Results 3,241-3,260 of 5,120 for speaker:Joe O'Reilly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Are there many providers in the market that are not members of RISPA?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Of the providers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: With respect, 25% is small. Mr. Matthews thinks it is enough to do what he is proposing, however.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: RISPA is assuming in the written submission but it represents 25%.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: I gather we are in public session so if anyone is watching they will want to know this. How many broadband customers do RISPA members have in rural Ireland?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: How many?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: What level of equity would they collectively be prepared to provide for a new project under their proposal? What kind of money are they prepared to put in?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Do they propose to put up an amount of money that would provide a security?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Otherwise RISPA providers would carry their own.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Has RISPA consulted ComReg on spectrum requirements?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: With respect, would that not be fundamental?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Is it proposed to speak to ComReg after that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: The question arises as to why RISPA did not get in previously. Its answer is that it relates to the terms of the procurement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Yes, but there are many risks. That is all a bit hazy from a Government perspective in terms of providing a service, getting it done on time and leaving very little room for doubt. Reference was made to Mr. Colm McCarthy, which is fair enough, but is there any evidence that the companies represented here ever came together collectively in the past or made any effort to get involved? If...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: There is no sign of the witnesses making any concerted, collective effort at that time to say the process and its terms should be different and talking to the policymakers. I am a long-standing member of this committee. I remember when my good colleague, Deputy Eamon Ryan, was Minister that I was spokesperson in the Seanad on this area. We debated the broadcasting legislation and other...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: The association made very little impact. It did not get us to ask departmental officials questions on their propositions. I hope the position will change now that the association is more organised but there is no discernible evidence of any input from these companies previously or any trace of them trying to move the goalposts in the past.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Does Mr. Matthews accept that the committee was never involved or approached?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: I attend my parliamentary party meeting every week - Fine Gael is the largest party at this stage - but I do not remember any discussion with colleagues or any submissions at that level either. In any event, that is history. It is almost unreasonable at this stage for the association to be doing what it should have been doing a long time ago.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: In terms of the alleged flaws, does Mr. Matthews accept that Mr. Weckler from The Irish Timesis an acknowledged professional expert and journalistic commentator?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Yes.