Results 5,181-5,200 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Broadcasting Services. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: That will apply for each quarter. There is also the provision that where there is an underspend, that amount can be refunded to the industry to ensure it gets the benefit from savings that should, and I am sure will, accrue.

Broadcasting Services. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The Broadcasting Act, 2009 requires the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BAI, an independent regulatory authority, to provide for the development of commercial digital terrestrial television services. On foot of this requirement, the BAI's predecessor, the BCI, launched a competition, which is still ongoing. As the Deputy is aware, the highest placed consortium in the competition withdrew...

Broadcasting Services. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The conclusion of the process is essential to provide certainty for broadcasters, suppliers and the general public with regard to the development of commercial DTT services in Ireland. More generally, it is my intention that analogue TV services will be switched off in late 2012. This will ensure a valuable digital dividend and it underlines the need to implement a DTT service.

Broadcasting Services. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I have already set deadlines. There is a deadline within the legislation we recently enacted for the switch on of a free-to-air digital service in December 2011. There is a deadline for us of 2012, which is when we will switch off our analogue system because the valuable spectrum we can then accrue for broadband and other purposes is of real importance to us. That is a certain deadline-----

Broadcasting Services. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: -----and I said to each of the parties directly and clearly that, come what may, that deadline will be met. We will switch off our analogue services. In terms of the ongoing commercial negotiations between OneVision and RTE, it is the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland which will ultimately set the deadlines on that process. That, under the legislation, is what its authority is and it would...

Broadcasting Services. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The 2012 deadline is real and absolute. It also gives any party involved a clear deadline to be able to effectively set up whatever alternative service comes out of this process. We are clearly coming very close to the time lines where we have to act immediately. A deadline is set for 2012 which would require all parties involved to make their minds up and make their commercial decisions...

Telecommunications Services. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The possibility of using the mobile phone infrastructure to broadcast messages to the public in the event of an emergency has been considered by my Department. Initial discussions with the industry indicate that this is not a simple task and that the infrastructure is not designed to broadcast short message service messages simultaneously to all users of the mobile phone network. It is...

Telecommunications Services. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The emergency task force which was convened recently did exactly that. It was related to the water issue, where there was a real crisis in terms of the loss of water due to people leaving taps running and so on. It was on that basis the emergency task force went to the mobile phone companies and asked if it was possible for it to use the communications technology in that way. There were...

Telecommunications Services. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with the Deputy. As I have said those engagements have already started with the mobile telephone companies. They will continue and will take into account the suggestion he has made. It is more applicable in areas where there are short timelines in terms of a flood warning or other such emergency. We will continue to progress the issue with the mobile telephone companies.

Natural Gas Market. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The regulation of charges in the natural gas market, including tariffs to final customers, is the statutory responsibility of the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, under the Gas (Interim) Regulation Act 2002. The gas market has been fully opened up to competition since July 2007. Experience in other markets has shown that there is a time lag between full market opening and the emergence...

Natural Gas Market. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: My direction is that we achieve a competitive clean and secure energy supply and keep money in this country rather than have it go abroad as much as possible. In the gas area, the RTF applies for about 246 customers. These are some of the larger industrial customers, companies that are in a competitive challenge, exporting companies to the UK and others. For them it is important that the...

Natural Gas Market. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I do not know about Fine Gael's position but I believe competition helps to drive down prices and I have seen it work. Therefore, my general instinct, where possible, is to let competition work in the public interest. Ultimately it is for the CER to decide when to turn to such a competitive unregulated market. We are moving on that. We need also to move in the area of electricity, in the...

Electricity Generation. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The development of electricity micro-generation is a key priority as part of the overall objective to deliver a more distributed and sustainable generation and network system and to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions. In February 2009, I launched the Micro Generation Programme, which is being operated by ESB Customer Supply and supported by ESB Networks. The programme has the...

Electricity Generation. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: To answer directly, yes. We need much larger numbers and we need those 4,000 smart meters to be availed of as soon as possible. That is why I asked the Department to go back to the ESB and others to find out why the scheme is not going as quickly as we wanted. If necessary we will change the regulations to make it happen. While one should be careful, one does not want to create a static...

Electricity Generation. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Deputy Stanton is correct. This issue concerns not only the ESB but a number of different supply companies. In fairness to the ESB, it came forward with its offer of 10 cent premium for the first 3,000 kilowatt hours. There is a variety of ways in which this can be done. One lesson we must learn from the success in other countries is that what is not needed is a stop-start approach. That...

Electricity Generation. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I intend to bring forward shortly a policy blueprint for the development of the renewable energy offshore resource encompassing ocean and wind energy. The national offshore renewable energy plan will take account of the significant impetus being given to offshore renewable energy at European level. Our work as part of the North Seas countries offshore initiative together with the...

Electricity Generation. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I am aware of the legislation to which the Deputy refers and I am of the view it will strongly inform the new planning system for the development of offshore renewable energy projects in respect of which we will be obliged to legislate. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has primary responsibility for the delivery of the new planning system to which I refer. I...

Electricity Generation. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I am glad Deputy McManus raised this issue. I am of the view that goodwill and co-ordination at a political level are important because a consensus does not exist in certain other quarters. In my opinion, the ESRI's report does not take account of the long-term opportunity that exists. That body did not consider this industry as an exporting one. It may have examined this matter on a...

Telecommunications Services. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The question of ensuring access to telecommunications infrastructure is a matter for ComReg as part of its function of regulating the telecommunications markets in accordance with the requirements of the EU regulatory framework for electronic communications. ComReg is independent in the exercise of its regulatory functions and is required by law to exercise its powers impartially and...

Telecommunications Services. (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I have given a very clear policy direction to the effect that we want to move towards open access. Yesterday, Eircom and ComReg reached an agreement in respect of this matter. They were due in court today in respect of a ComReg decision to bring the cost of wholesale line rental down from €8.41 to 77 cent per month. This means the new rental price will be less than 10% of that which...