PUBLIC DEBATE AND TRANSPARENCY NOT LEGAL THREATS THE WAY FORWARD - KENNY
Posted on January 31, 2014 4:42 PM
Dublin Bay North Labour TD and member of the Oireachtas Communications Committee, Sean Kenny, has welcomed the statement made earlier today by Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte. "Minister Rabbitte has rightly said that it would be a matter of serious concern if public debate was cast aside and our defamation laws were resorted to in the lead up to the forthcoming referendum on gay marriage. I agree with him, and I was very concerned when I heard of the payment of damages by RTE to the Iona Institute, when there was no finding, nor even a...
IRISH RAIL NEED TO PUBLICISE WORK BEING DONE ON CHILD TICKETS - KENNY
Posted on January 29, 2014 6:00 PM
Dublin Bay North Labour TD and Oireachtas Transport Committee member Sean Kenny has welcomed the news from Irish Rail that it is working on the problems that train users are having with the purchase of child tickets. "There has been a long standing issue with Irish Rail ticket vending machines, which did not allow customers to purchase child tickets from them. This has been a source of inconvenience for many, particularly when train stations do not have staff on duty." "Irish Rail have informed me that the ticket vending machines have been unable to provide child tickets, but that work...
KENNY HAILS RECORD YEAR FOR AMERICAN TOURISM IN IRELAND
Posted on January 28, 2014 3:35 PM
Sean Kenny, the Dublin Bay North Labour TD and member of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, has welcomed the release of figures that show Ireland had a record numbers of visitors from North America in 2013. "CSO figures show the total number of American visitors was a little over a million people, up 14% from 2012. I was very pleased to see that all of Ireland's main overseas tourism markets grew in 2013 compared to 2012; the number of visits from Great Britain grew by over 5%, while visits from Mainland Europe grew by just under 5%, and there was a...
UNIQUE NUMBER FOR EACH ADDRESS WILL REVOLUTIONISE POSTAL SYSTEM - KENNY
Posted on January 28, 2014 1:42 PM
Dublin Bay North Labour TD and Oireachtas Communications Committee member Sean Kenny has welcomed the formal announcement of the new Postcode Management Licence Holder (PMLH), following the signing of the contract with Capita Ireland. "This announcement will start the process of the design, encoding and roll-out of the new national postcode, which is due to be launched in 2015. It will be the first postal system in the world that will use a postcode as a unique identifier for each and every address in Ireland." "A publicly-owned postcode system is a hugely important piece of national infrastructure in the digital...
FUNDING FOR ROAD IMROVEMENTS WELCOME - KENNY
Posted on January 24, 2014 11:16 AM
Dublin Bay North Labour TD and member of the Oireachtas Transport Committee Sean Kenny has welcomed the news that funding is to be provided for safety improvements to roads. "Griffith Avenue will see low cost safety improvements to the valie of €30,000 and the Moyne Road in the north of the area will see improvements of €17,000." "These improvements are part of a €332.9 million investment programme for 2014 for regional and local roads and show that Labour has been working to protect funding for road maintenance and repair in 2014 as maintenance must be the top priority, particularly following...
ESB ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS BILL IS EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF LONG-TERM PLANNING
Posted on January 23, 2014 11:44 AM
Speaking on the ESB (Electronic Communications Networks) Bill 2013 The Bill provides an explicit legal basis to enable the ESB to engage in the business of installing and operating an electronic communications network at some point in the future and also in providing electronic communications services, either alone or in conjunction with another company. Appropriate provisions are also included in respect of the ESB's existing powers in the context of its operation in what is a fully liberalised telecommunications market. This is important for the State as it is a competitor in this market. The costs associated with the Bill...
KENNY WELCOMES NEW CHANGES IN LANDLORD TENANT SYSTEM TO BENEFIT RESIDENTS
Posted on January 22, 2014 5:32 PM
Dublin Bay North TD Sean Kenny has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Housing and Planning, Jan O'Sullivan that the Cabinet has approved progressive changes in the private rental sector. "Minister O'Sullivan has told me that her initiative for a deposit protection scheme, which will see an independent operator holding and returning tenant deposits, and her initiative for strengthened provisions against anti-social behaviour in the private rented sector have been given the green light by Government. This means that the changes inserted into the Residential Tenancies Bill which is now going through the Seanad." "I am delighted at this news....
KENNY DEPLORES UPWARD TREND OF VIOLENT DEATHS
Posted on January 20, 2014 4:56 PM
Dublin Bay North Labour TD and member of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Sean Kenny, has deplored the upward trend of violent crime in the first weeks of 2014, and has called for the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, to meet with the Garda Commissioner to discuss how the trend is being dealt with. "Last night's killing was the eighth violent death since the start of the year, the second in Tallaght and also the second fatal shooting of the year. We are just about three weeks into the New Year and I am very disturbed at the number of...
