Charlie McConalogue
Donegal · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“There are indications that the opt-out mechanism for the text and data mining exception is not working well in practice. Evidence gathered by the Danish Presidency showed that some activity is taking place on the licensing of works for AI, but that it is uneven across member states and subsectors of the creative sector.”
“The proposal involved the development of grass pitches, an Astroturf facility, flood-lighting and dressing rooms. The Football Association of Ireland wrote to my Department in 2023 stating that it no longer intended to proceed with the LSSIF-funded centre of excellence in Glanmire.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The programme for Government commits to maintaining sports funding to get more people participating in all levels of sport, particularly targeting cohorts in society where there are lower than average participation levels.”
“This is Ireland's first national strategy for diabetes and it sets out recommendations for action in relation to type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, diabetes in pregnancy and paediatric diabetes. The strategy marks a major milestone in diabetes care in Ireland and represents the development of a unified approach to its delivery.”
“It is anticipated that the final business case will be submitted shortly to my Department. In relation to the site in Glanmire, my Department has been informed that the property has now been leased to Riverstown Football Club by Cork County Council.”
“The structure of that payment, which was agreed between An Post and the postmasters, is designed to maintain and strengthen our post office network and to keep it sustainable, taking into account the number of post offices in an area, the distance to the next nearest post office and the rural nature versus the population base that it migh…”
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“Therefore, the Government is not opposing the Bill. However, the Government has concerns with the approach and content of this Bill. It raises issues that point to it being incompatible with existing regulation of both online safety and data protection. Moreover, existing online safety regulation already restricts access by children to pornography and provides for age assurance measures to be in place. An age verification solution that is less invasive than the one in the Bill is in development. This will further support the implementation of those rules while still respecting the privacy of all users. I again thank Senator Mullen for his genuine work and effort in bringing this Bill forward and for shining a light on this massively important issue that we must collectively address in order to ensure that we protect young people.”
“This will differ from the solution in the Bill as it will protect users’ rights, including privacy and reveal only essential information to platforms. At the same time, it will enhance online safety by providing accurate and robust information on age. My Department is working with the Office of the Government’s Chief Information Officer to develop this age-verification tool, and to make it available as part of the digital wallet. The tool will be in full compliance with a blueprint published by the European Commission last year and will work in a zero-knowledge capacity, only confirming to a platform whether the user is over 18. No other information, such as date of birth, will be provided to the platform or stored. I share Senator Mullen's and many of the speakers objective of protecting children from harmful content online.”
“This, too, is contrary to the European Commission guidelines on protection of minors. Furthermore, five years is too long. The data provisions also raise significant concerns when it comes to compatibility with the general data protection regulation, GDPR. The Bill is problematic with respect to data minimisation principles, the proposed retention periods, and the lack of clarity regarding data controllers and joint controllership arrangements. Accordingly, the age verification method in the Bill runs the risk of cutting across EU guidelines and introducing a solution that is not compliant with GDPR. Finally, the Bill does not take account of the Government’s recent national digital and AI strategy which commits the Government to delivering an age-verification solution.”
“It should be sufficient for a service provider to know if a person seeking access to its services is over 18 or not. For example, they do not need to know how much over 18 the person is, so they do not need a date of birth. We must also take into account guidelines on the protection of minors issued by the European Commission last July. They stress the importance of age verification tools that are proportionate and respect the privacy of the user. They speak of age verification as being as non-intrusive as possible. They emphasise that age verification should not be an additional means for providers to identify, locate, profile or track natural persons. The extent of the data and the processing set out in the Bill do not meet these requirements. The Bill also provides that personal data shall be stored for five years.”
“Another concern with the Bill is the method it proposes for age verification. It provides that online services providers should require documents or credit card information to confirm whether a person is over 18 or not. While the type of documents that can be used would a matter for the Minister for justice to determine, it seems more than likely that they would be State-issued documents, such as a driver's licence or passport. These documents contain a lot of personal data, often including biometric data. Credit cards also reveal a lot more than just a person's age, for example, their home address. Typically, this kind of data is considered sensitive and must be treated with care. The collection of all this personal data is disproportionate to the misuse the Bill is trying to address.”
