Results 8,101-8,120 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Under the NewERA proposals in the Programme for Government, there is a commitment to co-invest with the private sector and commercial Semi State sector to provide Next Generation Broadband to every home and business in the State. The Next Generation Broadband Taskforce, which I chair, has an important role in policy, in this regard. I recently convened a meeting of the Taskforce, which...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Rural Broadband Scheme (RBS) aims to identify the remaining individual premises in rural Ireland, outside of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) areas that are unable to obtain a broadband service and to provide a basic broadband service to those premises, where requested. As the area referred to in the Deputy's Question is outside the NBS area, premises which cannot avail of a service...

Written Answers — Broadcasting Services: Broadcasting Services (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 420 to 422, inclusive, together. RTÉ is an independent national public service broadcaster whose remit and obligations are set out in the Broadcasting Act 2009. RTÉ has built, owns and controls the new national digital TV network which they call Saorview. RTÉ is also responsible for the coverage and operation of its Saorview TV network. Part 8 of the...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has worked closely with the Department of Education and Skills on the successful delivery to 78 second level schools of the 100 mbps pilot project. My Department made a provision of some €10 million in its 2011 capital estimate to fund the capital element of a possible national roll-out. The ongoing annual costs associated with...

Written Answers — National Lottery Funding: National Lottery Funding (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has not received National Lottery Funding in any year since its formation in June 2007.

Written Answers — Onshore Exploration: Onshore Exploration (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 425 and 426 together. I can inform the Deputy that I have not received applications for, nor licensed the use of hydraulic fracturing in the North West Carboniferous Basin or the Clare Basin and accordingly the issue of a moratorium on this drilling technology does not arise. Earlier this year, my Department awarded two year onshore Petroleum Licensing Options...

Written Answers — Energy Efficiency: Energy Efficiency (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 427 and 428 together. I announced the launch of Better Energy: The National Upgrade Programme on Wednesday, 11 May 2011 on foot of the Jobs Initiative. Better Energy replaces three energy efficiency and renewable energy programmes: the Home Energy Savings Scheme (HES), the Warmer Homes Scheme (WHS) and the Greener Homes Scheme (GHS). Contractors can...

Written Answers — Energy Resources: Energy Resources (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Completion of the development works by the developer is the principal factor that will determine the date for first gas. Pending such completion, it is not possible to state a date for when gas from the Corrib gas field will become available. In terms of giving a direction to the Commission for Energy for Regulation (CER) in relation to the wholesale and retail pricing of this gas the Deputy...

Written Answers — Energy Regulation: Energy Regulation (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I have no statutory function in the setting of electricity and gas prices, whether in the regulated or non-regulated market. Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is an independent statutory body. Prices in the electricity retail market are now fully deregulated. Price setting by electricity...

Written Answers — Energy Prices: Energy Prices (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I have no statutory function in the setting of electricity and gas prices, whether in the regulated or non-regulated market. Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is an independent statutory body. Prices in the electricity retail market are now fully deregulated. Price setting by electricity...

Written Answers — Mobile Telephony: Mobile Telephony (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The regulation of the wholesale mobile voice call termination market is a matter for the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). I am anxious to ensure that mobile termination rates (MTRs) charged by Irish service providers are in line with those charged elsewhere in Europe and that Irish citizens and businesses benefit from the lowest call costs possible. Following regulatory...

Written Answers — Television Licence Fees: Television Licence Fees (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Programme for Government commits to examining the role and collection of the TV Licence Fee in light of existing and projected convergence of broadcasting technologies and to transform the TV licence into a household based Public Broadcasting Charge to be applied to all households and applicable businesses, regardless of the device they use to access content. This commitment does not...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I wish to advise the Deputy that no direct funding has been provided to the Irish Business and Employers Confederation by my Department in any year since its formation in June 2007. The issue of any funding provided by bodies under the aegis of my Department, is a matter for the individual bodies in question and I have no responsibility in this regard.

Written Answers — Semi-State Bodies: Semi-State Bodies (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: My colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, T.D. recently announced the terms of a Government Decision for the introduction of pay ceilings for higher posts across the public service and for CEO posts in Commercial State Companies. In addition, the Government signalled its intention to seek voluntary waivers of 15% of salary from current incumbents whose...

Written Answers — Utility Charges: Utility Charges (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I have no statutory function in the setting of energy prices, whether in the regulated or non-regulated market. Price setting by Bord Gáis, ESB Electric Ireland and Airtricity in the electricity market is a commercial matter for the companies. Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is an...

Written Answers — Sports Facilities: Sports Facilities (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The operation of watersports leisure centres is not a matter for this Department.

Written Answers — Telephone Hacking: Telephone Hacking (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Regulation of the telecommunications sector is a matter for the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) which is independent in the exercise of its functions. The information requested by the Deputy, based on information supplied to me by ComReg, is set out in the following table: Year Number of hacking complaints received Number of cases deemed valid hacking Complaints by...

Written Answers — Missing Persons: Missing Persons (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The 116 number range is reserved for services of social value. The revised telecoms package transposed by my Department in July 2011 obliges Member States to promote and encourage the provision of specific numbers in the 116 number range and ensure that citizens are adequately informed of the existence and use of such services. It also requires Member States not only to reserve the 116000...

Written Answers — Departmental Equipment: Departmental Equipment (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department has seventy-nine physical computer servers, providing live, development and test environments for internal services. The number of physical servers will continue to reduce as virtual server technologies are used to provide multiple services from a single physical server. The amount of storage on each of these servers varies between 33 Gigabytes and 1.2 Terabytes, depending on...

Written Answers — Telephone Hacking: Telephone Hacking (21 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I have no proposals at present to introduce the legislative measures referred to by the Deputy. The unauthorised access of personal information is, in the first instance, a matter for An Garda Síochána and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, which has responsibility for the protection of personal information. I understand that the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner is...