Results 39,141-39,160 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney
- Electricity Generation. (18 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: The Transbay Cable option would have been cheaper.
- Electricity Generation. (18 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: That is not the point.
- Electricity Generation. (18 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: It is not the point.
- Electricity Generation. (18 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: I agree with that.
- Electricity Generation. (18 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: We needed the Luas as well but that also cost too much to build.
- Electric Vehicle Programme. (18 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: I thank the Minister, in particular, for his second response to the effect that we are certain to get more detail in relation to the electric car project. My view is that we need to take a field of dreams philosophy here, of "build it and they'll come" because people will not buy into electric cars until they see that this is a major State project for Ireland. We are transforming our...
- Telecommunications Services. (18 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: This is the first time I have heard the Minister concede that a number of people will be outside the national broadband scheme who cannot get broadband connectivity, which intrigues me. Can he tell us how many people, households and small businesses are in that bracket and if there is a concession that this is the case? The figure given to us in committee by the Irish Rural Link-----
- Telecommunications Services. (18 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: -----which it got from the Department was approximately 20,000. Can the Minister give us an idea who those people are and why they are not covered by the national broadband scheme, which was supposed to be an effort at universal coverage across the country?
- Electricity Metering. (18 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: On the last point, the ESB distribution system is an entirely separate operation from ESB Power Generation. I presume consumers switching to Bord Gáis, Airtricity or any other new electricity supplier should still keep the system that was put in place just as they will keep their wires. It would be farcical if people could not switch electricity supplier for fear of using their energy...
- Electricity Metering. (18 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: I suspect we will get towards that ideal but we will have wasted all this time on the planning project for electricity alone.
- Unemployment Levels: Motion (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: I wish to share time with Deputy English. I am surprised but glad to have an opportunity to speak on this motion and thank the Labour Party for bringing it forward. Anybody who knocked on doors in the recent local, European and by-election campaigns will know there is one issue above all else that families and people in general across the country are concerned about, which is employment....
- Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: Without bursting into laughter.
- Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: Can I propose that we take amendments Nos. 93a, 101a, 148a and 148b together, as they are all technical in nature? I have no issue with them, but amendment No.113 is a substantive amendment on DTT and I would like to explore that.
- Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: That is fine then.
- Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 97: In page 118, to delete lines 6 to 22 and substitute the following: "(8) In Part 1 of the table to this section, "appropriate amount" means at least twenty-five per cent of the amount of commercial revenues and licence fee revenues attributed by RTÃ to the television Integrated Business Division (IBD) in the notes forming part of the group financial statements for the...
- Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: I want to support the points made by Deputy McManus on the diaspora. RTE is in a unique position, being both a commercial and public service broadcaster. However, another unique part of RTE is its responsibility to the enormous number of Irish people who live outside this island. About 70 million people worldwide consider themselves Irish. A policy decision was rightly made by the...
- Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: That is welcome.
- Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: There are many amendments in this grouping and I do not need to comment on some of them because they are technical. The one I am most concerned about is amendment No. 158. Is that part of the grouping?
- Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: I apologise. That is fine and I do not have an issue with the amendments.
- Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2009)
Simon Coveney: I will focus on amendment No. 113, which gives us an opportunity to have a discussion on where we are with DTT. I have raised this issue with the Minister during Question Time as a result of the very difficult position that RTE finds itself in with regard to funding because of Boxer deciding not to go ahead with a contract for commercial DTT. Boxer was to provide the necessary equipment to...