“This makes it more straightforward for platforms to comply and more efficient for regulators to implement and enforce. A consequence of maximum harmonisation is that member states are precluded from introducing national measures that add obligations to the Digital Services Act. The Bill would be at odds with that rule. The offences in the Bill appear to conflict with certain liability exemptions in the Digital Services Act. The regulation provides that hosting services are not liable for illegal content made available by a user as long as the hosting service does not have knowledge of the illegal content and, once it becomes aware, it works expeditiously to remove or disable it. On the contrary, the Bill could make hosting services responsible for content they may not know of.”
“Moreover, continued non-compliance with the online safety code can lead to criminal sanctions for senior management, which is similar to the Bill. The Digital Services Act has a coherent oversight network comprising the European Commission and the digital services co-ordinators in each member state. This network ensures that supervision and enforcement is conducted on a pan-European basis and addresses the fact that digital services are provided across borders. Coimisiún na Meán is the digital services co-ordinator in Ireland. The Bill does not give an coimisiún any role, which is a practical gap that undermines both the remit of an coimisiún and the effectiveness of the Bill's provisions. The Digital Services Act is also a maximum-harmonisation regulation, which gives the advantage of providing a single rule book.”
“It gives further effect to the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 and to the EU audiovisual media services directive. The code came into full force in July 2025 and it obliges designated video-sharing platform services to take steps to reduce the availability of harmful content online and address access to age-inappropriate content. It mandates providers that carry pornography to use robust age-assurance measures to prevent children under the age of 18 from getting access to that adult-only material. These regulations have been designed to be effective and meaningful. For example, failure to comply with the online safety code can lead to fines of up to €20 million or 10% of relevant turnover. These are larger fines than those in the Bill.”
“The EU Digital Services Act, known as the DSA, obliges providers of online platforms that are accessible to minors to put in place appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security of minors on their services. The DSA also imposes additional obligations on the very large platforms to assess their services for risks to minors and implement mitigation such as age verification. The category of very large online platforms includes several of the platforms that carry pornography. Last March, the European Commission issued preliminary findings to the effect that four providers of pornography are not effectively meeting these obligations to prevent minors gaining access. Alongside the Digital Services Act is the online safety code, which is overseen by Coimisiún na Meán.”
“This Bill is clearly aligned with that objective, as it seeks to ensure that children do not access pornographic, adult-only material by requiring online services to first verify that a person is over the age of 18. For this reason, the Government does not oppose the Bill. However, there are practical, legal and technical issues with the Bill's provisions. It also does not take account of commitments in the national digital and AI strategy published by the Government in February of this year. Regulations are already in place to protect minors online, including specific provisions to prevent children from accessing adult-only content such as pornography. Those requirements are in both EU and national laws. Some of the provisions in today's Bill are inconsistent with those existing regulations.”
“I thank Senator Mullen for his work in bringing this legislation forward. I thank the Senators for the very thoughtful and well-considered contributions and responses to the legislation. I think we all agree that online services are constantly developing and changing. It is vital that we, as legislators, stay vigilant to any emerging trends that undermine the safety of our children and young people when they access those services. Online safety is a whole-of-government priority, particularly when it comes to the protection of minors.”
“Our collective objective should be to see how we can build on that and make sure that the arts community and people with artistic ability in our communities are supported in a way that enables that talent to flourish and contribute to wider society.”
“I thank the Senator for her advocacy for the arts and this scheme. I agree that we need to see more art, not less. We need within our society to ensure that there is space and support for artists to follow their creative abilities, develop them and have that potential realised for themselves and for society generally. The basic income for the arts is a significant step forward and departure in that regard. We are paving new ground internationally. I have attended European Council meetings where there has been significant interest from other member states in what we are doing, given that what we are trying to achieve is pioneering. The approach taken in developing a pilot, learning from that and now putting it on a permanent basis is a sensible one designed to make the most impact in how we design the scheme.”
“We will see how we can continue to build on the recognition and prioritisation we are giving the arts through the basic income for the arts scheme.”
“It is a significant departure. It is an innovative and welcome scheme. I agree with the Senator on the prioritisation that the previous Minister, Catherine Martin, gave to developing the pilot. It is something that the current Government and I as Minister of State in the Department are very committed to. It is a wonderful opportunity. The objective will be to see how it can be built on. The pilot in the first place was a significant step forward, as was the decision this year to put it on a permanent basis. From this year on, we will see 2,000 people as a baseline participating in it. We will monitor it and see its impact. It is a significant decision by the State in recognition of the importance of the arts and the role artists play in our national civic life and cultural life.”
