I congratulate the Chairman and Vice Chairman, with whom I had the privilege of working during the past five years, on their appointments. I look forward to working with Deputies Coveney and McManus as Opposition spokespersons and all other committee members.
There is no one area of my ministerial brief that has higher priority than another. There are enormous consequences for the people in the decisions we will make regarding telecommunications, broadcasting and natural resources, whether it be the way in which we manage our rivers or explore for resources and so on. I would not like it to be considered that any one area of my departmental responsibilities has greater priority than another, as that is not true. Each issue must be tackled in the interests of the public and there is an obligation on all of us to do so.
I hope it will be possible to draw on the experience of the previous committee, on which Deputies Coveney, Kelly and Kenneally served. My experience as an Opposition member was that we did some interesting and useful work. The work of that committee, whether it be in the area of broadband, fisheries or energy, was particularly useful when not done on a party political basis but on a genuine investigative basis on behalf of the people. It will be possible for this committee to undertake work in which it will examine in detail the complexities of rural and urban life. I hope, when considering its work programme, its members will have similar ambitions in terms of becoming experts in certain briefs.
The agenda for the Department includes issues such as how we will move to next generation broadband network, on which the position has changed since we last spoke on it less than a year ago. The playing pitch has changed and it might be worth investigating this change. I will be happy to work with the committee in that regard. Likewise, in broadcasting, digital television is now the reality rather than an aspiration, as was the case three or four years ago.
I am sure the Chairman has ideas in respect of where the committee may wish to concentrate its priorities. I will, therefore, leave the matter to his good offices. I look forward to working with committee members in that regard and in the context of the legislative framework we have to get through. I will speak to the Ceann Comhairle about the matter raised by Deputy McManus with regard to the provision of as open and comprehensive a response as possible on the issues being discussed.
I bring before the committee a motion seeking Dáil approval of the seventh additional protocol to the constitution of the Universal Postal Union, known as the UPU, and amendments to the basic Acts, consisting of the general regulations of the UPU, the Universal Postal Convention and the Postal Payment Services Agreement. These were signed at the 23rd congress of the UPU in Bucharest on 5 October 2004.
The motion is necessary under Article 29.5.2° of Bunreacht na hÉireann which requires that Dáil Éireann approve the terms of international agreements involving a charge on public funds. Following approval of the motion, the Minister for Foreign Affairs will arrange for ratification of the seventh additional protocol and approval by Ireland of the other Acts. In accordance with Article 29.5.1° of Bunreacht na hÉireann, the Acts of the 2004 congress have been laid before the Oireachtas.
I would like to begin by providing some background information that may be useful. The UPU is the body which governs international postal services and is the primary forum for co-operation between the designated public postal operators of its 191 member countries. It was established in 1874 as an intergovernmental body and has had the status of a specialised agency of the UN since 1947. Ireland became a member in 1923.
The basic Act of the UPU is its constitution which was adopted in 1964. Amendments to the constitution and the general regulations can only be made at congress, the supreme body of the UPU, by means of additional protocols. Modifications to the other basic Acts are also only possible at such conferences. At the most recent congress in Bucharest in 2004, the Irish delegation signed, pending approval by Dáil Éireann, the seventh additional protocol, the general regulations, the Universal Postal Convention, and the Postal Payment Services Agreement.
These amendments brought changes which are, in the main, procedural and administrative in nature. As a result, the changes have virtually no impact on Ireland. However, the approval of Dáil Éireann is required by Bunreacht na hÉireann. The objective of the UPU is to develop social, cultural and commercial communications between people through the efficient operation of the postal service. As an intergovernmental institution, the UPU is called upon to play an important leadership role in promoting the continued revitalisation of postal services. As the organisation's mandate is limited to the regulation of international postal affairs, it does not interfere in matters that fall within the domestic remit of national postal services. For example, individual members are responsible for decisions relating to the management of their postal operations.
The UPU is made up of three councils, the Postal Operations Council, the Council of Administration and a new Consultative Committee, established in 2004. The Postal Operations Council deals with operational, economic and commercial aspects of the international postal service.
The Council of Administration supervises the work of the UPU between congresses and has responsibility for general principles and policy. The role of the Consultative Committee is to represent the interests of the wider, international postal sector. Its membership is drawn from consumer and private operator representative groups. Ireland does not have a seat on either the Council of Administration or the Postal Operations Committee and did not put forward its candidature at Bucharest.
Membership of the UPU involves an obligation to pay a contribution. Members are divided into unit classes which set contribution levels. Ireland's annual contribution to the UPU amounts to approximately €131,000. As the payments are made in Swiss francs, the amount can change, depending on currency fluctuations. Under the existing UPU budgetary policy a ceiling is placed on overall expenditure which ensures that Ireland's contribution cannot exceed €200,000 for the years up to 2008.
In addition to the constitution of the UPU, the basic Acts are the general regulations and the Universal Postal Convention. These are binding on all members. The general regulations set out the various internal rules of procedure and the Universal Postal Convention contains the common rules applicable to the international postal service. In 2004, the general regulations were made permanent, meaning that any future changes will be by means of additional protocols.
In addition to these mandatory acts, the Irish delegation also signed the Postal Payment Services Agreement. This was optional and introduced new provisions to enable fund transfers via electronic networks and the possibility of participation by non-postal networks, such as the banking sector.
A number of other key changes were made at Bucharest. These relate principally to enhanced organisational structures and procedures, such as improved international mail handling arrangements through amendments to the terminal dues system and enhanced quality of service for customers. A mission statement was incorporated in the text which describes the union's goal as promoting the "efficient and accessible universal postal services of quality in order to facilitate communication between the inhabitants of the world". The existing terms of "postal service" and "single postal territory", which essentially means unhindered access for mail despatches across borders, were also defined for the first time in the text.
Membership of the UPU complements Irish and European postal policy in that the UPU attaches a significant degree of importance to universal service, quality of service and innovation within the postal sector. However, as Deputies will be aware, the postal sector in Ireland is governed by the European directives transposed into Irish law. In the event of discord between the EU position and that of the UPU or regarding the EU interpretation of obligations under the general agreement on trade in services of the World Trade Organisation, EU law takes precedence. A declaration was made by the 25 member states to this effect on signing the Acts at Bucharest. The Acts in question streamline the structures and procedures in the UPU, improve international mail handling arrangements and enhance quality of service for customers. I ask, therefore, that members support the ratification of the protocol to the UPU and approval of the Acts, as amended.