Fine Gael critisise Aherns decision to force friaco!

Xterminator

Well there a turnaround for the books.

From this mornings Irish Times.

"In a clear signal of intent, Mr Ahern said he would issue a policy directive to the new commision, to order telecom firms to offer flat rate internet access services.

Fine Gael critisised the Minister's decision yesterday, Mr Simon Coveney said if the commision is to be effective, it must be independant."

Obviously going back to a 'Etain Doyle' situation where she allows the telco's to deide what that want to offer us, is what Fine Gael envisage.

The problem is i dont think Eircom, and co. will willingly give up the current money spinning methods, and when the do, it is slow, step by step stuff, like UTV's off peak offerings.(And that took how many years?)

Perhaps IOFL can educate Mr Coveney as to why it has become nessacary to force the telco's by direct action, as he seems hopeleesy out of touch on his stance!

X

dahamsta

I've asked him to call me. IrelandOffline should do the same.

Talk about misguided.

adam

MDR

Ok time for some re-educmication

Simon Coveney

This is you job peeps, go forth and re-edumicate, this guy is trying to mess up FRIACO. Tell him what you think.

Adam this is your stomping ground no ?

Typedef

Recomendation: Don't become involved in FF/FG mudslinging.

spongebob

Simon should be in Cork during the last weekend in November or thereabouts.

The Corkonian tendency in here should lash together a CommiTTee...call it CoffL or maybe SMOB ...Southern Movement for Broadband and then tramp down to him MOB handed as it were on the saturday to re-edumacate him on FRIACO and the like.

Then ye can go to a nice pub in Cork to celebrate at Cork prices.

Howz dat bhoy.

M

De Rebel

Phoned his office and mobile and left a message. He is at a meeting at present. I'm following up with a letter irrespective of whether or not I get to speak with him.

spongebob

as a sort of Southern flavour VinnyFitz

I'm sure Dahamsta Ozpass Timod and Yellum could manage an ad hoc CommiTTee along with you.

as long as one of ye is a constituent ye are already rolling

Go SMOB

M

De Rebel

Originally posted by Muck
I'm sure Dahamsta Ozpass Timod and Yellum could manage an ad hoc CommiTTee along with you.

all we need is to agree a pub for our early start (2.00pm ) meeting..... maybe the Motor Inn in Anglesea Street, accross the road from Simon's Constituency Office

vinnyfitz

www.simoncoveney.ie
Maybe without flat rate he can't afford to log on update it often!

Drazhar

just dont try to use the feedback on that site, here's what i got:

The recipient 'simon.coveney@oireachtas.irlgov.ie' is not in the list of acceptable recipients. Please inform the page's author that they need to update the form to contain a valid email address.

i think that just says it all really

Cork

FG are not in power. Don't worry about Mr. Covneys comments. The Minister seems to have made up his mind on this one.


(edited, relevant parts left in - party political broadcast deleted)

Cork - please keep the campaigning and backslapping in the Politics board. It's not what we're about here.

vinnyfitz

just in case you want to call him!

6a Anglesea Street
Cork
T: 021-4313100
F: 021-4316696

Dail Eireann
Dublin 2
T: 01-6183753
F: 01-6184506

pencil

Mail sent informing him of the unhelpfullness of his comments

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

De Rebel

Simon rang back and I spoke with him at some length. Asked him for a statement clarifying his position. He will e-mail same to me and he has agreed to it being posted here. I won't say anymore unitl I receive it.

I also asked if he would be interested in meeting with me to discuss the issue. (Thats meeting me as me, not me as a representative of anything). Anyone else interested? He suggested next weekend, if anyone is willing to join me we would need to meet mid week to agree an approach in advance.

Mentioned this thread to show him the speed of reaction and depth of feeleing. Thinking of printing it for him!Thoughts/Objections?

sax0000

Originally posted by De Rebel
Simon rang back and I spoke with him at some length. Asked him for a statement clarifying his position. He will e-mail same to me and he has agreed to it being posted here. I won't say anymore unitl I receive it.

I also asked if he would be interested in meeting with me to discuss the issue. (Thats meeting me as me, not me as a representative of anything). Anyone else interested? He suggested next weekend, if anyone is willing to join me we would need to meet mid week to agree an approach in advance.

Mentioned this thread to show him the speed of reaction and depth of feeleing. Thinking of printing it for him!Thoughts/Objections?

Why not e-mail him http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68597 and suggest that he have a look?

scoveney@oireachtas.ie

sax0000

ozpass

Thinking of printing it for him!Thoughts/Objections?