“The goals of the scheme are to incentivise the development and growth of professional creative practice through self-employment; to counter the earnings instability and precarious nature of working in the arts and the detrimental effect it has on an artist’s well-being; to foster artists’ agency and safeguard freedom of expression; to retain talent in the sector by reducing the need for artists to work outside of the arts for economic reasons; to support and expand the sector thanks to spillover effects including hiring of collaborators, expenditure on materials and emergence of new projects; to support social cohesion and societal well-being by creating more opportunities for citizens to engage in the arts and to offer a larger selection of artworks and performances to enjoy; and to recognise the contribution of artists to a pluralistic society and their contribution to the vibrancy of communities across the nation.”
“Those who will receive the payment will provide data on an ongoing basis. A diversity of arts practices, ages and geographical distribution is visible in the applications submitted. The data collected as part of the application is a snapshot of the sector in 2026 and will be a great resource for the Department in developing future policy for the arts. A report setting out this data will be published in due course. Compliance with eligibility will be continuously recorded and assessed throughout the time a recipient receives the payment. All successful participants will need to register with Revenue as self-employed and pay Schedule D income tax where appropriate on basic income for the arts payments.”
“Research conducted by the Department provided the Government with a clear evidence base upon which to make that decision. With an allocation of €18.27 million for this year, the Department is in a position to fund 2,000 artists. At the launch of the new scheme in February, the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, stated that, over time, he would like to expand the scheme beyond 2,000 artists, should more funding become available in the future. The successor scheme to the basic income for the arts pilot saw just over 10,000 applications received by the deadline of 12 May. Assessment of applications is ongoing and will take place over the summer, with payments to 2,000 artists beginning before the end of this year. All applicants had to complete a comprehensive survey at the time of application.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this Commencement matter on an important initiative for the State and the Government, that is, the basic income for artists scheme. It is a once-in-a-generation policy intervention that has the potential to transform the lives of artists, as confirmed by the research published during the pilot. Last year, the Department conducted a public consultation on the basic income for the arts. This consultation received over 17,000 submissions, with 97% of respondents in favour of making the scheme permanent. This shows that the value of the basic income for the arts is appreciated not only by those in the arts sector but also by society at large. In February, the Government agreed to make the basic income for the arts scheme permanent. This is a major milestone for the arts in Ireland.”
“There will be significant demand now that the large-scale infrastructure fund is an established part of our sports funding infrastructure. Sporting organisations are looking towards projects of scale to see how they can avail of the fund. St. Tiernach's Park would meet the criteria. It is the type of project that would be suitable to be funded through that fund. There will obviously be a competitive element to the applications that are received. I look forward to working with the Senator to support Monaghan County Council to make an application that will be considered in the context of that next round. I suggest the council should look at the community sports facilities fund to see if such funding could help St. Tiernach's to do smaller scale work in the meantime.”
“I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Senator on our shared objective of seeing St. Tiernach's Park continue to evolve and be renewed. There has been significant funding towards the GAA from the two rounds so far of the large scale infrastructure fund. The 2020 round saw funding for 14 projects to a value of €30 million. Those included projects backed by the GAA or which incorporated GAA elements of significant projects, including those at Walsh Park, Páirc Tailteann and St. Conleth's Park. In the 2024 round, 11 GAA-backed projects were awarded funding, including, for example, the Clare GAA centre of excellence and the Wexford GAA centre of excellence, as well as €1 million to Killeevan Sarsfield GAA Club in Monaghan.”
“We can all agree on the importance of keeping St. Tiernach's and Clones at the heart of football and sport in Ulster and the country, and making sure that the ground is of a standard that is suitable for the future in the same way as it has served the needs of the GAA and sport so well in the years and decades until now.”
“In that light, the large scale sports infrastructure fund would be more in line with the type and scale of plans that would be necessary for the redevelopment of St. Tiernach's Park. We have so far had two rounds of the large scale infrastructure fund since its establishment. There were announcements in 2020 and again in 2024. We will have one round of the large-scale infrastructure fund during the course of the lifetime of this Government, as provided for in the national development plan. The outline expectation is for the large-scale infrastructure fund to open in early 2028, with announcements to follow later that year. That is what we are expecting for the next round, which I know will be of significant interest for funding the plans that are there and their being considered during a round of that funding pot.”
