Results 24,621-24,640 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (1 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The individual is the operator of a 4.62 MW wind farm based in County Cork. He built his wind farm in November 1999 under the Alternative Energy Requirement (AER) 3 competitive tendering scheme. He was successful in the tender entered a 15 year power purchase agreement with ESB (the contracting partner (as Public Electricity Supplier) for all AERs). The AER scheme is funded via the PSO...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (1 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The expenditure by my Department on legal fees in the years 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010 was as follows: 2008 2009 2010 to date â'¬2,153,233.56 â'¬467,316.92 â'¬415,874.03

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I am afraid it is not proposed to accept the amendments and I will set out some of the reasons. Section 16 reflects Article 3 of the directive and sets out the minimum scope of the universal postal service, the essential element of which is collection and delivery to every home and premises in every corner of the country on each working day. It is very clear on the minimum standards that...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Senator O'Toole raised an issue about primary and secondary legislation. Effectively, we are reinforcing the arguments I made earlier by translating a statutory instrument into primary legislation. That is appropriate. We have the opportunity to do that in this legislation, although it is not at its core. We have not the changed the wording or the arrangements, whereby ComReg considers...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: This does not make a change to the regulations. We are not providing for a new arrangement, whereby a business will decide that it will provide the service in a different way. The key body is ComReg which following the enactment of the legislation will have the exact same powers that it has currently6. It does not matter what other providers state; ComReg will have the same powers it has...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: These amendments would insert "in weight" after "kilograms" and are being made for clarification purposes and to improve the text of the Bill.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: While I accept the Senator's point, the Minister, under the principal legislation of 2002, may issue a policy direction and has, therefore, a sufficiently strong tool available should it prove necessary to use it. While this power is rarely used, it is important if there is a fundamental point of difference on a policy matter as opposed to a judgment call on a commercial issue. If a...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I too will read again the primary legislation between now and Report Stage. We will check that those valid controls are in place. I appreciate the Senator's point but, subject to reviewing the primary legislation, I will not accept the amendment at this time.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I am in a difficult position in that I am in the presence of a former Minister of State, former union official, former temporary postman and former chairman of An Post – God almighty.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: There was no attempt at exclusion in the wording of the legislation. I listened to what Senators had to say. I will give a commitment to return to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to discover if it might be possible to include a wording which recognises that it is important to listen to the employees as well as the users and the companies involved. I will, if possible, try to obtain...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: While I thank the Senator for tabling it, I am afraid I do not propose to accept the amendment and will explain why. The term "distribution centre" is only used in section 6 which defines the terms "distribution" and "postal network". The term "distribution centre" is not defined in the directive and it is not proposed to define it in the Bill as it is unnecessary to do so. No decisions or...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Section 6(2) which provides that the transport alone of postal packets does not constitute a postal service is being deleted, as it is not an explicit requirement of the directive. Furthermore, transport is only one element of postal services and included in the definition of the term "postal services" in the Bill. I hope on that basis amendments Nos. 2 and 3 can be accepted.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I do not propose to accept the amendment. On technical grounds, if the amendment were accepted, it would mean the regulatory system could be changed not by primary legislation but, in effect, by secondary legislation or ministerial order, which would be inappropriate. It is too significant an issue and primary legislation would be required if ComReg were not the regulatory authority or if...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The objective of the one-stop-shop commitment in the Next Generation Broadband policy paper "Gateway to a Knowledge Ireland" is to facilitate telecoms network operators in gaining access to ducting that exists along publicly-owned energy, transport and other infrastructure so as to facilitate access to backhaul networks in a cost effective manner. Government policy is aimed at leveraging...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) Annual Report and Accounts for 2009 have not yet been submitted to my Department. The delay in submitting the Report and Accounts is due to a delay in the completion of the audit of the Accounts by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG). The BCI submitted draft financial statements to the C&AG in late January 2010 and at that...

Written Answers — Regulatory Institutions: Regulatory Institutions (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: There are three utility regulators currently operating under the aegis of my Department. These are the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI). The structure of regulatory institutions can be an important, but is rarely a decisive, criterion for regulatory effectiveness. There is a far...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The telecommunications market, including the provision of fibre based next generation networks, is fully liberalised and subject to both EU and national competition and regulatory rules. My Department liaises with industry participants including eircom and with ComReg on an ongoing basis and these discussions encompass all matters relating to broadband infrastructure development. As part of...

Written Answers — Energy Resources: Energy Resources (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is the statutory independent energy regulator with responsibility for consumer protection. Recognising that the current economic climate is placing additional pressures on consumers, the CER has consulted on its customer disconnections policy and related costs. The CER has announced its decision that the cost of disconnections for electricity and...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Copyright and related rights are primarily matters for the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. I am, however, aware of the recent High Court judgement in a case involving UPC and Irish record companies. This case has implications for internet use and is therefore of concern to my Department given its role in relation to communications regulation. The record companies sought an...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Government policy pertaining to the electronic communications market in Ireland is set out in "Next Generation Broadband – Gateway to a Knowledge Ireland", which I published in June 2009. The policy paper complements relevant provisions in the Government's Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal "Building Ireland's Smart Economy", which recognises broadband as a key enabling...