill will lead us down the short road to cherrypicking and diminished services in the long...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I have submitted amendments Nos. 13 and 14. There should really be a Government amendment in this regard because the programme for Government states: A universal postal service is an essential public service, in particular for rural communities and those disadvantaged communities affected by digital divide. A publicly owned, commercially viable, profitable and efficient An Post is critical...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: And then say it solves the problem instead of making it worse.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Can we come in once more?

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I am unsure if I heard the Deputy correctly. Through the Chair, did the Deputy say that the amendment for 20 years is unreasonable?

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Is the Deputy suggesting the 20 years is unreasonable? I thought I heard him say it was unreasonable for us to push a 20-year period.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: No. If the Deputy says it is unreasonable to push 20 years, what he is saying is that the programme for Government is unreasonable. The programme for Government is explicit in referring to "at least" 20 years - it does not refer to "up to" 20 years but to "at least" 20 years. I am going to the minimum-----

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I apologise to the Chair. I could not be sure my ears were hearing properly what was coming from the Government benches. We have had a very clear admission from a Deputy that, in his view, the programme for Government is unreasonable. I actually think it is reasonable. The Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, said we cannot do this and spoke of big, bad Europe. However, I understand the Netherlands...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: To be fair to Mr. Albert Reynolds, he was the first one who really gave a push to the provision of telephones. It was also a shock for me to find that piped water was a problem, which it is even to this day as there are still a few tail-ends to be finished, despite the huge progress made during our last period in government. I hope this Government continues with the CLÁR programme but we...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I must once again plead with the Minister on the grounds of integrity and a commitment to his own programme that, when we get to the amendments I have put down, he will accept them. Please God, we will not get to those amendments until tomorrow. I hope that overnight the Minister will have time to reflect on his commitment and that he will come to the House tomorrow and have the good grace...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I did not say anything about a derogation.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: How can the Minister check that?

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Alternatively, one can make one's observations at the Cabinet meeting.