Results 1,961-1,980 of 16,478 for speaker:Tommy Broughan

Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Second Stage (22 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: I referred to Italy also.

Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Second Stage (22 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: Will the Minister talk to Gordon Brown in this regard?

Post Office Network. (22 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: Late last week, RTE reported the alarming news that up to 500 post offices could be closed by An Post after a review of the network to be completed this year. If so, we could be left with a network of fewer than 800 post offices throughout the country and whole communities may be forced to travel for miles to access essential postal services. The postal network has been decimated in the...

Post Office Network. (22 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: I am delighted to hear that. One of the most appalling legacies of the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Government when it finally leaves office will be the closure of more than 1,000 post offices across Ireland. Approximately two weeks ago, the Irish Farmers' Journal reported that while we have a relatively high ratio of post offices to people in the EU, we have the greatest relative...

Post Office Network. (22 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: In 2006, he told me that there were three tiger robberies and six attempted tiger robberies, whereas Mr. Kane and the postmasters told me that there were 40 serious attacks on post offices last year, including the appalling murder of the young Kilkenny postmaster, Alan Cunniffe, last December.

Post Office Network. (22 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: Often, these tiger raids target post office keyholders. As the Minister knows, a major campaign has been mounted by the postmasters and postmistresses. On Tuesday afternoon, they were to be outside the Dáil and we were hoping to discuss the issue with them at length, but we heard of a deal involving a €12 million package being put forward by An Post with the assistance of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (22 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: Question 26: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the findings of the recent survey, the Burden of Crime in Europe, in which Ireland is ranked as one of Europe's hotspots for crime; his response to the findings; the steps he will take to reduce the levels of crime reflected in the report; and if he will make a statement on...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (22 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: Question 27: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the increase in many crimes, particularly violent crime and offences involving drugs, reflected in the annual crime figures for 2006 published by the CSO in January 2007; his views on the findings; the steps he will take to reduce the levels of crime reflected in the report; and if he will make a...

Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (27 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: It is like "Dog Day Afternoon".

Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (27 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: It was faster when the Cruiser was Minister.

Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (27 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: The Minister reads the Opposition parties' websites.

Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (27 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: He criticised Deputy Perry last week for his policies.

Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (27 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: In general, I welcome the Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007. We have waited an exceptionally long time for it; I believe it was first mooted as long ago as 2002, not long after the original 2002 Act. It is uncanny, if not eerie, that the Act it amends was also passed in the dying days of an outgoing Government. That Government was of course returned, but the Bill was passed...

Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (27 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: Like many others on these benches, I am continually astonished at the sheer volume of serious complaints received from all over the country regarding unacceptable behaviour on the part of telecommunications operators, including the failure to provide an agreed level of service and numerous unjustified impositions and service contracts that very often disproportionately affect senior citizens...

Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (27 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: A further issue that is causing great distress to many citizens, especially those living in newer housing estates around the country, is that they are being told they may have to wait for over a year to get a home landline installed. When my great constituency predecessor, Conor Cruise O'Brien, was Minister, one could get a phone line faster than under the current Minister, Deputy Noel...

Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (27 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: If we add weekends to this figure, it is clear that this leaves many households hanging on for months at a time for a landline. The outgoing Minister has presided over this track record, but it is not one of which he can be proud. The Minister should have inserted provisions in the Bill to address these unacceptably long waiting times. The communications regulator, Mr. Mike Byrne, said it...

Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (27 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: Who will invigilate companies like NTL, particularly now that it is joined to the whole cable market in Ireland while being part of a large international operator? Recently, we have received bitter complaints from senior citizens and other vulnerable people about the proposed €2 extra charge per bill for consumers who will not sign up to a direct debit system. NTL has backtracked somewhat...

Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (27 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: The Ceann Comhairle turned down my priority question on the basis that the invigilation of NTL was a matter for ComReg but it is not. The matter is not dealt with in the Bill, which totally ignores convergence. It should be addressed in the Bill but its absence means the legislation has failed in this regard. When I met NTL's representatives, they informed me that they planned to invest...

Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (27 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: Section 6, which amends section 13 of the principal Act, sees provisions made giving power to the Minister to obtain information from ComReg and allowing ComReg to obtain information to carry out a ministerial undertaking. This could prevent the kind of debacle seen in the case of Smart Telecom. It is important, in the light of recent allegations of widespread collusion among mobile...

Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (27 Feb 2007)

Tommy Broughan: The Beuc study reports that Vodafone Ireland and O2 have been able to steer traffic from the Vodafone group and the O2 group — 88% and 77% respectively — towards their networks. Although roaming Vodafone and O2 clients make use of the same group network and tariffs as would apply in the home market, Beuc reports that Vodafone Ireland charges the same tariffs as O2 and Meteor for incoming...