Results 5,341-5,360 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The then Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, did not do that. I have taken the aforementioned seven years and have converted it to 12 years. Moreover, I have left the option for ComReg to extend it thereafter if it believes this should be done. I believe that is about right.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I thank the Deputies for their support for these amendments. There is no other purpose in terms of the explanation Deputy Ó Cuív seeks about why this provision is included in a communications Bill. It is a communications Bill-----

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: -----and the only reason for adding this amendment is to ensure that TG4 does not run out of money. If, once the committees had been set up, I had had to introduce stand-alone primary legislation and compete with my colleagues for time on the floor of the House, I would not have been able to enact this in time for the July deadline. At the end of July, TG4 will run out of money. We are now...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: -----would have run out of funding, which it would have if we had not dealt with this in the manner we have. I do not disagree with Deputy Ó Cuív. I am not claiming that this is anything, as he put it, but a céim bheag i dtreo ceart. I am not disputing that this is but a small step but it is an important one. On the question raised by the Deputy about the comparison between what it...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: -----I do not know the answer to that but now that the Deputy has raised it, I will examine it. I imagine that it comprises many factors. TG4 has its own culture, its own way of doing things and its own way of managing and staying within its budget. As the Deputy will know from what I have said, I do not believe its work is in any way inferior. On the contrary, I believe there is some...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I move amendment No. 3: In page 8, line 6, to delete "(other than sections 62 to 65)" and substitute "(other than sections 62 to 65 and Part 4)".

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I move: That, pursuant to Standing Order 177, Standing Order 131 is modified to permit an instruction to the Committee to which the Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 may be recommitted in respect of certain amendments, that it has power to make provision in the Bill to amend the Broadcasting Act 2009 to provide for reallocation of part of the TV Licence Receipts from RTÉ...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: As it is a net issue, I did not think it was necessary to provide a long explanation of why we have to do this before we can recommit on Committee Stage. Deputy Ó Cuív can speak for as long as he wishes on Committee Stage.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I do not wish to interrupt the Deputy, but we are taking a motion on the broadcasting aspect of the Bill. We are not dealing with An Post at this stage.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: No, we have to dispose of the motion on broadcasting beforehand.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: We will come to it when we dispose of the motion.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: It forms part of the same Bill later.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: As it is outside the remit of Standing Orders, the purpose of the motion is to recommit on Report Stage a specific matter relating to the funding of TG4. The comments of spokespersons, with the exception of Deputy Ferris, have ranged far and wide. Members are perfectly entitled to do this. The net issue is that this Bill was considered an appropriate vehicle to facilitate the TG4 issue. As...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: -----and did not manage to implement his vision during that time. He raised a number of interesting issues. There were wide-ranging comments from the other contributors, with the exception of Deputy Ferris. Like St. Augustine, it seems we are all in favour of TG4 but we have serious problems with RTE. I will examine the broadcasting scene and I have listened to Deputy Ó Cuív's submission...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: He takes some beating. He is all in favour of TG4 and giving more money to the station but he is opposed to the Bill and RTE. Deputy 'Ming' Flanagan will have a very uncomfortable time in the serious matter of heavy lifting in this House and dealing with legislation rather than pontificating outside the House. If he is going to suffer this kind of pain and anguish over every measure coming...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: It is delivered five days a week in his part of the country and it will continue to be delivered five days a week under the designation of An Post as the universal service operator. There will be no change in that and it does not have anything to do with TG4, the matter under debate here. Deputies 'Ming' Flanagan and Mattie McGrath-----

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I beg Deputy Luke Flanagan's pardon.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy is the one who gave himself the middle name, not me.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 (Seanad): Motion to Instruct the Committee (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Deputies Flanagan and McGrath took the opportunity to make a populist attack on lead personalities in RTE. The fact of the matter is that RTE is facing a significant deficit. I had a further meeting with the director general of RTE this week. The focus of the meeting was his plans to try to get the deficit under control. It is fair to point out that RTE was the first of the State...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I move amendment No. 1: In page 7, lines 27 and 28, to delete all words from and including "TO" in line 27 where it firstly occurs down to and including "ELECTION," in line 28 and substitute the following: "TO REGULATE THE PROVISION OF FREE POSTAGE FOR CERTAIN CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION,". This is a drafting amendment to the Long Title of the Bill. It has been recommended by the Parliamentary...