What role did Government Ministers play in the second mobile phone licence process?

 

On 7 February 1995, the Irish Government decided that that a Cabinet Committee consisting of An Taoiseach (as  Chair), An Tánaiste, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Social Welfare and the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications should review the proposed financial terms, tendering procedures and proposed advertisements for the second mobile phone licence process.  

 

This specially constituted Cabinet Committee met on 16 February 1995 and agreed to proceed with the proposed second mobile phone licence tender competition as outlined in an Aide Memoire prepared by the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications.   On 2 March 1995, the Government decided that the competitive bidding process for the second mobile phone licence would be promoted and controlled by the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications.  The Government stated that it was expected that a recommendation flowing from the competitive bid process would be put by the Minister of Transport, Energy and Communications to the Government by 31 October 1995.   This recommendation (provided it was accepted by the Government) would allow the winning applicant from the competitive bid process to engage in exclusive negotiations for the second mobile phone licence with the Irish Government. 

 

The formal announcement of the second mobile phone licence competition was made on 2 March 1995 with the publication of the detailed Request for Proposals (“RFP”).  The RFP envisaged that a second mobile phone licence would ultimately be awarded by 31 December 1995.  In the event, the actual awarding of the licence did not occur until 16 May 1996; a delay of almost 6 months from the date originally envisaged by the Government.  Ireland was one of the very last countries in the European Union to liberalise its mobile phone market.