“In addition, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht recently provided grant funding of more than €660,000 towards the development of a major regeneration project centred around St. Tiernach’s Park. In line with previous rounds of the community sports facilities fund, I have asked my Department to prepare for a further round. We will be opening that shortly, and it will be open over the summer. There will be an opportunity there for all clubs, including St. Tiernach's, to consider how the fund might support any works it has planned. The scale of the community sports facilities fund is small compared with the wider plans of Monaghan GAA and the county council for St. Tiernach's Park.”
“The Senator mentioned the redevelopment of Casement Park, which is a strong commitment of the Government and has been supported with funding under the shared island fund. The Government, the Northern Ireland Executive, the GAA and the UK Government have made significant funding commitments to support the delivery of a redeveloped Casement Park. Officials from my Department, the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland and the GAA met recently to discuss how best to move forward the project. I understand the GAA has stated it is currently reviewing options for a phased delivery of the new stadium following the recent completion of pre-enabling works. St. Tiernach’s Park in Clones has been allocated €870,154 over the last three rounds of the CSFF.”
“As the Senator will be aware, the programme for Government commits to maintaining sports funding so that, collectively, we can get more people participating in all levels of sport. The Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the community sport facilities fund, CSFF, and the large-scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF. The CSFF provides grants to assist in the development or refurbishment of sports facilities and the provision of sports equipment. More than €250 million was allocated in the most recent round announced in 2024 to more than 3,000 clubs. Priorities around the development of individual facilities are primarily a matter for individual sporting organisations applying for funding.”
“I thank the Senator for raising and the Cathaoirleach for selecting this Commencement matter. Senator Gallagher and I have discussed it on many occasions. I am thankfully a Donegal man. The Senator has had two bites of the cherry in recent years representing Monaghan so well. We have discussed the place of Clones in Ulster and Monaghan football, as the sporting heart of Monaghan and of Ulster and the need for what has been a great facility over the years to continue to evolve and be redeveloped. This is a good opportunity to be able to discuss it. I plan to outline the potential different funding options so the work Monaghan is putting plans together for can be stepped out.”
“I thank Deputies across the House for their various contributions and support for this Government action to increase post office funding. I look forward to Committee Stage tomorrow and to taking this Bill through the Seanad so that it will be implemented and in place.”
“An Post has also indicated that over the course of the past year, it has seen an increase of approximately 10% in transactions across post offices, which is welcome. We want to see that continue so that more revenue is coming into our post offices. I will engage with the local community in Anagaire and with An Post to ensure that everything can be done to maintain that post office in the local community, as we are doing with the post office network generally. Post offices are so important to the local community. That is the reason we are introducing this 50% increase in the Government’s contribution to post offices and postmasters in the Dáil. It will support them in their work and keep the network as strong as it possibly can be.”
“It is important that An Post ensures it is at the forefront of that transition in order to be able to provide a good service. It must make sure it has the infrastructure, services and facilities in place to be able to deal with that additional volume. From a Government point of view, we are working with An Post to support it in that transition and make sure it remains as relevant in people’s lives and provides as strong a service as it has done in the past. Deputy Doherty mentioned the issue of the post office in Anagaire. It is our objective to keep as many post offices as we possibly can open. That is why we have introduced in the Dáil this week a 50% increase in the Government’s contribution to support post offices.”
“Indeed, that is something we are seeing happening across the country at the moment. It is important that there is appropriate engagement with local communities by An Post when it is making, proposing and putting forward those steps. There is a significant change to the work An Post is carrying out. We have seen a reduction in postal volumes and the number of letters posted. At the same time, there has been a significant increase in parcel volumes. That brings a significant change to the services and infrastructure An Post needs to be able to deal with that demand. For example, in 2025, parcel volumes increased by 27% compared with 2024. So far this year, An Post has indicated that parcel volumes are almost running 50% higher in the months of January and February compared with the same period in 2025. It is rapidly evolving.”
“There is no doubt that it is needed and necessary to ensure we can maintain our post office network across the country. There is also no doubt that if it were not for the Government introducing this payment over the past three years, we would have seen more post office closures. Making that significant increase now is important to maintain the post office footprint across the country. Our objective is to maintain as strong and widespread a network as possible. We seek to keep the post offices that we have in communities open. That is why we are increasing that fund by 50% this year. A few issues have been raised through the various contributions this evening. In the city of Dublin, there is the issue of the adjustments to the sorting offices, which is an issue of concern in some communities.”
