Results 3,781-3,800 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Broadcasting Services: Broadcasting Services (27 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007 provides for the development of digital terrestrial television in Ireland and for the closure of the national analogue TV network. Under this Act, RTÉ is required to provide a national digital terrestrial television system with capacity to carry RTÉ, TG4 and TV3. It is anticipated that this new service will eventually replace the existing analogue...

Written Answers — Energy Costs: Energy Costs (27 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The regulation of ESB customer supply electricity tariffs and BGÉ gas tariffs is the statutory responsibility of the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) under the Electricity Regulation Act and the Gas (Interim) Regulation Act 2002. I welcome the fact that the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) announced on 1 December 2008 that there would be no further increase in the price of gas...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (27 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The amount spent by my Department on foreign travel in the period 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008 was €496,395. Expenditure by agencies, offices or bodies under the remit of my Department on foreign travel is a day-to-day operational matter for the organisation concerned and I have no function in the matter.

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (27 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: At end 2008 there were 9 staff employed in my private office and 3 in my constituency office. Details are as follows: Title Number Office Special Adviser 1 Private Press Adviser 1 Private/Press Office Personal Secretary 1 Private/Press Office Executive Officer 4 Private Clerical Officer 2 (2 × 0.5 full time equivalent)) Private Personal Assistant 1 Constituency Executive Officer 1...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (27 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1148 and 1149 together. There are two civil servants engaged in constituency work on a part time basis, as required from time to time, for the Minister of State at my Department. The salary cost associated with these duties, from the time of the appointment of the Minister of State in May 2008 to end December 2008, was €22,775. The staff concerned work in...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (27 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1150 and 1151 together. There are two civil servants engaged in constituency work on my behalf in my Department. One of these staff work shares on a 4-day week basis and the other staff member works part-time on constituency matters as required. The salary costs associated with these duties in 2008 were €52,516. The staff concerned work in office space...

Written Answers — Natural Gas Grid: Natural Gas Grid (27 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is a statutory, independent body, has, since 2002, been charged with all aspects of the assessment and licensing of prospective operators who wish to develop and/or operate a gas distribution system within the State under the Gas (Interim) (Regulation) Act 2002. I have no direct statutory function in relation to the connection of towns to the...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (27 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The provision of broadband services is, in the first instance, a matter for the private sector. Broadband service providers operate in a fully liberalised market, regulated, where appropriate, by the independent Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg. Broadband services are available from competing service providers over multiple platforms, including DSL (telephone lines), cable,...

Written Answers — Energy Prices: Energy Prices (27 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The position in law is that the regulation of Bord Gáis Éireann natural gas tariffs is the responsibility of the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is statutorily independent in the performance of its functions. I have no function in relation to the setting of these tariffs. On 1 December the CER announced, following completion of Phase 2 of the Commission's 2008 review of...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (27 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: My Department is represented on the Interdepartmental Committee established by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to examine the requirements for ratification of the Convention. The various Articles of the Convention referenced for my Department's attention are subject to ongoing examination and discussion. To date no specific administrative or legislative requirements have...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (27 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The expenses and allowances paid by my Department to my Ministers of State and I since the formation of the Government following the May 2007 general election are detailed in the following table: Name Period Travel and Subsistence Expenses Ministerial Allowances â'¬ â'¬ Minister Ryan 14th June 2007 to date 3,739 21,987 Minister of State Killeen 21st June 2007 to 6th May 2008...

Written Answers — Energy Generation: Energy Generation (27 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The authorisation of offshore energy projects under the Foreshore Acts 1933-2005 is dealt with in two distinct phases. Firstly an application must be made for a foreshore licence for a defined area of the seabed in which to explore the viability and environmental sustainability of the development. The licensing stage does not require the developer to provide specific details of the proposed...

Written Answers — Broadcasting Services: Broadcasting Services (28 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The Broadcasting Bill 2008, which proposes to reconstitute the statutory basis for the licensing of community radio in Ireland, is currently before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Bill assigns responsibility for licensing community radio to the proposed Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (28 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: Details of the cost of printing reports during 2008, by my Department, are contained in the following table. The table includes details of annual reports published and where identifiable, postage costs. It should be noted that the level of reports published will vary from year to year. Reports produced by bodies operating under the aegis of my Department, are a day to day operational...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (28 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following table. Name Title Salary Cost 2007* Salary Cost 2008* Duties Morgan Bazilian Minister's Special Adviser **45,800 **144,622 Duties as appropriate to the position of Special Adviser as set out in Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. Bríd McGrath Minister's Press Adviser 48,741 97,855 Duties as...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (28 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: EU State Aid and competition rules prevent States from intervening in the areas already substantially served by broadband. While recognising that some premises within substantially served areas may have difficulties for whatever reason (long lines, pair gains, no line of sight etc) in receiving a broadband service, the NBS scheme cannot cater for such limited instances. It is expected that...

The Economy: Statements (Resumed) (29 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: We are here to debate what is an obvious crisis and also to look for ways out of it, which I believe exist. We should acknowledge the situation and what got us into it. We should acknowledge that cheap money and, yes, bad planning led to a property bubble which was one of the worst developments in the history of the State, and left young people with mountainous mortgages they will have to...

The Economy: Statements (Resumed) (29 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I am here today saying exactly that. There has been a systematic failure in our banking system and also our regulatory system which we need to address. We are setting the Director of Corporate Enforcement the task of going through with a fine-tooth comb any such practices——

The Economy: Statements (Resumed) (29 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: ——and with legal precision instigate any court proceedings that may be necessary to expose such individual abuses so we can restore the confidence of our people and those abroad in our banking system.

The Economy: Statements (Resumed) (29 Jan 2009)

Eamon Ryan: That is an essential first step in the economic recovery we have to take.