Results 8,821-8,840 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte
- Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Report Stage (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: I move amendment No. 7: In page 33, to delete line 33 and substitute the following: "in subsection (5) or for the alleviation of energy poverty or both.".
- Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Report Stage (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: I move amendment No. 8: In page 48, line 19, to delete "or" and substitute "and". This is a purely technical amendment. It substitutes the word "and" for "or". The amendment corrects a minor error in section 20 which was inserted into the Bill on Committee Stage. Section 20 enables the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to dissolve by order certain non-trading...
- Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Report Stage (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: Now.
- Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Fifth Stage (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: I thank the Deputies on the other side of the House for facilitating the enactment of legislation which is important but not controversial. The Bill is designed to revise, consolidate and expand existing energy legislation in order to reflect the current structure of the market. Its enactment will result in more robust energy legislation. The Government amendments introduced on Committee...
- Bord Gáis Grid (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: Bord Gáis Ãireann is the owner of the national gas transmission and distribution systems, and is mandated with the development and maintenance of the natural gas network under the Gas Act 1976. The Commission for Energy Regulation is the statutorily independent body charged with all aspects of the licensing of transmission and distribution operators. A key legal responsibility of the...
- Bord Gáis Grid (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy has read a list of allegations. The tendering process was in accordance with the requirements and the tender for services was issued through the EU Journal. I am aware of some of the background to what the Deputy said but he has made a list of allegations that I cannot say are true or otherwise. The tendering process was designed to bring in a company that had expertise and a...
- Bord Gáis Grid (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: All I am aware of is that due care was taken in selecting this company. My understanding is that some of the allegations raised by Deputy Ferris were raised at the time. I am advised that they were satisfactorily disposed of at a time. Having regard to what the Deputy put on the record, I will investigate the matters raised because they are serious allegations.
- Energy Resources (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: Ireland's deployment of renewable energy sources in electricity has been increasing steadily in recent years as we work, North and South, to deliver a 40% level of renewable electricity consumption by 2020. There has been good progress from 5% renewable electricity in 2005 to around 15% renewable electricity at present. The challenge is to steadily increase renewable electricity generation...
- Energy Resources (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for her question. I am pleased that we have, at last, got feed-in tariff approval from Brussels in respect of onshore wind. The answer to the Deputy's question is that I have not made such an application in respect of offshore wind and it is not my intention to do so at this time. It is not simply that I have made a distinction between onshore and offshore wind...
- Sustainable Energy Projects (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, administers the Better Energy programme on behalf of my Department. As I announced in the context of the budget, the Government has committed significant funding of â¬76 million to the programme this year. It will, therefore, continue to underpin economic activity in 2012, supporting at least 4,500 jobs and realising significant energy...
- Sustainable Energy Projects (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: I do not know how robbing the pensioners of Ireland relates to this.
- Sustainable Energy Projects (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: Deputy à CuÃv tried to rob them of their medical cards. That is the only robbing I remember.
- Sustainable Energy Projects (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: They fought back with great gusto. As the Deputy said, â¬94 million was allocated in 2010 for this very commendable scheme. Unfortunately, the budget was cut to â¬65 million. That is my figure rather than the â¬60 million he has.
- Sustainable Energy Projects (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: Deputy à CuÃv's Government cut it by almost one third.
- Sustainable Energy Projects (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: When this Government came to office I got â¬30 million extra under the jobs initiative scheme, and that brought the expenditure to â¬95 million last year. The previous Government had cut it to â¬60 million.
- Sustainable Energy Projects (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: This year, we are putting in â¬76 million. I am doing this for a number of reasons. The first is because the previous Government left no money after it when it went out of office. That is the big reason. There is no money. Second, prices are now more competitive than three years ago. One can get this work done in the market place at a discount and we have discounted some elements of...
- Sustainable Energy Projects (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: The outcome last year was â¬91 million.
- Telecommunications Services (18 Jan 2012)
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 access to every home and business in the State. The next generation broadband taskforce, which I convened last summer, has an important role to play in this regard. The taskforce, which I chair, comprises...
- Telecommunications Services (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: What does "shortly" mean? I do not know what it means in the public service, but in this case-----
- Telecommunications Services (18 Jan 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: -----in answer to this question, it means "before St. Patrick's Day". It is not two years, three years or anything like that. We will bless the report with the shamrock before St. Patrick's Day. The work of the task force, as is made very clear, is technology neutral. The merit of it is that it is a unique partnership between Government and the chief executives of the leading operators...