“That is based on where the next nearest post office is to the post office receiving the payment. Another 44% of the individual payment to a post office goes towards payment for higher operational costs. There is also a transitional support payment of 8% to make sure that every postmaster is receiving at least a minimum increase from the previous scheme. While the average per post office is €18,000, these criteria will decide how much each post office will actually receive. They were negotiated, discussed in great detail and agreed between the postmasters' union and An Post. What we are doing now in the Dáil is following through on the Government’s commitment to support the post office network through this payment. This significant increase is a reflection of the Government’s commitment to the work that post offices do.”
“This €15 million is a 50% increase compared with the previous year and it will be paid across the 830 post offices. Those 40 post offices run directly by An Post do not avail of this particular funding. It is only for post offices run on contract by postmasters. Different criteria are used to allocate this funding, which give a stronger weighting to smaller post offices and those in more peripheral areas. However, if we were to take the average of this €15 million funding divided by the 830 post offices, it would be worth €18,000 per year to an individual post office. The different criteria as to how the funding will be distributed and how much each post office will receive were agreed between An Post and the postmasters. A total of 47% of the fund - some €7 million - is allocated on the basis of a community access impact payment.”
“For the years 2023, 2024 and 2025, the payment was at a rate of €10 million per year. The legislation in place provided for that €10 million to be paid up to a maximum of €30 million. As the figure of €30 million has been reached and a new and significantly increased payment structure has been agreed with postmasters, we need to amend the legislation to provide for that payment to be made over the next five years at a rate of €15 million per year. This small piece of legislation we are discussing today provides for the Act to be updated to accommodate a payment of €105 million between now and 2030 at a rate of €15 million per year to postmasters. As I said at the outset, we have approximately 870 post offices, 40 of which are run directly by An Post. Therefore, we have approximately 830 post offices run on contract by postmasters.”
“Once again, I thank and acknowledge all the postmasters across the country and their staff for the really valuable work they carry out within communities, and for the face-to-face community service they provide, as well as the postal, business and banking services they also provide to that community. The strength of contributions here today and the strength of feeling within communities is very much a reflection of the work our post offices do. Of course, by our post offices, we mean the staff that drive them, the people who open them in the morning, close them in the evening and open them on Saturdays to make sure their communities are well served. As I said, 2025 was the first time the Government introduced a payment to support the work of post offices.”
“For us, it is important now to make sure that we are making the Government payment to it for what it has already paid out in increased payments as well as what is going to be due to post offices before the end of the year. This is a significant increase. It is a 50% increase on what was in place in respect of payments to post offices and postmasters last year. The past three years has been the first time we have seen payment from the Government that is going to post offices to support them in the services they are providing to local communities.”
“At the outset, I thank everyone across the House for their various contributions to this amendment legislation today, and for the broad support there is through the Houses of the Oireachtas for it to be passed. I thank the Dáil and the Seanad, where it will be later on this week, for their engagement in planning this. It is important that we pass this legislation before the Dáil and the Seanad go into recess so that we are in a position, from a Government point of view, to make the payments to An Post for it to be in a position to make the payments to post offices. An Post has been applying the increased payments to post offices since January this year.”
“However, I encourage all stakeholders to work together and do everything possible to ensure a long-term, sustainable post office network for all of our citizens in order that the post office remains at the heart of our community in future, as it has been throughout the history of the State.”
“The ongoing global challenges, structural changes in the postal sector and changes in consumer habits provide a dynamic and challenging environment for the post office network and An Post. It is important that we recognise and thank postmasters across the country who are working hard to deliver in this environment, as well as An Post, which is actively seeking out new opportunities to support the network. The Government is demonstrating its commitment to the network and the value it provides to citizens with the allocation of €15 million per annum, which is a 50% increase on last year, and for the term of this Government.”
“The previous Government funding scheme, which provided €10 million per annum between 2023 and 2025, has its statutory basis at section 29A(1) of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983, which provides that the Minister may provide €30 million to An Post for the purposes of supporting the post office network. That €30 million cap has been reached and, therefore, an amendment is required to raise the level of funding that can be given. Section 1 provides for an uplift in the funding currently allowed under section 29A of the 1983 Act, as amended, by increasing the amount prescribed by a total of €75 million, up to €105 million, in line with the agreed funding commitment by Government. The Bill will be commenced upon enactment.”
