Goodbye Dialup Dempsey, hello someone that is more able to fix the communications problems than anyone to date. I’m actually quite happy and confident that Eamon Ryan is the new Minister for Energy, Communications and Natural Resources. There were bits of the Green Manifesto I disagreed with but I hope most of it is implemented. It was a very tough decision shutting down IrelandOffline last week but it gets a little easier to sleep knowing the new boss is not a Fianna Fáiler, PDr or Fine Gaeler. Fingers crossed. Minister, please do something about ComReg.
Update: Seven months later and Minister Ryan is probably the worst Communications Minister so far. A total disgrace.
Electric Eamon? Ringtone Ryan?
Yeah I know, closest I could come up with was E-Amon
Electric Eamon would be good for the Energy portfolio
Ryan(over the)air? Ryan(on)air? D’oh!
Have spoken to Eamon a couple of times and he’s very clued up and he always took the time to take my calls…hope he’ll still do so – or at least his equally helpful and knowledgeable researcher will!
I’m a bit more confident about the broadband situation now and I hope they can leave their mark on the country for the better.
As long as his energies and resources (sorry!) don’t get concentrated on the Energy and Natural Resources facets of the portfolio. They are, after all, perceived as more greeny than Comms.
Oh, and that prat Dempsey is still in cabinet! And worse, Cullen’s there too. Well, I suppose we should be thankful for small mercies.
At a pre-election ‘give us your votes’ gig organised by Dublin Chamber of Commerce, I asked a question about specific policies in relation to broadband. Eamonn Ryan’s answer was by far the most radical of all:
“Eamonn Ryan, Green Party: encourage competition between cable, mobile and fixed line providers. Encourage more competition between the three. If that doesn’t work, buy the network back! When Miriam O’Callaghan asked how much that would cost, he said €2 billion. It would be a good investment.”
So I wonder if eircom are shaking in their shoes this morning – or is that one of the more lofty Green policies that will be watered down.
Full post on that is here: http://brightspark-consulting.com/blog/?p=332
€29 says this will be redial ryan by 2012. 😀
That should be 20, not 29 sorry
Flamin’ Eamon