Results 14,681-14,700 of 20,100 for speaker:Brian Stanley

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan: Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: I have a final question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan: Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: The Minister spoke about workers being available. He is correct that there is not much house building in some counties but in many cases the workers in those counties work in construction in the cities. In the midlands, for example, there is a fairly high unemployment rate but there is not a ready availability of construction workers. I am pointing out to the Minister that builders cannot...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: I welcome our guests and thank them for taking the time to attend. My concerns relate to the cost to the taxpayer; the risk to the public finances; the total absence of competition, given that there is now only one bidder; the fact that the owner will ultimately be the investor; the subsidy and the 340,000 households and premises to be connected by Eir; and the governance. What is set out in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: I just have a few questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: Yes, absolutely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: I was just following the pattern of the others. In his submission, Professor Reeves stated that the current procurement process should be terminated and a more affordable alternative should be explored. Would the ESB or a model based on ESB Networks be a viable alternative? I ask this in the spirit of trying to be helpful and to move the matter further along. Given Dr. Palcic's experience...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: On the intervention area, a decision was taken to allow Eir to connect 300,000 easy-to-reach households. It effectively encircled many villages, towns and areas of significant residential development in rural areas. This was of significant concern to me at the time. Some 340,000 homes and premises are now being serviced in those areas and that appears to have derailed the whole procurement...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: Was it necessary to allow that to happen? A person with a lot of knowledge on these matters stated at a meeting in the past fortnight that it was comparable to saying one was going to build a motorway, but that a section of it would have to be privatised, which would not make sense.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: Senator O'Reilly's comparison with rural electrification is not valid because only one company was supplying electricity, namely, the Electricity Supply Board, ESB. In this case, the difficulty is the risk in terms of take-up because almost three quarters of the population have been already serviced. I was in a townland recently where there are 56 houses, 40 of which have been serviced in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: Which is not available now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: I have two related questions. Eir was sold for a significant sum, and the figure was €4 billion was mentioned at one stage. Perhaps the witnesses will be able clarify that. The Eir network had very little investment in it over the 20 year period, or in the nearly two decades since privatisation. Very little cable was replaced. The cable has been exposed to the severe weather in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: Yes. It was a very valuable asset but some cables were 30 years old.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: At a cost of €1 billion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: The reason I raised the point is that if the ESB network, a parallel network, was used, and which already carries fibre in some areas, the taxpayer would not be paying rent of €20 per pole on which to hang cables.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: What if the ESB or a model attached to the ESB did that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: It would be easier to deal with than a French investor.

National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill 2017: Second Stage [Private Members] (18 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: The Bill before us is straightforward and simple. I do not know how anybody could oppose it. It would give hospitality workers, who are low paid and on approximately half the average industrial wage, a legal right to have what is their own. We have a solution. We have a Bill that has gone through the Seanad and it should go through this House also, without any messing. If the Government...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Data (18 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: 164. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of staff employed at the National Construction Training Centre in Mount Lucas, County Offaly; and the courses available there. [25440/19]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Data (18 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: 165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of participants that received training at the National Construction Training Centre in Mount Lucas, County Offaly in each of the past five years. [25441/19]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Care Packages Data (18 Jun 2019)

Brian Stanley: 458. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons in counties Laois and Offaly approved for home help and home care hours; and the number of persons on the waiting list despite having already been approved for hours. [25435/19]