“To satisfy state aid requirements, a letter of entrustment for the service of general economic interest will be issued and funding will be paid under a grant agreement with An Post. Previously, funding which ran from 2023 to 2025 for the first time, was also provided to An Post on the basis of services entrusted to An Post, namely, the provision of counter services for the company's own business and Government business, pursuant to the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act. As I have mentioned, the Bill's sole purpose is to provide a statutory basis for funding to be paid from the Department's Vote to An Post, and onwards, subsequent to that, to each post office. The Bill provides for a small technical amendment.”
“However, we must recognise that post offices are commercial entities and as with any business, they need to continue to develop relevant commercial strategies to attract customers, drive footfall and generate growth. Supported by Government, An Post must ensure its commercial viability and the continued fulfilment of its mandate to provide a mail delivery service and ensure a viable post office network. Decisions relating to the network, including those relating to specific post offices, are operational matters for the board and management of the company and not ones in which I have a function. Further, the terms under which postmasters contract with An Post is a matter between the postmasters and An Post, and any negotiations are a matter for both parties directly.”
“An Post fully understands the Government's position and that a sustainable, viable and customer-focused post office network is a key strategic priority for the company. An Post has a statutory responsibility for the post office network. Accordingly, it must actively explore opportunities to develop new or enhanced product lines for the network. We want to have a sustainable post office network that is available to all of our citizens, both urban and rural, in the medium and long term. The network is a core strength of An Post and the continued development of the network and its services is a vital component of its sustainability. Part of the strength of the post office brand and one of its selling points is that it reaches all parts of the country.”
“Additionally, issues relating to the cost of living, in particular the effects of inflation and higher energy costs, have been felt by many SMEs, including the postmasters, and indeed, current global events continue to cause challenges in this regard. In the face of these challenges, however, we are seeing the post office network adapt and innovate, including seeing new generations of users rediscover the network through services such as Vinted. It is important to remember that this support aims to protect and nurture a sustainable and commercially viable post office network. It also aims to ensure access to important services across the post office network for citizens. Any support must therefore be utilised to allow time and space to enable new commercial initiatives and services to be developed.”
“In fact, only circa 40 of the 870 offices nationally are directly operated by An Post, with postmasters operating over 90% of the network. This is a nationwide network of significant scale, providing economic and social benefits to citizens, urban and rural, across the country. The Government recognises that there are challenges for both the network and postal services. This includes uncertainty regarding global trade, a decline in traditional mail volumes and the growth of digitalisation. It is not only nationally but internationally that mail and post office businesses are experiencing long-term structural challenges.”
“It will also support access for citizens to the key social benefits of the post office network and help citizens access services effectively and equitably. The principles under which the funding model will operate include maintaining access to the network across urban and rural Ireland, ensuring that no community is left behind; aligning individual funding with criteria, including the degree of isolation and the sustainability of each post office; ensuring a minimum revenue threshold for post offices; and recognising offices of cultural or geographic significance, such as those on inhabited islands or in Gaeltacht areas. At present, there are 870 active post offices. Many of these offices are operated in the vast majority of instances by independent postmasters, who will directly benefit from this increase in funding.”
“I am very happy to have been able to not only secure continued future funding in line with this commitment but provide funding of an enhanced level of €15 million per annum, or a 50% increase on last year, which was approved by the Government in January. While this may appear to be short legislation, it has quite a significant impact and meaning for post offices. The approval provides a clear mandate for this enhanced funding. My Department is working to ensure that the required structures are in place as soon as possible to commence providing the funding. In line with the programme for Government, the funding will support the stability and sustainability of the nationwide network of post offices, protecting and nurturing a commercially focused post office network.”
“I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to bring the Bill before the House. It is a short amendment to the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983. Its purpose is to enable the payment of the agreed funding from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport's Vote to An Post so that An Post may, in turn, be able to disperse this funding to postmasters across the network. The Government is committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure of our country. Members will be aware that under the programme for Government, the Government committed to continuing to provide a nationwide network of post offices with funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities.”
“I welcome the school as guests of the Oireachtas, as well as our friend from Tasmania. I thank the Members for the cross-party support for the Bill and for the various contributions. It is an important addition to our national media landscape and the regulatory system. It is important that it is being done at European level as well, given that we operate within a much wider international sphere, political system and political discourse. I look forward to further engagement with the Members in relation to the remaining Stages of the Bill and to seeing it implemented. Go raibh míle maith agaibh to the Cathaoirleach and to everyone for their contributions so far.”