Results 5,261-5,280 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA) continues to develop and grow the Digital Hub. There are 835 full-time employees and 350 part-time employees currently working in 97 Digital Hub companies. The Hub has attracted significant inward investment with approximately 10% of the enterprise cluster and 30% of the employees resulting from foreign direct investment. The DHDA continues to...

Written Answers — Energy Resources: Energy Resources (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: My Department is not aware of any current research in Ireland on the use of biofuel for home heating purposes. OFTEC, which is the trade association representing manufacturers of oil fired heating and cooking equipment in Ireland and the UK, is currently undertaking field trials in the UK of bio-heating oils. I am advised that pilot trials of such fuel may take place in areas in Ireland by...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The EirGrid website contains a list of connected and contracted generators, both wind and non wind generators, and the locations of these throughout the country – see http://www.eirgrid.com/customers/connectedandcontractedgener ators/ EirGrid and ESB Networks have provided the following information specifically relating to County Kildare Kildare (Distribution System Operator) Status...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: EirGrid publishes comprehensive and regularly updated lists of connected wind farms and contracted wind farms throughout the country on its website at http://www.eirgrid.com/customers/connectedandcontractedgener ators/ As of 12 January 2010, there was 1260MW of installed wind capacity on the system and as of 25 November 2009, there was a further 1415MW of wind projects contracted to connect....

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Wind generation is the most abundantly available alternative renewable energy technology in Ireland. The development of onshore wind generation in the Irish electricity system is supported under the Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff (REFIT) which guarantees a minimum price for wind generation. This cost is recouped through a public service obligation (PSO) paid by all electricity users. For...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 539 and 540 together. The provision of broadband services, including the provision of such services to the health and financial services sectors, is a matter for electronic communications service providers who operate in a fully liberated market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). Government policy pertaining to the electronic...

Written Answers — Information and Communications Technology: Information and Communications Technology (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Directive 2002/58/EC (Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications) contains provisions prohibiting the sending of unsolicited communications for direct marketing purposes (spam). This Directive was transposed into national law in November 2003 via the Data Protection and Privacy Regulations 2003 (SI No. 535 of 2003). The regulations prohibit the sending of unsolicited phone calls or...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: In the context of the development of broadcasting policy in the past three years my officials and I have had cause, on a regular basis, to meet with the various interests that comprise the broadcasting sector including but not limited to commercial broadcasters, public service broadcasters and independent producers. I am not in a position to inform the Deputy on the precise number of...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister with responsibility for policy in the postal sector, and as the main shareholder in An Post, both I and my officials regularly meet representatives from An Post to discuss a range of matters of importance to the company. These meetings cover the full range of postal issues, from corporate governance to wider postal policy issues. The Government's core policy goal for the postal...

Written Answers — Postal Services: Postal Services (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The Government's core policy goal for the postal sector is to ensure that Irish customers, both business and residential, enjoy competitively priced, high quality postal services. Legislation is currently being drafted in my Department to transpose the third Postal Services Directive which mandates opening the postal market to full competition from 1 January, 2011 and provides for a...

Written Answers — Digital Terrestrial Television: Digital Terrestrial Television (26 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Part 8 of the Broadcasting Act, 2009 provides for the development of digital terrestrial television in Ireland. This Act requires RTÉ to provide a national 'free to air' digital service with capacity to carry RTÉ 1, RTE 2, TG4 and TV3 by the end of 2011 or such later date as I may specify. The RTÉ 'free to air' digital service is to replace the existing analogue terrestrial television...

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (27 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 295 and 301 together. I refer to the response given today by the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government to Question No.29 which addresses the question of building regulations in relation to domestic heating and hot water systems. All works carried out under the Home Energy Saving (HES) Scheme are underpinned by a comprehensive Technical...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (27 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The production of biofuel in Ireland has been incentivised to date under the Mineral Oil Tax Relief Schemes, which have resulted in 18 projects being awarded excise relief on specified volumes of biofuel they produce. There have been at least five biofuels plants constructed or redeveloped on foot of excise relief granted under the schemes. A number of others are either at an advanced stage...

Written Answers — Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation (27 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: To date, energy efficiency improvements in nearly 40,000 homes have been made under the Warmer Homes Scheme (WHS) and the ESB's associated Home Insulation Scheme which operates according to WHS specification. Some €20 million was provided for the scheme in 2009, which included €5 million provided by ESB and BGE. Structural improvements were made to over 19,000 homes in 2009. This...

Written Answers — Gas Cylinders: Gas Cylinders (27 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The transportation and supply of domestic gas cylinders which contain liquid petroleum gas (LPG) is not licensed under the Energy Acts and neither my Department nor the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) has any role in the regulation of LPG transportation or supply. While the regulation of Bord Gáis Éireann natural gas tariffs is the responsibility of the CER, which is statutorily...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (27 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Ireland's telecommunications market is fully liberalised and broadband services are provided by private service providers over various platforms including DSL (i.e over telephone lines), fixed wireless, mobile, cable, satellite and fibre. I understand that mobile, fixed wireless and satellite broadband is available in the general area of Clonfert, County Galway.

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (27 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Ireland's telecommunications market is fully liberalised and broadband services are provided by private service providers over various platforms including DSL (i.e. over telephone lines), fixed wireless, mobile, cable, satellite and fibre. The issue raised is an operational one for the company concerned. I have no statutory function in relation to this matter.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Premium Rate Services and Electronic Communications Infrastructure) Bill 2009: Committee Stage. ` (27 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I apologise for my delayed arrival. Most of the amendments I hope to move are of a textual nature rather than being substantive changes. Amendment No. 1 is an example of this. We are seeking to apply the definition of "Commission" to the whole Bill rather than just Part 2, which deals with the regulation of premium rate services. The definition of "Commission" is appropriate to the whole Bill.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Premium Rate Services and Electronic Communications Infrastructure) Bill 2009: Committee Stage. ` (27 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: We have had long discussions in this and the other House on whether we should have a single regulatory agency for both telecommunications and broadcasting or separate regulators, which is the current approach. I stand by the position we have taken, while recognising that it is a point for valid discussion. I am keen that we get on and establish regulation of premium rate services. The...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Premium Rate Services and Electronic Communications Infrastructure) Bill 2009: Committee Stage. ` (27 Jan 2010)

Eamon Ryan: These are minor textual amendments which have been agreed with the Parliamentary Counsel to provide consistency in the wording in section 6(2) and section 15(2). It is to ensure standardisation of language. In certain sections we have used the words "each service is" and we are seeking to standardise the terminology rather than change the meaning substantively.