Results 8,461-8,480 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: If the Deputy does not mind, I will fail to spring it. The reason it is a case of festina lente is market circumstances are such that no one would wish to go to the market with State assets. The reason we are going to the market is the memorandum of understanding. The House has seen what has been enforced in Greece in the disposal of state assets. When one considers the menu of State...

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: If we could achieve the targets set without the sale of State assets, the honest answer to the Deputy's question is that I would be perfectly pleased with that outcome. My approach to the disposal of State assets is that I am prepared to examine the issue on a case-by-case basis. Different arguments can be advanced for different holdings in State ownership and arguments that apply to one do...

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Several people representing the three elements that make up the troika visit this country at the end of each quarter and check the homework of the Department of Finance. If we are not in compliance, they will not sign the cheque. Up to now, they have accepted it. I hope my ministerial colleagues, Deputies Noonan and Howlin, will be able to report tomorrow that, once again, they have...

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy has broken my train of thought. They require that we realise significant funds from the sale of State assets. It is an open secret that they attempted to include a figure of €5 billion in the renegotiated memorandum of understanding. Instead, the revised memorandum of understanding commits to an ambitious programme involving the disposal of State assets. I am unsure how...

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I have regular discussions with Bord na Móna. The problem is we are running out of móna.

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Yes, the company has been imaginative in diversifying and gradually replacing its core business. The Government is engaging with it in a number of areas. Obviously, the last thing we want to see is a diminution of employment in the company. The opposite is our objective and discussions with it are ongoing. I do not know what we will do with the cut-away bog. We are considering the...

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: As I have stated on a number of occasions, there is no question of the Government surrendering control of either of the companies to which the Deputy refers. The Deputy referred to adhering to targets, meeting the bottom line and substituting one thing with another. This trade-off is taking place on the revenue side, for example, in reversing the previous Government's decision on the...

Port Development (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I am grateful to Deputy Carey for raising this important issue. I begin with the positive position that the Irish offshore has recognised potential as a petroleum-producing area. However, while I recently made the announcement to which Deputy Carey refers in respect of the outcome of the 2011 licensing round, which resulted in the offer of 13 licensing options in the Atlantic margin, the...

Port Development (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I again thank Deputy Carey for raising a matter that has not been to the forefront of my mind which does not mean it is not very important. I also have great difficulty addressing a House with no Opposition. It is the first time I have ever seen the House without an Opposition. I have taken many lectures on how dedicated Opposition Members are to spending time in the House while the rest of...

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Order for Second Stage (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Second Stage (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to have an opportunity to present and commend for consideration by the Dáil the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011. The Bill has been designed to revise, consolidate and expand energy legislation in areas such as the theft of electricity and gas and the safety of liquefied petroleum gas in order to reflect the...

Written Answers — Electricity Generation: Electricity Generation (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: There are 387 customers on the ESB microgeneration tariff to date, representing a total connected generation capacity of just over 2 megawatts. The technologies being deployed are wind turbines, solar installations and small scale hydro turbines. ESB Networks agreed in 2009 to provide the necessary import/export metering free of charge to the first four thousand domestic microgeneration...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The telecommunications market in Ireland, including the provision of next generation broadband networks and services, has been fully liberalised since 1999 and, since then, has seen the steady growth and development of significant well-regulated competition in the provision of the full range of telecommunications products and services. The provision of broadband services, including next...

Written Answers — Exploration Licences: Exploration Licences (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: There were 25 petroleum exploration licences granted since 2001; of these, 16 are still active. Oil and gas discoveries have been made in respect of four of these licences to date. Three of the discoveries were in the North Celtic Sea Basin and one in the Slyne Basin. None of the discoveries have been declared commercial to date. Applications for lease undertakings in respect of two of...

Written Answers — Fishing Licences: Fishing Licences (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Many bays and estuaries in Ireland are Special Areas of Conservation or Natura Scheme Areas. As a result, appropriate assessments have to be carried out before licences can be issued. My understanding is that IFI then proceeded to issue annual licences in accordance with the statute. I am not aware of any significant delays in the licensing process. The purpose of restricting the number of...

Written Answers — Renewable Energy: Renewable Energy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Renewable Energy Feed-in-Tariff scheme known as REFIT was introduced in 2006 for certain categories of renewable energy, including onshore wind and hydro power. With the support of REFIT, the renewable energy sector has continued to grow strongly and there is now around 1,800MW of renewable generation capacity connected to the electricity grid. In addition to this there is a further...

Written Answers — Electricity Generation: Electricity Generation (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Single Electricity Market is an all island wholesale market for electricity. Electricity generators sell their power into a central pool, from which it is then dispatched to consumers by EirGrid and SONI as the Transmission System Operators on the island. Data on the amounts of fuel used by individual generating stations are commercially sensitive market information and are not...

Written Answers — Electricity Generation: Electricity Generation (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I have no statutory function regarding the construction of specific power lines or in relation to arrangements entered into with landowners by ESB Networks and EirGrid. The matter raised is an operational matter for the two State bodies with statutory responsibilities to deliver Ireland's transmission and distribution network infrastructure.

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Wave and tidal energy, commonly known as ocean energy, is still at the research, development and demonstration stage globally. In 2008, the Ocean Energy Development Unit (OEDU) was established in the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to take forward Ireland's ocean energy programme. In 2006, my Department published a National Strategy for Ocean Energy in conjunction with SEAI...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The telecommunications market in Ireland, including the provision of current and next generation broadband networks and services, has been fully liberalised since 1999 and, since then, has seen the steady growth and development of significant well-regulated competition in the provision of the full range of telecommunications products and services. The Government is not a commercial operator...