Results 21-40 of 1,338 for speaker:Kathleen O'Meara

Seanad: National Oil Reserves Agency Bill 2006: Second Stage (28 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss this important legislation which gives statutory effect to the establishment of the National Oil Reserves Agency. No one has difficulty with the Bill in principle and it has been passed by the Dáil. The Labour Party welcomes the statutory underpinning of NORA, which is long overdue. It started life in the Dáil before the 2006 summer...

Seanad: Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (28 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I have no problem with that.

Seanad: Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages. (28 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I, too, welcome the Minister of State and thank him and his officials for their work on this important legislation. The fact we have not tabled amendments or there is no disagreement on it does not lessen the importance or significance of this Bill. We are all at one in wanting to see the implementation of this important legislation. I wish the Minister of State and the Department well in...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I apologise for being late for the Order of Business. We could discuss traffic management in that regard. I ask the Leader to consider arranging a debate on the safety of young people, given the widespread concerns that have been expressed about the reports of a paedophile ring. From what we have learned in the media, the matter seems extremely serious. Issues arise in respect of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: Was the Senator caught?

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (13 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: Imagine that.

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (13 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I second the amendment. Senator Norris has eloquently set out the case for it. Towards the end of his address he indicated the desire and intention, as provided for in the Bill in terms of television, to ensure that the Irish abroad have full access to what is available, using the technology. We should now use the opportunity contained in this legislation to extend this through the radio...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (13 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I move amendment No. 2: In page 13, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following: "(d) the principal British television broadcasting services which are free to air as of the enactment of this Act.". This amendment is a replica of an amendment I tabled on Committee Stage. The other amendments were graciously accepted by the Minister, but I was very unhappy with the response to this...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (13 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I thank Senator Mooney for his generous, creative and broad-minded approach to this issue. It contrasts with the Minister of State's narrow and limited view of the issue, unfortunately. I appreciate the acceptance of this amendment would pose many challenges to those working in this area. We face challenges every day of the week as we go through life — that is what we are here for....

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (13 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I do not think there is any point in pressing the amendment. I have said what I needed to say about this matter.

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (13 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I am sure he is not too upset.

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (13 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I too thank the Minister and the Minister of State for the high level of co-operation on this small but important piece of legislation. Good work has been done once again in this House and it remains to be seen how it will fare in the other House.

Seanad: Competition Authority Ruling. (13 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, for attending the House to reply to this important Adjournment matter. With the agreement of the House I wish to share time with my constituency colleague, Senator Coonan.

Seanad: Competition Authority Ruling. (13 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I am pleased to be able to raise this important issue. There is an urgent need to ensure that the result of the Competition Authority's ruling on Premier Foods' recent merger with RHM does not result in job losses in Thurles. I will briefly review the background to this matter. Thurles and other north Tipperary towns have been hit by significant job losses in recent years. Premier Foods...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I support Senator Quinn's amendment which is, as usual, a practical and sensible approach to an important issue. As he quite rightly said, money is being used — I do not want to say "wasted" — collecting the licence fee which is then not available for its initial and most important purpose, namely, public service broadcasting. It is a worthwhile amendment and I hope the Minister will...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I move amendment No. 46: In page 12, subsection (2), between lines 43 and 44, to insert the following: "(d) the principal British television broadcasting services which are free to air as of the enactment of this Act.". Reference has already been made to this issue in the context of previous amendments. It pertains to the question arising from the fact that at present, British television...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: Will the Minister of State expand on his final sentence regarding future UK digital spillover? To whom will the spillover be available and where? Will the current inequality between one set of viewers and another continue? The intention of my amendment is to give everybody equal access to what many people, but not everybody, has.

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: That will be even worse than the present situation. I understood spillover would end when analogue was switched off. However, it seems the inequality will continue. I can neither agree with the Minister of State nor withdraw the amendment.

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: I am aware of that. RTE will have the first multiplex. However, the BCI will roll out the other multiplexes which we discussed at some length. The BCI should be required to ensure the British channels available free-to-air to a substantial part of the country will continue to remain free-to-air to them and, on a more equitable basis, be free-to-air to everyone in the country. I did not...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2007)

Kathleen O'Meara: This is a very important issue. I will re-submit the amendment on Report Stage and on that basis, I withdraw the amendment and ask the Minister of State to consider this important point. What the Minister of State is stating to the public, especially those with free-to-air access to British broadcasting services, is the Government is happy for that access to go and for people to pay for it.