Results 4,441-4,460 of 5,118 for speaker:Joe O'Reilly

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I support the deletion of the section. A reasonable criticism the public often makes is that Ireland is overly diligent, overly scrupulous and overly law-abiding in its adoption of every little piece of a directive from Europe. In other words, it is enough to take on the spirit of a directive and its broad objectives. It is sufficient to take on the concept of competition without in the...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I also support Senator Ryan's amendment. As a general principle I would be against such closures and such a diminution of services. It goes against the arguments that we had been making on Second Stage and in earlier amendments on Committee Stage, when we were saying the big objective was to get to everybody in this country on an equal basis, as quickly and as competitively as others, so...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I am fine for the moment.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I share Senator O'Toole's concern and regret the Minister is not automatically accepting these amendments or at least their spirit, while proposing to come back on Report Stage with similar amendments. The object of the mediation proposal is that when there are two diametrically opposed positions, as an exercise of last resort, there should be an independent mediation service. We believe...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: Very well. Again, this point is expressed in my amendment No. 16, which includes the phrase, "and having regard to the cost to the consumer and to the quality of service". One does not want a situation to arise in which, between information technology on one side and private operators on the other, there is no provision for State support for An Post in a doomsday scenario. I acknowledge...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: The Royal Mail is having problems in England.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: It is not in conflict with the Minister of State's ambition to see An Post compete and adapt to the market place; there is no incompatibility here. The amendments enshrine in this legislation that whoever delivers the service, private or public, there is a legislative imperative to do so with regard to cost, efficiency, universal delivery and low pricing. I do not see the difficulty; surely...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: If I understood the Minister of State correctly, it is being accepted. On that basis it is not being pressed.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: The Minister is accepting it.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: All right.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I move amendment No. 16: In page 19, subsection (5), line 26, after "designated" to insert the following: "and having regard to the cost to the consumer and to the quality of service".

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: To ensure the efficient running of the House, I will not reopen the debate, but I advise the Minister to read the transcript to see the arguments we made. I appeal to him to either accept our amendments or tell us that he will come back with proposals to achieve the same objectives which should not be disputed.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I strongly support Senator O'Toole's amendment to delete "five years" and substitute "three" because three years is a reasonable period. Five years would put An Post into a straitjacket. As I said on Second Stage, I am concerned that we should preserve the universal service obligation and the excellent next-day delivery levels to every part of Ireland that An Post has achieved. That is the...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister of State's acceptance of the spirit of amendment No. 14. I am happy that is the case because we should maintain a democratic basis for what we are doing. The ultimate authority in the State should be the Oireachtas which should have the power to review and make decisions. I strongly support amendment No. 11 to which my name is also appended following discussions with...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I fully accept the Minister of State's thesis and Members would have taken that as a given. I believe reference was made on Second Stage that Members are more than aware of the degree to which information technology has caught on and is being used. In a way this makes it more necessary to be supportive of the universal service obligation and supportive of An Post. It will not simply face...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: Tributes have been rightfully paid to the generosity and resilience of our people in the snowy weather during the past few days but it is worthy of mention yet again that the level of restraint and control our people have shown during the economic crisis in recent months is remarkable. Because they have shown this they deserve fairness and hope. What was contained in the Central Bank report...

Seanad: Tributes to Member of Staff (2 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I will be brief because previous speakers have expressed the sentiments we all share. I acknowledge how courteous, good humoured and pleasant and efficient Shay has been. We are all very grateful to him for the manner in which he has treated us all and for being highly approachable at all times. He is a perfect gentlemen and has done a great job during the years. I wish him well. I join...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: Senators on this side of the House are uncomfortable with leaving the wording as it stands. We are concerned that the provision may be used to undermine the principle of a universal service at some point in the future. In order to make a fast buck by providing a cheap service, it may be decided to require people from a dispersed community to get their post from an installation, that is, a...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I strongly support this amendment. Yesterday I contacted the Bills Office to append my name in its support. Obviously, it goes without saying that trade unions and workers are important stakeholders in An Post and in the delivery of the postal services. We can be very proud of them, something I say in an unpatronising way. Our postal staff at local level and up the line, those with whom...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: He is one of An Post's best customers.