How acutely ironic that a debate (centred on a technological comms medium) must be printed to paper for presentation to a politician.:rolleyes:

De Rebel

Originally posted by sax0000
Why not e-mail him http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68597 and suggest that he have a look?

scoveney@oireachtas.ie

sax0000

done

yellum

/me slaps forehead. Can't believe a Cork man said this. We do need to educate this youngfellar.

Hannibal_12

I am at a complete loss as to the reasoning behind this statement. As has been said many times before if all of our telecommunications needs were to be decided by Eircom then I am quite sure we would be using two plastic cups with a string attached to the base of each for local calls and carrier pigeons for long distance messages and of course paying a suitably extortionate price.
Change is never easy to accomplish especially when you have a large inefficient monopoly attempting to prevent it but it is inevitable. I just hope that we don't see more comments like the one above or Ireland will remain the E-Tub for many years to come.

Scottish

Looks to me like lazy, knee jerk opposition for the sake of opposition. No thought or understanding in that statement.

Although he could be a massive Eircom shareholder, or in someones pocket who is a massive shareholder.... But there is absolutley nothing to suggest that. Is there?

pertinax

The whole point of this commision should be this:
The Public put presure on politicians.
Politicions tell commision what to do.

This commision has a function of improving the lot of the public doesn't it?

dahamsta

I imagine Coveney's argument is that the Commission is appointed by the Minister to look after regulatory issues, and that he should let it do it's job. It's a misguided and particularly naive argument, and Coveney should know better. He'd do well to remember where the narkiest members of IrelandOffline come from. Isn't that right yellum? Timod?

[ I'm Adam by the way Simon. I gave you first preference in the General Election, even though Fine Gael didn't follow though on the amendments it proposed to the Communications Bill. I also offered to meet with you to discuss the problems on several occasions, but you've just fobbed me off. You told me to my face that you replied to my email, but you didn't. I hope you don't expect my first preference in 2004. ]

adam

sax0000

Originally posted by Xterminator
Well there a turnaround for the books.

From this mornings Irish Times.

"In a clear signal of intent, Mr Ahern said he would issue a policy directive to the new commision, to order telecom firms to offer flat rate internet access services.

Fine Gael critisised the Minister's decision yesterday, Mr Simon Coveney said if the commision is to be effective, it must be independant."

Obviously going back to a 'Etain Doyle' situation where she allows the telco's to deide what that want to offer us, is what Fine Gael envisage.

The problem is i dont think Eircom, and co. will willingly give up the current money spinning methods, and when the do, it is slow, step by step stuff, like UTV's off peak offerings.(And that took how many years?)

Perhaps IOFL can educate Mr Coveney as to why it has become nessacary to force the telco's by direct action, as he seems hopeleesy out of touch on his stance!

X

Mr Coveney:

We have had “independence” and it doesn’t work. Certainly not in the way it was structured.

Why? Because there was little or no provision for customer input. The customer has been ignored and monopolistically abused and denied services as a result.

The ODTR was acting like a judge, deciding on issues arising between eircom and other industry participants. Lots of lawyers and other professional advisors making cases for eircom or BT or Wcom. Nobody representing the customer. Because there was no provision for such representation in the regulatory platform. Other agencies that might have a responsibility to the consumer – eg Consumer Affairs and the Competition Authority did nothing to fill the vacuum either.

The consumer’s interest is like a pressure cooker slowly on the boil without any valve. Perhaps there is some political recognition at this late stage that the customer can’t be ignored forever. We’ll have to wait and see if the political interference route pays any dividends. Or would we be better off with a sophisticated boards.ie type of regulatory system where everyone in the country could have a vote on each regulatory matter – as has been happening in Switzerland for several centuries – even without the benefit of the internet?

sax0000

dahamsta

[ This email was addressed to another person, and Cc'd to me -- the greeting also used the other person's name. I've left the crappy formatting in to demonstrate the technical genius of the person who sent it to me. ]

From: rhoran@oireachtas.ie
To: XXXXXXXXX@indigo.ie
cc: XX@X.XXXXXXX.net
Subject: Flat-rate internet access


Dear Mr XXXXXXXXX,

Simon Coveney asked me to forward the following to you:

Dear XXXX,

Thank you for contacting me by phone this morning. Your interest in this matter
is much appreciated. I hope the enclosed press release allays some concerns in
relation to the comments by me, printed in The Irish Times this morning.

