Results 8,381-8,400 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Telecommunications Services. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: The only indication I have that the Deputy has been thinking about these matters is during the past three or four months.

Telecommunications Services. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: We have carefully thought about all the matters the Deputy mentioned. Various bodies with responsibilities in the area are developing their policies and working on recommendations and advice. Deputy Broughan asked about the pilot project in 2002-03. My predecessor launched a competition for DTT in the private sector to gauge a response. There was no response to that from the private sector....

Telecommunications Services. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: It is quite a simple sum. One must add up the cost of the televisions that will have to be bought, perhaps one or two per household. That is a matter for the individual householder. We are using the 2012 date as a guideline. Clearly there is no point in putting out a pilot, seeing how successful it is, finding out what the difficulties might be and ignoring all of that by setting a date which...

Telecommunications Services. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: I am trying to inform the Deputy. He has asked me a series of questions which I have noted. As Deputy Broughan noted, ComReg has a role with regard to broadcasting and the use of spectrum and so on. We had to consult with it with regard to getting regulations in place as part of the lead-in, so we could roll out a pilot scheme. ComReg is considering the use of spectrum. Tomorrow I will...

Broadcasting Legislation. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: I am aware of the useful comments made by the commissioner and her recognition of the concerns of a substantial number of member states on this issue. While I appreciate there is scope for some resolution of the issue through the recommendations of the Commissioner, my objective is to ensure that the regulatory framework at EU level provides a formal basis for national measures to have...

Broadcasting Legislation. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: The Deputy has given quite a succinct statement of the Commissioner's position, but in the end of the day, Commissioners do not make the final decision on directives. They have to go to EU Council, Parliament and so on. As that process continues, Ireland will clearly maintain its position. We have the support, on a consistent basis — in many respects we have led this — of 12 other member...

Broadcasting Legislation. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: Twelve member states support the Irish position, making it a total of 13 member states. I do not have the list of those member states but I can forward it to the Deputy. The Commission has been pursuing the particular line referred to earlier. Several other member states, including our neighbour, the UK, have been advocating the Commission's line. There is a clear divide. It will not be...

Telecommunications Services. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: The sale of Eircom, which is not a State company, does not affect or change the regulatory environment in the telecommunications sector. The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband, fixed-line and mobile services is a matter in the first instance for the private sector companies operating in a fully liberalised market, regulated by the independent Commission for...

Telecommunications Services. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: Anyone who has the read all my statements as the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources will be in no doubt that I am well aware of the importance of broadband provision and a good telecommunications infrastructure. I am sure Deputy Durkan reads them avidly on a daily basis.

Telecommunications Services. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: They probably keep him up all night.

Telecommunications Services. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: Over the past several years, the Government has been committed to the roll-out of broadband. The policies put in place have been successful in increasing the numbers in broadband take-up. I agree with the Deputy on private sector investment in the services. That is why the MANs programme, the group broadband scheme and so forth were put in place. In the past several years there has not been...

Telecommunications Services. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: There is none of the top companies leaving this country because of broadband. There are still many of them coming in. We have the top 50 in the first flight initiative — like Yahoo, Google and Amazon — operating here and in second flight, we have ten of the top 15 companies. I am merely making the point that I do not let that blind me to the fact that there are blackspots where broadband...

Telecommunications Services. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: There are certainly areas about which we have spoken such as local loop unbundling where ComReg has attempted to issue directives. It has not been very successful in that regard to date. It is for that reason that we are inserting the extra powers into the electronic communications Bill currently being drafted. I accept there is a need for action in that particular area. However, there are...

Telecommunications Services. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: I would not like Deputy Durkan to interpret what I said earlier as an indication that I think I can and will do nothing.

Telecommunications Services. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: I am doing things. I have met frequently, officially and unofficially, with some of the companies to which the Deputy refers. I have stressed, time and again, the important national interest involved in ensuring a speedy roll out of broadband and a top class telecommunications network. One of the frustrations in attempting to deal with this was that commercial interests took precedence over...

Energy Regulation. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: Under EU regulations on the internal energy markets the Commission for Energy Regulation — CER — has a direct legal obligation in relation to electricity and gas consumers. These include the requirement to protect the interests of final customers and to take account of the needs of vulnerable customers. The regulator is also required to ensure that all customers are supplied with...

Energy Regulation. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: I do not believe in taking a Don Quixote role either——

Energy Regulation. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: ——where one tilts at windmills as the Deputy is doing. The Deputy can make all the rhetorical speeches he likes about gas, electricity and oil prices. It does not matter how many Labour Party Members are on this side of the House — if they ever get over here again——

Energy Regulation. (30 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: ——they will not be able to affect the price of international commodities, except perhaps for the worst if they adopt some of the left wing policies so espoused by their predecessors.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (25 May 2006)

Noel Dempsey: One hundred and twenty staff members of my Department have registered their interest to remain in Dublin. Four staff members have transferred to Dublin posts in other Departments/offices and a further twelve Dublin PAS list system transfers are in progress.