Results 24,561-24,580 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

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...

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

Eamon Ryan: The Senator is not pushing his luck. My officials have been in contact with the Attorney General's office and we will be able to table an amendment on Report Stage to amend the section to include in the definition in section 28(9) the assessment of postal network costs. Following our debate yesterday, it will reflect our desire that it incorporate a review of all cost implications across...

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

Eamon Ryan: I am advised by my officials that we will not be able to take it. It was related to special employment rights and the issue of employment. I am advised by my officials that it is not possible to take it, but we might be able discuss it again if a revised amendment is tabled.

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

Eamon Ryan: This is a drafting amendment which proposes to amend the list of Acts referred to in the Long Title of the Bill. It proposes to list two further Acts which were the subject of amendments earlier in the Bill, the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act 1993 and the Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937.

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.

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...

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.

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

Eamon Ryan: The Senator is correct that the main intent of the amendment is to do the same as he has proposed in amendment No. 41. The Senator's logic is correct in respect of the need to avoid vexatious claims which would merely lead to a delay in a decision or where it would be suspended that the decision stands. Our amendments are similar in that respect. I will have to refer this matter to the...

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

Eamon Ryan: I will pass on the Senator's views on attorneys to the Attorney General.

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

Eamon Ryan: Section 37 provides that the postal service provider should give three months notice of its intention to withdraw a service. This applies to postal service providers providing services within the scope of the universal service only and not to the universal service provider itself. A designated universal postal service provider may not withdraw postal services within the universal service....

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

Eamon Ryan: Further to the discussions we had earlier, I do not propose to accept the amendment. Levies on postal service providers and communications providers are imposed pursuant to section 30 of the Communications Regulation Act 2002. There is no appeals mechanism in place for either of these sectors. The Bill does require, however, that ComReg in imposing a levy under section 30, ensures that it...

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,...

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

Eamon Ryan: With regard to Senator O'Toole's contribution, there will always be recourse to mediation. I always recommend mediation to avoid an expensive court case. This would provide for mediation following mediation but I would always keep it open as a possibility while making legislative provisions and allowing people who wish to seek legal recourse in the courts to do so. The wording in section 28...

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

Eamon Ryan: In response to Senators Ryan and Hanafin, the analogy they used is very good, in that Airtricity has access to the ESB distribution grid wires. In the space of a 30-second telephone call, one can change one's customer relation while retaining all the same systems, including metering, local wires and everything else, which are given as access to a competitor. This works well in the public...