I look forward to speaking to you next week.

Kind regards,

Simon Coveney
simon.coveney@oireachtas.irlgov.ie


Fine Gael National Press Office Press Statement
............................................................................?????????????
Leinster House Contact: Simon Coveney TD
Dublin 2 Rachel Horan Communications, Marine & Natural
Resources
Ireland 01 6183379- 086 3803187


Friday 1st November 2002

Directive on flat-rate internet access to be applauded ? political interference
to be avoided- Coveney


Fine Gael spokesperson on communications, marine and natural resources, Simon

Coveney TD, today (Friday) welcomed the Minister's decision to introduce a

policy directive to the new Commission on Communications Regulation to order

telecoms firms to offer flat-rate internet access services. However, he

cautioned against too much political influence being brought to bear on the

Commission.



"While it is welcome that the Minister has shown initiative to introduce vital

flat rate internet access, there must be caution that undue political pressure

is not brought to bear on the daily running of the Commission.



"Instead the Minister should ensure that the strong personalities appointed to

the Commission have the necessary powers to oversee a free and fair environment

for the communications industry in Ireland."

ENDS

Looks to me like classic backtracking.

adam

vinnyfitz

Looks to me like people got the message across to him pretty quick.
I'd say he will be attentive to the flatrate timetable and campaign from now on.
Another win for IOFFL members.

Xterminator

Now thats what I call a successful outcome.

His U-turn has brought a smile to my face.

Lesson to be learned from today Mr Coveney.
Think before you comment.

Nice 1 to all
X.

yellum

Originally posted by dahamsta
He'd do well to remember where the narkiest members of IrelandOffline come from. Isn't that right yellum? Timod?

Timods not narky, just pedantic. I agree with you though.

Simon I'm Damien, my family have been FG supports for 30 years but not for the past two general elections. You never visted my door nor did Deirdre. John Dennehy did, Batt answered my letters and Minister Martin actually helped my family a great deal when he was Minister for Education. I'll happily vote FG again if you cop on to reality and start thinking. Right now a corrupt party is in power. Your party needs to take some part of the blame for this. So think up ways of fixing things. Cheap net access is a good one, it can revive the celtic tiger you know.

De Rebel

Dear Mr ****,

Simon Coveney asked me to forward the following to you:

Dear ****,

Thank you for contacting me by phone this morning. Your interest in this matter is much appreciated. I hope the enclosed press release allays some concerns in relation to the comments by me, printed in The Irish Times this morning.

I look forward to speaking to you next week.

Kind regards,

Simon Coveney
simon.coveney@oireachtas.irlgov.ie


Fine Gael National Press Office Press Statement
............................................................................
Leinster House Contact: Simon Coveney TD
Dublin 2 Rachel Horan Communications, Marine & Natural
Resources
Ireland 01 6183379- 086 3803187


Friday 1st November 2002

Directive on flat-rate internet access to be applauded / political interference to be avoided- Coveney


Fine Gael spokesperson on communications, marine and natural resources, Simon Coveney TD, today (Friday) welcomed the Minister's decision to introduce a policy directive to the new Commission on Communications Regulation to order telecoms firms to offer flat-rate internet access services. However, he cautioned against too much political influence being brought to bear on the Commission.

"While it is welcome that the Minister has shown initiative to introduce vital flat rate internet access, there must be caution that undue political pressure is not brought to bear on the daily running of the Commission.

"Instead the Minister should ensure that the strong personalities appointed to the Commission have the necessary powers to oversee a free and fair environment for the communications industry in Ireland."

ENDS



MY COMMENTS

---

The sentiment of the above reflects the conversation I had with Simon Coveney this morning. For one I welcome his clarification.

We are more likely to achieve our ends by highlighting the issues, educating the decision makers and lobbying. As I no longer live in Dublin my opportunities to meet the decision makers are limited.

I fully respect the work that the committee are doing, but it is obviously important that we also keep the opposition aware of our concerns.

As I said in a previous post I will avail of the opportunit to meet Simon Coveney next week to set out the issues as the affect me. Other regulars are welcome , provided we can meet in advance to agree an approach.

vinnyfitz

Noel O'Flynn - who, I think, has very recently been appointed chairman of the Oireachtas committee which will be dealing with Communications.
Any volunteers to try and push flat rate and broadband up his priority list?

spongebob

Bertie has made Noel chairman of the committee on the Marine and Communications despite being an Inland TD .....a whiff of the Lee maybe but no fishermen in Noels constituency

See

M