Results 3,981-4,000 of 6,783 for speaker:Seán Kyne

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Foras na Gaeilge (9 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: Ní mór dom a threisiú gur ceisteanna oibríochtúla d'Fhoras na Gaeilge ar an gcéad dul síos na ceisteanna maidir le léasanna áirithe. Tuigtear dom go raibh Foras na Gaeilge ag lorg socrú cóiríochta fadtéarmaigh ó 2013 i leith, i gcomhairle le hOifig na nOibreacha Poiblí, sular tháinig deireadh lena léas 35...

Media Ownership Bill 2017: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: I will begin my closing statement by echoing the earlier statement by the Minister, Deputy Naughten, which is that any debate on media plurality is to be welcomed. A robust and pluralistic media is vital to the democratic process and to the daily lives of the Irish people. I thank all the Deputies who have participated in the debate. I share the Minister’s concerns about the...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge (8 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: Tá scoláireachtaí á gcur ar fáil ag an Roinn ó 2007 i leith chun daltaí meánscoile ó cheantair taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht a choinneáil ar iostas i dtithe atá aitheanta faoi Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge ar na hoileáin Ghaeltachta. Ar na hOileáin Árann, is iad Coláiste Ghobnait in Inis Oírr,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Inland Fisheries Data (8 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: The primary index for evaluation of likely returning salmon numbers for any river is the recorded rod (harvest or catch and release) and commercial catch (if any) averaged over the previous 5 years. I have been informed by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that the Owenea has remained fully open over the past 5 years and a full index based on rod catches is available for the river. The...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Amendment Bill 2016: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: Section 28(1) of the Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Act 2011 sets out the principles with which the universal postal service provider's tariffs must comply. These principles are enshrined in Article 12 of EU Directive 97/67/EC as amended by EU Directive 2008/6/EC. It provides the terms must be inter alia affordable and cost oriented. These directives were transposed into Irish...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Amendment Bill 2016: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: There is competition in the parcel sector. In any event, going down the road of regulatory changes would require detailed consideration and detailed consultation with stakeholders. This is, effectively, emergency legislation to get An Post over the impasse it is at, until such time as the various reports, including the McKinsey report, are implemented with regard to cost savings. This is...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Amendment Bill 2016: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: Section 28(5) is the subject of Deputy Dooley's amendment. I want to address the inclusion of the phrase "may fail". While I understand the wish to see the powers of the regulator strengthened, widening their scope to include the determination that the universal service provider may fail is too subjective. It is difficult to see how ComReg could judge that a universal service provider may...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Amendment Bill 2016: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: ComReg still has a role under section 28(5). It is simply not appropriate to ask it to adjudge that An Post may fail. Deputy Stanley's amendments were ruled out of order. As outlined on Second Stage, the repeal of the price cap mechanism has been identified as the most viable option for supporting An Post in the short term while the restructuring plan arising from the McKinsey review is...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Amendment Bill 2016: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: No.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Amendment Bill 2016: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: Yes, as does ComReg.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Amendment Bill 2016: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: I do not mind.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Amendment Bill 2016: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: ComReg is already active in this area. As recently as June 2016, ComReg published a review and assessment of An Post's terminal dues agreements. Terminal dues are rates paid for delivery of international inbound mail items. This review, which was conducted with the assistance of Frontier Economics, was a useful exercise as terminal dues do have an impact on An Post. I should advise that...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Amendment Bill 2016: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: It is not the issue of the rates. The Attorney General has advised that it concerns the likely impact on ComReg's existing powers under the 2002 Act and that it could leave previous actions undertaken by ComReg on terminal dues open to challenge.

Other Questions: Wildlife Protection (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: My Department, in partnership with the Department of Arts, Heritage, Rural, Regional and Gaeltacht Affairs, has devised a programme of targeted acoustic sound and aerial surveys of protected cetaceans - whales, dolphins and porpoises - and seabirds in the Irish offshore. This programme, which was nominated for a Civil Service Excellence and Innovation Award for its pioneering approach...

Other Questions: Wildlife Protection (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: Clearly, Ireland has an interest in developing its oil and gas resources. We are making the move towards renewable and sustainable energy but at the same time, during the transition phase, we are exploring and continuing to harness the resources of oil and gas. In that regard, all applications that come before me have reams and reams of scientific data on environmental impact assessments,...

Other Questions: Wildlife Protection (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: It is not the intention to ruin any areas. All data that will be collected, that would be part of an environmental impact statement, is assessed by specialist consultants before coming to me for signing off on exploration licences. Deputy Ryan made reference to scholarships. This is an ongoing and longstanding programme and I know the Deputy was a Minister in the Department at the time....

Other Questions: Wildlife Protection (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: There is a wide range of uses from oil as a resource-----

Other Questions: Wildlife Protection (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: -----but clearly the protection of the environment and the protection of marine resources are included very much in the environmental impact statements, in which there are huge volumes of data.

Other Questions: Wildlife Protection (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: The Deputy would have seen them himself when he was the Minister when they would have come to him for signing off.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Inland Fisheries Stocks (7 Feb 2017)

Seán Kyne: There are many factors affecting salmon and eel stocks generally. The current salmon status of the river Slaney is based on the information provided by the Standing Scientific Committee on Salmon (SSCS) and the advice and proposals provided by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) to me as Minister. In contemplation of the 2017 fishing year, three scientific assessments of the salmon stock status...