Reply from Mary O'Rourke

viking

A reply from my local FG TD:

01/02/2002

Dear <viking>,

The Minister's reply (see below) is far from convincing. I shall check out the data source to which she refers and take up the issue further with Etain Doyle.

Kind Regards,

Yours sincerely etc....

Here is the reply:

Dail Question No: 222

*To ask the Minister for Public Enterprise if she carried out a study of the costs of internet access here compared to other competitor countries; the cost for flat rate access regardless of usage; the costs based on a charge per minute; and her views on whether these charges are undermining competitiveness here.

-Richard Bruton

* For WRITTEN answer on Wednesday, 30th January, 2002

Dail Question No: 226

*To ask the Minister for Public Enterprise her plans to ensure an improvement on the costs and access problems for internet users here.

-Michael Ring

* For WRITTEN answer on Wednesday, 30th January, 2002

Reply - Answered by the Minister for Public Enterprise (Mary O'Rourke)

I propose to take questions 222 and 226 together.

The regulation of costs for internet access is an operational matter for the Office of the Director to Telecommunications Regulation. I have no function in these matters.

An analysis of dial-up internet access prices is contained in the EU Commission's recently published Seventh Report on the Implementation of the Telecommunications Regulatory Package in Member States (COM 2001 706 final, 26 November 2001). The Offices of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation has taken several steps to support dial-up internet access and in particular it has opened two non-geographic codes for use in accessing internet service providers (ISPs).

Government policy is to facilitate the rollout of the state of the art infrastructures and to provide the legislative and regulatory environment which will serve to make a major contribution to sustained macro-economic growth and the realisation of competitively priced, high quality services.

Low cost, high speed internet access is a key element of my Department's communications policy. Under the National Development Plan (2000-2006). Euro 200 million of public funds have been earmarked to leverage investment in advanced communications infrastructure and services. The focus of this investment will be to support investment in communications and electronic commerce infrastructure, systems and services in less developed areas.

Government proposals in relation to regulatory reform of the communications sector designed to ensure that the regulatory conditions in Ireland are effective in stimulating a competitive market for communications services, including Internet services. In this regard the draft Communications (Regulation) Bill will enhance the regulatory framework so as to further facilitate the development of the sector while ensuring that appropriate elements of the public interest are taken into account.

The Bill is currently being drafted in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government. It is my intention to have the Bill published in the next few weeks and, time permitting, to have it enacted before the Easter recess.

"I have no function in these matters." - It seems as though the Minister feels she has done enough in this issue and it is now up to other bodies ie. ODTR, eircom etc to fulfil their part in providing a proper telecommunications infrastructure for the people of Ireland. Obviously it hasn't occured to her that she should still oversee the progress of these matters.

And she says " The Offices of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation has taken several steps to support dial-up internet access and in particular it has opened two non-geographic codes for use in accessing internet service providers (ISPs)." - Ok this allows 100% internet availability across Ireland but this does nothing to address flat-rate, also the numbers were introduced several years ago but nothing has been done since. I would also be curious what are the other "several steps" the ODTR has taken.

"The Bill is currently being drafted in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government. It is my intention to have the Bill published in the next few weeks and, time permitting, to have it enacted before the Easter recess." - This doesn't guarantee that we will see the Comm. Bill this side of Easter or, for that matter, it could even take longer....

All in all, a very disappointing reply (but not unexpected). As my local FG TD says her reply "is far from convincing".

viking

dahamsta

"I have no function in these matters."

And there was me thinking that Mary O'Rourke was Etain Doyle's boss. Now where could I have gotten that idea?

And she says " The Offices of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation has taken several steps to support dial-up internet access and in particular it has opened two non-geographic codes for use in accessing internet service providers (ISPs)." - Ok this allows 100% internet availability across Ireland but this does nothing to address flat-rate, also the numbers were introduced several years ago but nothing has been done since.

It was last year actually.

It is a disappointing response Viking, but well done for pushing for it. Pressure is being brought to bear, this is exactly the kind of thing we need. Keep up the good work.

adam

drrnwbb

hehe.. yay..

i got exactly the same letter in the post today (presumably from the same fg td).. i was in response to emails i sent out and i mentioned in this thread .

you saved me from typing it all out...

dw

viking

Originally posted by drrnwbb

you saved me from typing it all out...

dw

I knew I should have waited for someone else to do it, I fuppin' hate typing :rolleyes:

Also got this last week from Sean Haughey:

"Thank you for your email...in relation to internet access charges in Ireland.

I agree that this is an unsatisfactory situation and will pursue the matter with the ODTR and the Minister for Public Enterprise.

I'll be in touch with you again....blah blah blah

Ald. Sean Haughey T.D."

I also found this on the ODTR website, apologies if it was posted before but it gives interesting viewpoints of all the parties involved in internet tariffs ie. pay-as-you-go and flat/partial rate.

viking

Ruu_Old

i got the same reply, viking

Coyote

Now someone can tell me if I'm wrong about this but why not send them back the Email with more questions. If we keep asking them and make them have to really answer your questions and not just take the pre made emails this will really make them think about it.
Then they will know that people are not happy with the way it is now and were not willing to take pre made emails talking about things happening in the future

Coyote

SkepticOne

Originally posted by Coyote
Now someone can tell me if I'm wrong about this but why not send them back the Email with more questions. If we keep asking them and make them have to really answer your questions and not just take the pre made emails this will really make them think about it.
Then they will know that people are not happy with the way it is now and were not willing to take pre made emails talking about things happening in the future

I think it could be sent back to the original TD with criticisms of what the Minister said. Then ask, "What do you think?" and "What are you going to do about it?" I know it's the way things are done, but sending stuff off to the minister and then getting a reply directly back from the department is a bit of a cop out. TDs are there to represent their local constituents on national issues.

neverhappen

Does the proposed Communications Bill contain any measures that will either enforce directly, or allow the regulator to enforce at discretion, eircom to provide a flat-rate wholesale product ?

If so does the odtr have any regulation over the price charged for such a product...does it have to be cost-based ?

ie Is the new bill going to do anything to further the friaco situation here?