Commission appointments now official - rotating chairperson...

Dangger

A rotating chairperson to boot!

Dermot Ahern Announces New Communications Commissioners
Dublin, Thursday, 31st October, 2002

Dermot Ahern, T.D., Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, announced today that he is to appoint two new Commissioners to join the newly created Commission for Communications Regulation (CCR), the independent body which regulates the telecommunications and postal sectors.

The two new members will join Ms Etain Doyle, the outgoing Director at the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation (ODTR), on the new CCR. The duo were selected following an independent Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission competition. They are:

Ms. Isolde Goggin- current Member and Director of Regulated Markets Division, Competition Authority

Mr. John Doherty – current Head of Market Operations, ODTR

The Minister also announced that he is to appoint Commission Chairpersons on an annual basis. The first chairperson will be Ms. Doyle, who will take up her post on the establishment of the incoming Commission.

The Communications Regulation Act, enacted on 27 April 2002, provided for the establishment of a new Commission for Communications Regulation to replace the ODTR and the transfer of functions from the ODTR to the new Body.

“The enlarged three person Commission has been established to reflect the new challenges in the telecommunications and postal environment and is in line with the European models for regulation in these sectors. I have no doubt that the new Commission will make an important contribution to achieving the Government’s objectives in the telecommunications and Postal sectors,” Minister Ahern said.

The Minister said that he will be issuing a detailed policy directive for the new Commission and that this policy document will be published in draft form as soon as the two new Commissioners are in place. “This policy direction will provide a framework within which the new Commission can respond to the Government’s policy objectives for the sector,” Minister Ahern added.

The Minister last week announced that this policy directive will include a provision for flat rate internet access.

ENDS

De Rebel

Quick(ish) work by the Minister in getting this done and dusted. And quick work by Dangger getting it posted.

Love the rotating Chairman twist. A nice compromise/carrot/stick!

Happy *coincidence* that it followed yesterday's meeting. Take a bow IOFFL ppl.

dahamsta

I can't decide whether to jump for joy or cry in my Guinness. On the one hand, we're only lumped with her in the hot seat for another year; on the other, we're lumped with her in the hot seat for another year. At least the Minister's given her something to do for the year anyway -- let's just hope she doesn't make a balls of it, like cable, and wireless, and DSL, and...

adam

MDR

gonna wait and see on this one.