Results 9,041-9,060 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Seanad: Media Standards: Statements, Questions and Answers (22 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: It will not take long.

Seanad: Media Standards: Statements, Questions and Answers (22 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I thank the House. In respect of the €10 million and the 7% to the Sound and Vision fund, it is already top-sliced to some extent. In reply to the matter raised by Senator Whelan, of course I am concerned about the finances of the national broadcaster. I share his views about the necessity for value for money. As it happens, I have a meeting with the board of the RTE Authority tomorrow....

Seanad: Media Standards: Statements, Questions and Answers (22 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: He has an entitlement for them to be vindicated and to be seen to be vindicated. Second, the normally high standard of that programme should not be damaged and in my view this is best achieved by it being properly and independently investigated and let the pieces fall where they will. In reply to Senator Michael Mullins the investigation is likely to be concluded very soon and in that...

Seanad: Media Standards: Statements, Questions and Answers (22 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: All three of them ran into a spot of bother since. As a result, we have gone from excessive deference to corrosive cynicism.

Seanad: Media Standards: Statements, Questions and Answers (22 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: This is a real pity because the media is different. Various Members have raised the question of competition and concentration of ownership, dominant position, abuse of dominant position, cross-media ownership and so on. As I have said, it is different from making concrete blocks or producing widgets in the garage because the media conditions the kind of democracy in which we live and...

Seanad: Media Standards: Statements, Questions and Answers (22 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: People are observing what is happening in the Leveson inquiry but the answer is that I do not have anyone over there. The Leveson inquiry will produce a report that will be available to us all and I am happy to return to the House when it is available. In the interim, we have the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman. I am quite happy to engage in a private...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (23 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I can advise the Deputy that 54 requests under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Acts were received by my Department in 2011. In respect of that total number of requests, search and retrieval fees were sought in 4 cases. The maximum fee sought was €1,487.45. There were no requests not proceeded with under the terms of the FOI Acts. In the case of one of the 4 requests identified above no...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (23 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: It is not possible to provide the information requested in the timeframe allowed but my Department will provide it together with the information being supplied in reply to Parliamentary Question No. 406 of 14 February 2012. Information in respect of bodies and agencies under the aegis of my Department is a day to day matter for those organisations and my Department does not have the...

Written Answers — Energy Efficiency: Energy Efficiency (23 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers Better Energy: Warmer Homes on behalf of my Department. The energy poverty strand of Better Energy aims to provide energy efficiency improvements to low-income homes unable to afford the cost of implementing such measures. The SEAI advises that the person referred to has had all of the currently available measures which are...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (23 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Wave energy technology is still at the research, development and demonstration stage globally. The Ocean Energy Development Unit (OEDU) in the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is working to take forward Ireland's ocean energy programme, in line with the Government's commitment to realise the long term economic potential of Ireland's wave and tidal energy resources. In that...

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (23 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I can inform the Deputy that no staff of my Department, who have not reached the minimum retirement age to avail of the Cost Neutral Early Retirement Scheme, have retired with pension entitlements. Information in respect of bodies and agencies under the aegis of my Department is a day to day matter for those organisations and my Department does not have the information sought by the Deputy....

Referendum on European Stability Treaty: Statements (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I believed the Deputy wanted a referendum.

Referendum on European Stability Treaty: Statements (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Technical Group is voting "Maybe".

Electricity Charges (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: May I say how well the Chair befits you?

Electricity Charges (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I would like to draw the attention of Deputies Ó Cuív and Buttimer to the fact that responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation, which is an independent statutory body. The residential electricity market has changed dramatically over the past two years with the introduction of competition. Suppliers are required...

Electricity Charges (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I was merely explaining the background of the impact of deregulation to Deputy Ó Cuív, which he understands well. I was not suggesting the increase in the charge in the particular case of customers who use two units of electricity per day would cause them to switch supplier. Rather I was pointing out that since deregulation there has been considerable switching.

Electricity Charges (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I am reluctant to get into the business of telling the ESB how to do its job, however.

Electricity Charges (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I heard the Deputy's points about changing the reading of meters in question and a once-off annual billing. There has, however, been some misconception in the public domain about this charge. Conclusions were jumped to that this was a charge on the poor. It is not a charge on the poor.

Electricity Charges (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: This is a charge on holiday homes or premises vacated, for whatever reason, in the main. I have already relayed to the House the assurances given to me that those customers on a electricity allowance or on household budget packages will not be affected by this charge. I want to assure Deputy Buttimer that this is the information I have. If Deputy Ó Cuív is correct that his is a more...

Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Opposition appears to have withdrawn from the House. In my experience I have never seen this before.