Results 18,201-18,220 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: I am aiming for a timeframe of the next two to three weeks.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: I was talking to the Chairman earlier and the national planning framework contains guidelines on balanced regional development. The aviation strategy is part of that.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: I thank the committee for this opportunity to present the 2020 Revised Estimate for programme A, relating to communications, of Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications. Networks are one of the fundamental buildings blocks of society and the economy. This is one of the main reasons I took responsibility for transport communications and postal services as part of my ministerial...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: I was very pleased to launch the first of the 300 broadband connection points which are the first phase of the scheme's delivery. The Deputy will be glad to hear that the launch was not as far away as County Louth but was up in the Glenasmole valley, County Dublin, which is as isolated as one finds. There is a local community centre there where the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and I were...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: There is none at present but, having spoken to the national broadband operator, I understand there is certainly a desire on its part to do whatever it can. There is the same desire in the Department and across government. I do not, however, want to make any false promise. As I said, it is a hugely complex project and there will be a variety of technical, planning and other resource issues...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: Our whole approach is to try to encourage as fast a delivery as possible.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: The European Commission will have to go about its work. I have to be careful as a Minister of a national government not to pre-empt the outcome in that regard. However, having seen this project go through so much detailed planning and preparation work over the years, I am very confident it meets state aid requirements. There was in my mind a clear market gap and a real difficulty in that...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: Yes, but as I stated, the vast majority of it will be delivered in the first four years. It is likely that there will be further delay for those very distant locations where it takes extra work. It is the Government's desire to try to accelerate it as fast as we can, while not putting additional financial burden on the State or taking risks around-----

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: That makes the case for it. One of the real advantages of what is happening is that we have the potential within four or five years of having the vast majority of houses connected in that way to a significantly improved service. It is not just the national broadband plan, while it is an important part of the mix, but there are other significant private sector investments by Eir, for...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: Yes, and the message I got from them is that they are keen to accelerate it as best they can. I said the same, but I recognise that we should not give any false hope on it. We have not really started laying out the fibre to houses. As that starts to happen, we will have to see if the timelines are working and if we can accelerate them.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: It will start before the end of this year.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: If there is a difficulty or delay in anyone getting access to an Eircode I would be happy for Deputy Crowe to send me the details of the particular constituent and I will make sure that we follow it up because it is important that people are able to access the services that are being provided. One of the difficulties in the past is that people were saying Eircode postcodes would not be used....

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: I will certainly follow that up because given the digital systems we are engaged with here, I would be interested to see whether An Post can assist, in particular given that it is connected to the ability to get other services. I was just looking at some of the figures and it is interesting to see that it is working in the sense that Amárach carried out research about three years ago...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: I agree. We must be careful as there was an issue around privacy when Eircode postcodes were first considered in terms of being able to get right down to an individual area. The Data Protection Commissioner set certain restrictions in terms of what granular level of data would be available on properties. Having said that, fibrerollout.ieis an Eir website. What the Department is...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: As I said, the roll-out is starting this year. It has been delayed somewhat by Covid in terms of the inability to get workers and have working around the country. I am going on memory but I think one of the next counties to be served is Limerick. I cannot remember the status of the roll-out in Clare but I will try to get the Department to provide Deputy Crowe with a background assessment,...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: I have a note here from the Department confirming that postcodes are updated on a quarterly basis and it is a matter for individual commercial businesses to apply and integrate the latest Eircode updates into the systems.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: Certainly, and the Department is working on it. I just got some figures which show that the percentage of requests for an Eircode for existing addresses is answered within five days. I am told that for 2020 the output target is 99% and that we are on target in that regard. The percentage of new addresses allocated an Eircode within five weeks is also 99% and, again, we are on target. The...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: For existing addresses, it is a matter of days and for new addresses, in 99% of cases, it is five weeks.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: Yes, in particular because it allows people to tap into other services.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020.
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (4 Nov 2020)

Eamon Ryan: The post office network is critical to the development of rural and urban Ireland. It is an essential part of an modern economy and it has a key role. There will be an ongoing decrease in the broader sense in An Post in letter-type post, but we expect the parcel business to increase significantly. This will strengthen the network and post offices as part of that network will be important....