Results 841-860 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (19 Oct 2004)

Noel Dempsey: Under my Department's regional broadband programme, a 23 km metropolitan area network will be constructed in Sligo town, in association with Sligo County Council. A number of tenders for the construction phase of the project have been received by the council, and are being assessed. An announcement of the successful contractor is expected shortly. The civil engineering contract is expected to...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (19 Oct 2004)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 341, 342 and 346 together. The 1999 Green Paper on sustainable energy established a target to add 500 MW of new renewable energy-based electricity generating plant to the electricity network by 2005. It was envisaged this would be achieved by awarding support contracts under the AER V and VI rounds of the alternative energy requirement, AER, support programme....

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (19 Oct 2004)

Noel Dempsey: In May 2002, my Department established Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI, to promote and assist environmentally and economically sustainable production, supply and use of energy, in support of Government policy, across all sectors of the economy. Its remit relates mainly to improving energy efficiency, advancing the development and competitive deployment of renewable sources of energy and...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (2 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: The promotion of renewable energy, of which wind energy is the predominant technology, is a key Government priority. The Green Paper on Sustainable Energy 1999 established a target to add 500 mw of new renewable energy based electricity generating plant to the electricity network by 2005. This target has since increased to 718 MW. The wind resource is random and cannot increase or decrease...

Written Answers — Post Office Network: Post Office Network (2 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: The Government is committed to a viable and sustainable rural post office network. However, consideration must be given to the climate in which An Post is operating while bearing in mind the serious operational losses the company has suffered and the measures which must be implemented if it is to achieve its target of profitability. The Government has already provided an equity injection of...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (2 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: My Department has a dedicated internal audit unit which monitors and examines the day-to-day spend of the Department based on a risk assessment of the activities relating to this expenditure. The unit has four full-time staff and is headed by a fully qualified professional accountant. The unit has recently been independently evaluated as being in compliance with the standards for professional...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (2 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: I have no function in the matter raised by the Deputy. This is a matter for the Commission for Communications Regulations, or ComReg. ComReg has statutory independence in the exercise of its functions. Responsibility for the protection and promotion of consumer interests for electronic communications networks and services and the integrity of the network rests with ComReg under the European...

Written Answers — Prospecting Licences: Prospecting Licences (2 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: There are two mining leases under which the lessees are authorised to extract dolomite and dolomitic limestone. One is dated 2 December 1968 and the rate of royalty, which is not subject to review, is €0.0312 per tonne of minerals extracted. The other lease is dated 1 June 2004 and the rate of royalty per tonne of minerals, which is subject to review every four years, is €0.38. Any new...

Written Answers — Prospecting Licences: Prospecting Licences (2 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: The rock samples collected from the site of the proposed quarry extension at Maddoxtown, Dunbell Big townland, were analysed at a recognised Irish laboratory. The rock samples were prepared for analysis by the laboratory and each was analysed for 46 elements, including calcium and magnesium. The calcium and magnesium content determines whether the rock is dolomitic. The samples were analysed...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (2 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: I do not have responsibility for broadband connectivity to the Houses of the Oireachtas. Responsibility for the Oireachtas is under Comisiún Thithe an Oireachtas, the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. The Oireachtas has its own internal information technology unit which works under the guidance of the commission.

Written Answers — Prospecting Licences: Prospecting Licences (2 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: There are 152 prospecting licences held for the exploration of minerals in the Leinster area which authorise prospecting mainly for base metals, barytes, gold, silver, gemstones and gem minerals.

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (2 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: The alternative energy requirement, AER, programme, which is administered by my Department, is the only support mechanism for renewable and alternative energy under my direct control and it is not a grant aid type of support. Sustainable Energy Ireland administers a research, development and demonstration programme for renewables with an overall budget of €16.25 million to 2006. The...

Written Answers — Wage Agreements: Wage Agreements (16 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: This is an operational matter for the board and management of An Post. I have no function in regard to this issue.

Written Answers — Postal Services: Postal Services (16 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: The management of An Post has been involved in a process of detailed negotiation with its unions to reach agreement on achieving a clear path towards financial stability. All parties concerned have committed themselves to this process under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission. The mechanisms offered by the industrial relations machinery of the State should continue to be used by...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (16 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: The delivery of broadband and other high-tech communication facilities is a matter for the fully liberalised telecommunications sector, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg. The Government set aside an indicative €200 million under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 for investment in broadband infrastructure, including the regional metropolitan area network...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (16 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband, is a matter in the first instance for the private sector companies operating in a fully liberalised market, regulated by ComReg, the Commission for Communications Regulation. Recent figures from ComReg indicate that there are now 104,700 broadband customers, and this figure is rising by 30% per quarter.

Written Answers — Exploration for Natural Resources: Exploration for Natural Resources (16 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: Current authorisations for petroleum exploration include: seven exploration licences — six frontier licences and one deep-water licence — the most recent of which is a frontier licence issued last April; 19 licensing options, including two onshore, of which three are the subject of discussions on extensions; and ten petroleum prospecting licenses, PPLs. Exploration is ongoing under all of...

Written Answers — Mobile Telephony: Mobile Telephony (16 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: Officials in my Department have been exploring for some time with both the industry and ComReg the matter of a register for users of all new 2G and 3G prepaid mobile phone services or some other industry scheme that would provide sufficient protection to the public. The principal aim of any such register would be to enable effective tracing of perpetrators of criminal activities using these...

Written Answers — Broadcasting Legislation: Broadcasting Legislation (16 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 137 on Thursday, 21 October 2004.

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (16 Nov 2004)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 190 together. The current target, in the electricity market, is to add 500 MW of new renewable energy based electricity generating plant to the electricity network by 2005. This is supplemented by a more recent target set in AER VI to support the construction of an additional 218 MW of new generating plant by 2006 at the latest. AER VI brings to a...