Results 3,321-3,340 of 5,120 for speaker:Joe O'Reilly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: We will not go there but the people whom I represent would be anxious that the point would be made, because they feel they have rights as citizens too. I say that respectfully because I have great time for Deputy Eamon Ryan. I have an intern, a very bright fellow from America in my office. It occurred to me that if he had been in this room last week listening to Eir, he could only draw...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: That is a lot of money.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Will Mr. Mulligan elucidate for the taxpayers what being a distance of more than 50 m from the pole involves?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Which they have a right to.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: How much would the additional charge be?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: We all got representations about those.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: that could be as high as €1,000 or more,

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: It is very important that this is understood.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: That is hypothetical.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: That has great societal benefits.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: I thank Mr. Griffin for that. It is or should be very clear to people. I will race through the following point, but it is an important one. I refer to the opening statement which said there appeared to be support for a set of stated policy objectives, including getting to 100% of premises. We are all very keen on that. Another aim is strong protection for the State and taxpayers and we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Obviously, that included Eir.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: That speaks volumes. In Eir's letter to the Department, it indicates that the NBP process would have forced Eir to offer better wholesale prices and access, better service levels and lower prices to the 20% of customers in the intervention area, which would have led ultimately to better prices, access and service levels for all customers. Eir indicates that would have had a catastrophic...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: I refer the witnesses to Eir's evidence to the committee last week. It said it could complete the process for less than €1 billion. The letter received three days later indicated that the subsidy Eir would require would be between €500 million and €1.5 billion. None of the figures included VAT. Given the cost inflation over just three days, can we have any confidence...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: I refer to "confidence" not "competence".

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: However, those things are apples and oranges.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: It would have been helpful if that had been put into the record last week to avoid creating confusion for the public.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: I thank Mr. Ó hÓbáin for making that clear. Would the Department be happy to come back to the committee in writing if there is any other testimony it wishes to provide a comment on or if there are issues which occur either to members or the officials that were not covered today due to the constraints of the debate? This is a very serious matter. It raises enormous questions...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: Yes. In so far as it can be achieved without losing the sense, I ask that it be put in language that is suitable to send to the people who elected us and which they can read.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Joe O'Reilly: It is all about them. I thank the witnesses.