I propose to take Questions Nos. 833 and 834 together.
There have been two Bills initiated by my Department since September 2013, the details of which are set out in the following table.
Title of Bill
|
Date Bill Published
|
Status
|
ESB (Electronic Communications Network) Bill 2013
|
19/12/2013
|
The Bill was enacted on 18 March 2014 as the ESB (Electronic Communications Network) Act 2014 - Number 5 of 2014.
|
Communications Regulation (Postal Services) (Amendment) Bill 2015
|
15/05/2015
|
The Bill was initiated in the Dail on 26 May 2015 and completed second stage in the Dail on 11 June 2015.
|
The ESB (Electronic Communications Network) Act 2014 was not subject to the pre-legislative scrutiny
procedure in the Oireachtas, which was introduced with effect from November, 2013. Due to the timeframe for completion of the postcodes project, it was decided not to subject the Communications Regulation (Postal Services)(Amendment) Bill 2015, which in any event comprises of only 3 short sections, to pre-legislative scrutiny.
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications received a presentation on the Minerals Development Bill from my Department on 1 April 2015 but the Committee decided not to proceed further with the pre-legislative scrutiny process. Publication of the Bill was recently approved by Government,
There are a number of other Bills currently in preparation in the Department. These Bills will, in accordance with Dáil Standing Order 123A, where feasible, be submitted to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications for consideration for the pre-legislative scrutiny procedure.