Results 3,821-3,840 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (3 Feb 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 — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (3 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The Home Energy Savings Scheme operated on a pilot basis in 2008 and provided grants towards the cost of retrofitting energy efficiency improvement measures in older housing. I intend to announce the details of a national roll-out of the scheme shortly. For households on low incomes, such as those in receipt of fuel allowance, invalidity or disability benefit, the Warmer Homes Scheme can...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (3 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: My Department has entered into a contract with "3", a Hutchison Whampoa company, for the delivery of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS). 3 will be required to provide services to all residences and businesses that are within the NBS area and who seek a service. 3 is currently planning the construction and roll-out of the required infrastructure for the purposes of the provision of the...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (3 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The implementation of the Irish Languages Act 2003 is an integral function of the day to day activities carried through in my Department. As it is embedded in the administrative processes it is not possible, without a considerable allocation of resources, to easily disaggregate costs that may have been incurred.

Written Answers — Energy Regulation: Energy Regulation (3 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: Statutory responsibility for the regulation of electricity prices resides with the independent Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) under the Electricity Regulation Act as amended. The Act is not prescriptive in terms of the methodology to be used by CER in its regulation of charges by ESB Customer Supply. The legislation does not, by definition, preclude the regulator reviewing...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (3 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: My Department has entered into a contract with "3", a Hutchison Whampoa company, for the delivery of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS). 3 will be required to provide services to all residences and businesses that are within the NBS area and who seek a service. 3 is currently planning the construction and roll-out of the required infrastructure for the purposes of the provision of the...

Written Answers — Media Funding: Media Funding (3 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I have not made inquiries in relation to any of the matters raised by the Deputy insofar as they relate to broadcasting. I have no function in relation to the print media.

Written Answers — Energy Savings Scheme: Energy Savings Scheme (4 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: Sustainable Energy Ireland is finalising the detailed preparation for the launch of the Home Energy Savings Scheme which I intend to announce shortly. The improvement of energy efficiency in the building stock is one of the most cost effective ways of reducing emissions and energy bills and is a key Government priority as reflected in the significant funding provided in Budget 2009. Energy...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (4 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: In the time available, it has not been possible to identify and assemble the information requested in respect of my Department. My Department is in the process of identifying and assembling the information and I will revert to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Departmental Property: Departmental Property (5 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: Details of the items which were lost or stolen from my Department from 2007 to date in 2009 are contained in the following table. Items lost or stolen from bodies operating under the aegis of my Department, are a day to day operational matter for those bodies and one in which I have no function. Year Lost/Stolen item Circumstances of Loss Recovery Action 2007 1 Laptop computer Lost while...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (5 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: My Department has a credit account with one taxi firm. The expenditure on this account for the years in question is as follows: Year Spend 2007 36,798.05 2008 27,712.05 There is a new draft taxi usage policy document under preparation in my Department with a view to reducing taxi costs going forward. Also, in 2008, my Department implemented a scheme whereby a number of bicycles have been...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (5 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The Office of Public Works (OPW), through a contract with a service provider, provides dedicated file storage facilities for the public sector. The cost of this storage is met by OPW. My Department uses one of these facilities in Dublin for storage of files relating to the work of all functions of the Department that are Dublin based. My Department uses a file storage facility in Collonney,...

Written Answers — Energy Resources: Energy Resources (5 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The Energy Policy Framework and the Programme for Government set out the Government's commitment to delivering a reliable and competitively priced energy supply in support of economic growth and competitiveness. The introduction of the all-island Single Electricity Market (SEM) in November 2007 marked an important milestone in the development of competition in the Irish electricity sector....

Energy Prices. (10 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 77 together. Encouraging a competitive energy supply is a key policy objective for the Government. Rising energy costs are a major concern for all sectors of the economy and for consumers. The regulation of ESB customer supply electricity tariffs and BGE gas tariffs is the statutory responsibility of the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, under...

Energy Prices. (10 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I confirm that what we are talking about, primarily, is the household sector. As I said earlier, unlike householders, since 2006 the large business consumers have operated in an unregulated market. Because of the nature of the contracts they have, these sectors are already seeing a double-digit reduction in prices, arising in particular from lower international gas prices. The immediate...

Energy Prices. (10 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: First I want the regulator, in discussion with all the players, to come forward with options. I will not pre-empt that task it has been set.

Energy Prices. (10 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The timeframe for that work is the next three to four weeks. The regulator will return to the Government with those options and we will make a call on it.

Energy Prices. (10 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: At the centre of our energy policy is the interest of Irish householders and businesses, to ensure we can give them a secure, competitive and clean electricity supply. The policies we are following will do exactly that. We are not following competitive policies for the sake of some ideological reason but from the clear understanding that the introduction, particularly in recent weeks, of...

Energy Prices. (10 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: This is my point and we are doing that. The process of examining the options is the correct choice. One should not rush into this like a headless chicken, slashing and demanding change. One should work through how to proceed in a way which maintains the various objectives and brings down prices consistently. A short-term decision could, in the long run, lead to higher electricity prices,...

Energy Prices. (10 Feb 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The energy policy we are following is the right policy to reduce prices and I will stick to that policy because it will deliver for the public.