BETTING BILL EXTENDS REGULATION TO REMOTE BOOKMAKERS - KENNY
Posted on January 16, 2014 12:56 PM
Speaking on the Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013 The Bill is designed to provide a regulatory system for remote bookmakers and betting exchanges that offer betting services in Ireland, regardless of location. It provides for a fair and equal treatment of all bookmakers and betting exchanges, including corporate bodies, offering services in Ireland and will bring into the licensing and taxation regime all remote bookmakers and betting exchanges. Betting needs to be regulated extensively. If abused, it can be dangerous. Betting can lead to gambling, which can be very addictive. It can destroy families and lives. I think that this development...
DISMAY AT THOMAS COOK DEPARTURE AFTER 100 YEARS ON GRAFTON ST- KENNY
Posted on January 16, 2014 11:45 AM
Sean Kenny, the Dublin Bay North Labour TD and member of the Oireachtas Transport Committee has expressed dismay at the announcement by Thomas Cook, the second largest tour operator in the country, to end its presence on Irish streets, and cancel its summer charter flights from Irish airports. "I am disappointed at this development. Thomas Cook will be making its Irish staff, which numbers just over 40, unemployed and I understand that it has also entered into a 30-day consultation with colleagues in Dublin, with a view to closing its business support function based in Ireland." "Thomas Cook have cited...
KENNY WELCOMES NATIONAL TRANSPORT AGENCY FUNDING ON THE NORTHSIDE
Posted on January 14, 2014 4:08 PM
Sean Kenny, the Dublin Bay North Labour TD and member of the Oireachtas Transport Committee has welcomed several new local funding initatives that cover the area of transport that are of interest to pedestrians road users and cyclists. "Minister Alan Kelly has been doing a great job in the Department of Transport when it comes to public transport initiatives and it is largely down to his hard work that these projects are getting such a substantial level of funding." "The S2S Cycle/Walkway Scheme, which goes from Sutton to Sandycove on the Southside, will finally see the tender and commencement of...
BOOST FOR COASTGUARD AS KENNY WELCOMES NEW SIKORSKY RESCUE HELICOPTER
Posted on January 14, 2014 12:15 PM
Dublin Bay North Labour TD and Oireachtas Transport Committee member, Sean Kenny, has welcomed the arrival of the Coast Guard's new state-of-the-art S92 search & rescue helicopter for the Dublin region. "This is the fourth and final of the new Sikorsky S92 helicopters to enter into operation for the Coast Guard, and means the entire fleet has now been upgraded. It replaces the old Sikorsky S61 helicopters which were in operation recently at Coast Guard bases in Dublin, Shannon, Sligo and Waterford." "I welcome the fact the Irish Coast Guard now has one of the most modern and effective helicopter...
KENNY URGES SPORTS CLUBS TO APPLY FOR GRANTS
Posted on January 14, 2014 12:12 PM
Labour TD Sean Kenny is urging local clubs and sports organisations to apply for the 2014 Sports Capital Programme, which opens for applications this Friday, 17th January. "The 2014 round of sports capital funding will allocate €40million to local sports clubs to improve and develop facilities such as changing rooms, pitches and floodlights, as well as providing funding for regional facilities." "The application process for grants has changed, and is now carried out through a new online registration system." "It means it is now quicker and easier than ever before for sports clubs to apply for grants, and will ensure...
KENNY SUPPORTS DATA PROTECTION COMMISSIONER'S VIEW ON PERSONAL DATA
Posted on January 7, 2014 3:21 PM
Dublin Bay North Labour TD and member of the Oireachtas Communications committee, Sean Kenny, has today welcomed comments by the Data Protection Commissioner, Billy Hawkes, that people are using the services of his office to voice their concerns on breaches of data protection. "Mr. Hawkes said that people are making complaints in increasing numbers regarding the refusal or failure of organisations to give them access to their personal data. This is becoming a serious issue, more serious than the issue of 'spam' or junk e-mail and privacy." "I would think that it is likely that the number of complaints to...
SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO BENEFIT FROM FINAL PHASE OF HIGH SPEED BROADBAND ROLL-OUT
Posted on January 6, 2014 4:52 PM
Sean Kenny, the Dublin Bay North Labour TD and member of the Oireachtas Communications Committee, has welcomed the announcement by ministers Pat Rabbitte and Ruairi Quinn, that every secondary school in Ireland will have access to 100Mbp/s connectivity by the beginning of the 2014/2015 school year. "The national roll-out of broadband connectivity will see all secondary schools with 100Mbp/s broadband connections. This has already been installed in 516 schools so far. The final phase this year will see another 270 schools connected across Carlow, Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow." "Completing the national programme will mean that...
