Results 3,241-3,260 of 5,112 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: 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.

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

Joe O'Reilly: I would have thought there is a general view that he knows what he is talking about. He, among others, said that to achieve fairness, as policymakers we cannot make a decision. Coming from my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, it would be negligent of me if I stood idly by – to use that awful cliché – while a less sound system of providing broadband to people in isolated...

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

Joe O'Reilly: Yes, quality and certitude.

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

Joe O'Reilly: The broad-----

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

Joe O'Reilly: If they thought that, it would be much greater than 2%. They are saying that there may be 2% in a doomsday scenario. They will not get 2% with fibre optic and in that case, that 2% facility is there. That 2% in very isolated locations would have to be met.

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

Joe O'Reilly: That is the conventional wisdom.

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

Joe O'Reilly: Of the highest speed broadband to allow the person in the very isolated rural place to do work at home, have education at home, access education the same way as anyone else, access every service at home and be on a par and on the same standing as somebody in an urban centre. That has to be our policy objective.

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

Joe O'Reilly: We are told that the way to do that is fibre. That is what is inherent in the broadband plan, hence the extra cost. I will come back to cost in a minute. The certitude is there. Our fear in respect of Mr. Matthews' plan is that a two-tier world would be created.

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

Joe O'Reilly: It will be part, possibly for 2%.