Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an gCathaoirleach as ucht a chuid Gaeilge a úsáid inniu. Aontaím leis go hiomlán gur cheart dúinn cúpla focal a úsáid, más féidir, an t-am ar fad agus i rith na coicíse seo, Seachtain na Gaeilge, ach go háirithe.

Tairgim leasú do Riar na hOibre, chun Uimh. 11, an Chéad Chéim den Bhille um Rialáil Tacsaithe (Leasú), 2021, a thógáil roimh Uimh. 1. Tairgim an leasú seo ar son an Seanadóir O'Reilly agus ar mo shon féin. I move an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 11, the First Stage of the Taxi Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2021, be taken before No. 1, on behalf of Senator O'Reilly and myself.

Aontaím leis an Seanadóir Byrne on the subject of Hong Kong. I was dismayed to read the news today that the so-called democratic People's Republic of China - a descriptor which is very much in question now if it was not before - has decided that only people who agree with the Government will be allowed to run for election to the legislature in Hong Kong. This is a further step in what is a very worrying trend. I support the calls for a debate on this issue.

I raise the issue of the provision of mobile telephony coverage. We talk a lot about broadband and the roll-out of the national broadband plan, which is very welcome. The licence for mobile phone companies requires them to cover a certain proportion of the land mass and phone users of the country. We often expect that those who do not have such coverage are those in remote rural areas. A number of people have brought to my attention that a small part of my own area, Dalkey, comprising Coliemore Road, Nerano Road, Vico Road and Sorrento Road, which is an area where one would expect a very high level of mobile coverage, has a very poor level. This represents a great inconvenience to the residents but, in addition, the lack of mobile phone coverage in the marine leisure area of Coliemore Harbour and Dalkey Sound would be an issue if one needed to call the emergency services.I have raised this issue with the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg. It is not ComReg's job apparently but I would like if we could bring in the Minister with responsibility for communications for a debate on this issue.