Results 6,521-6,540 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Offshore Exploration (11 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: At the commencement of the Dáil debate on the Report of the former Joint Oireachtas Committee for Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture on Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration I outlined my intention to seek independent expert advice on the "fitness-for-purpose" of Ireland's current oil and gas exploration fiscal terms. I also stated that I proposed to listen to the views of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Exploration Licences Applications (11 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: The principal incentive that impacts on decisions by exploration companies to invest in exploration for oil, gas, or other minerals in the Irish onshore, or offshore, is the likelihood of making a commercial discovery. Other factors of relevance would include the fiscal terms, the regulatory regime, the relative harshness of the operating environment, along with access to infrastructure and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Offshore Exploration (11 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: The 2D regional seismic survey, which is by far the largest regional seismic survey to be acquired in the Irish offshore, commenced earlier this month and it is planned that acquisition of data will continue into late autumn. The survey will provide a regional grid of high-quality seismic data over Ireland’s frontier basins and has been designed to infill data gaps that exist,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Agencies Issues (11 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: My Department currently delivers an active and targeted promotional campaign directed at attracting an increased share of mobile international exploration investment to the Irish offshore. This promotional campaign forms part of a broader strategy that has contributed to the increase in the number of companies currently involved in exploration in the Irish offshore. It is not proposed to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Offshore Exploration (11 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: The 2D regional seismic survey, which is by far the largest regional seismic survey to be acquired in the Irish offshore will provide a regional grid of modern seismic data over Ireland’s frontier basins and has been designed to complement existing datasets and to infill data gaps that exist, particularly in the Southern Porcupine, Rockall and Hatton basins. The benefit of addressing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Inland Fisheries Issues (11 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: In the late 1980s and early 1990s the sea trout stocks in the rivers of Connemara collapsed. As the Deputy will be aware this has been attributed, among anglers and other stakeholders, to sea lice from marine salmon farms. The collapse of the sea trout stocks was seen in terms of adult breeding fish as well as the annual summer small ‘finnock’. I am advised by IFI that in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Inland Fisheries Ireland Issues (11 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I can advise the Deputy that the information requested is a day to day operational matter for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI). However, I have contacted IFI in this regard and I am advised that if the Deputy has a specific issue in mind he should contact the CEO of IFI directly.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Inland Fisheries Data (11 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: The tables below set out, for the Deputy, the Salmon and Sea Trout angling catches, 2010-2012 in the Western River Basin taking into account Galway, Ballinakill, Connemara, Bangor, Ballina and Sligo Fisheries Districts. These catches are disaggregated by Salmon / Sea Trout caught and released, harvest and total catch by year. Data for 2013 will be available in early 2014 once logbooks are...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Expenditure (12 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Water Sector Reform Implementation Strategy , which is published on my Department's website, is focused on ensuring that appropriate policy and legal frameworks are put in place for Irish Water and the water sector. A key objective is to rationalise the cost of the current service delivery and ensure more efficient operation of water services by moving from 34 water services authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Funding (12 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: The creation of Irish Water as a public utility, in a regulated environment, together with the introduction of domestic water charges, will allow for the building of a more sustainable and a fair funding model for the water sector in the future. The introduction of economic regulation will, inter alia, ensure that the funding certainty provided by stable and transparent regulation will help...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Broadband Services Provision (18 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: Os rud é go bhfuil an Taoiseach as láthair, tá mé ag freagairt na ceisteanna seo thar a cheann agus thar ceann an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Kehoe. The information requested by the Deputy regarding the number of small and medium enterprises which do not have access to fibre-based broadband across the State is not available. The CSO collects data on six different types of...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Broadband Services Provision (18 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I would be happy to bring the Deputy's point on the type of survey done to the attention of the CSO. The national broadband plan was launched by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, on 30 August 2012. The targets include having 70 megabytes to 100 megabytes for at least 50% of the population, with the majority having access to the latter, to be...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Broadband Services Provision (18 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: The MANs project involved fibre optic investment in many locations throughout the country. In several places in the west, for example, and in other parts of the country the MANs were never lit up. This was because while the fibre might have been in the community there was no connectivity back through the country to Dublin or no proper connections. This meant it was in the ground and deemed...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Third Level Participation (18 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: Information on the number of students by socioeconomic group is available from the census of population which was taken in April 2011. The results show that there were 156,599 post-secondary school students in Ireland at the time of the census, of whom some 24,187 hold a degree or higher qualification. The following table shows the breakdown of students by age and socioeconomic group. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Third Level Participation (18 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: The figures show that a much higher percentage of persons classified as being in the employers and managers socioeconomic group - 77.6% - were pursuing post-secondary school education compared with those classified as semi-skilled - 40% - or unskilled - 39.1%. As Deputy Ó Snodaigh correctly pointed out, a lot more people from a home with greater income or professional status are...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Third Level Participation (18 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I regret that I do not have the figures the Deputy sought but I understand the Central Statistics Office will be happy to liaise with him on any further data it might be able to provide to him. It was incumbent on the office to answer the question asked but it would be happy to provide further information. I agree that we must ensure particular supports are available to disadvantaged...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Third Level Participation (18 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: While it is not in the question, education research shows that for those from disadvantaged communities in particular, the preschool year and the associated additional education and resources put into it are the most important resources to those children and those homes. Moreover, the outcome from a significant investment in preschool, particularly for disadvantaged communities, is extremely...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Dáil Reform (18 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 5, inclusive, together. The programme for Government sets out an ambitious Oireachtas reform agenda, which includes a referendum on the abolition of the Seanad, the enhancing of the Oireachtas committee system and the reform of Dáil Éireann. A restricted use of the guillotine and a minimum period of time between each stage of a Bill’s...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Dáil Reform (18 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: There has been significant change from the time the Deputy's party was last in Government. Regarding the sitting days, I gave the Deputy the comparison. Taking 2008 as the previous Government's last full year, and 2011 under this Government, the fact is that we are sitting much more often than was the case under the Deputy's Government. Obviously, times were difficult for the previous...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Dáil Reform (18 Jun 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I will be happy to get the Deputy the answer to that.