Results 9,101-9,120 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Electricity Transmission Network: Electricity Transmission Network (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: In accordance with the Electricity Regulation Act 1999, the statutory responsibility for the processing of connections to the electricity network and the costs related thereto are a matter for the system operator and the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) in the first instance. I have no function in relation to national grid access.

Written Answers — Renewable Energy: Renewable Energy (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Under the Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC Ireland has been set a legally binding target for renewable energy as a proportion of all energy consumption that must be achieved by 2020. The National Renewable Energy Action Plan sets out that this overall 16% target will be achieved through 40% consumption of renewables in the electricity sector, 10% in the transport sector and 12% in the...

Written Answers — Energy Prices: Energy Prices (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland is a price taker in the global fossil fuel market. The Irish oil industry is fully privatised, liberalised and deregulated and there is free entry to the market. There is no price control on petroleum products and it has been the policy objective of successive Governments to promote price competition and consumer choice. Previous surveys have shown that prices which Irish retailers...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 330 and 331 together. My Department was established in 2007 and provision of information for the years prior to that year is not possible. The information sought by the Deputy in the period 2007-2011 is set out in the table. Year No. Requests No. Fees1 Fees1Rec'd€ RefundsMade€ No. S&R2Fees S&R2 Fees€ 2007 77 71 1,040.00 60.00 4 386.45 2008 72 47...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland's telecommunications market has been liberalised since 1999 and the delivery of broadband services is therefore a matter, in the first instance, for private sector commercial operators. Details of broadband services available in each county can be found on ComReg website at www.callcosts.ie. In cases of market failure the Government will intervene, where it is appropriate and...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The amounts of money allocated to energy and natural resources in the past four years are set out in the table. €m 2008ActualOutturn 2009ActualOutturn 2010ActualOutturn 2011ProvisionalOutturn 2012 Budget Energy 67 80 116 118 1041 Natural Resources2 65 48 50 43 51 1 Includes €15 million capital carryover. 2 Natural Resources includes allocation for Inland Fisheries. The amounts of...

Written Answers — Disconnection of Utilities: Disconnection of Utilities (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Responsibility for the regulation of disconnection and reconnection processes and fees is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is an independent statutory body. I have no function in the matter. It is the case that the continuing level of disconnections is a matter of considerable concern for me and my Government colleagues, the CER, voluntary organisations and...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I wish to advise the Deputy that the individual in question is not a member of the Board of any State Body, which comes under the aegis of my Department.

Energy Conservation (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, administers the low income housing retrofit programme, Better Energy: Warmer Homes, on behalf of my Department. As I announced in the context of the budget, the Government has committed significant funding of €76.146 million to the wider better energy programme this year, of which €17.146 million is allocated to its Better Energy: Warmer...

Energy Conservation (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The outturn figures for last year show that between 5,750 and 5,900 jobs were supported by the scheme. In other words, the 2,000 jobs promised under the jobs initiative materialised. Incidentally, I do not know if I should congratulate the Deputy or commiserate with him. Either way, my intentions are good. Unfortunately, as the Deputy indicates in the question, the allocation to the...

Energy Conservation (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: As to the advice given by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, which administers the scheme, its assessment of the €76.146 million is that it will create or sustain 4,500 jobs. That is the SEAI's advice as of today. Almost all of the budget for 2011 has been spent. The uptake, which was high in 2011, has decreased in the first two months of 2012. I have asked the SEAI to give me...

Offshore Exploration (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: As Deputy Ferris knows, I have consistently welcomed the proposal by Shannon LNG to construct a liquefied natural gas, LNG, terminal near Ballylongford, County Kerry. Such a facility, together with the bringing onshore of Corrib gas would provide important security of gas supply for Ireland. I met the promoters of the project soon after taking office last year and both my Department and the...

Offshore Exploration (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I share the Deputy's view of the desirability of proceeding with a significant employment project in an area such as Ballylongford. I have, in so far as it is within my power, done everything to indicate why the Government wants to support and progress the project as quickly as it can. However, as I stated previously, we would have had a decision last October from the regulator whose task...

Offshore Exploration (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I again draw the Deputy's attention to the statutory function and role of the regulator. On 1 March he convened a meeting of the stakeholders and everybody was invited to make a presentation. I refer to the article in today's edition of the Irish Examiner on this issue which deals with some of the complexities and pitfalls for the consumer and the national interest. It is being bruited in...

Offshore Exploration (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Yes, I believe they are and that we cannot anticipate-----

Offshore Exploration (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I cannot be certain until I hear the decision. The CER has not made the decision, but staff in the office have pledged that it will be made before the end of April. The last time we had such a meeting, they pledged that it would be made before the end of October and the company went to the European Union, which was regrettable because it delayed the process. I am as anxious as everybody...

Television Licence Fee (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The programme for Government commits to examining the role and collection of the television licence fee in the light of existing and projected convergence of technologies and transforming the television licence into a household-based public broadcasting charge to be applied to all eligible households and applicable businesses, regardless of the device used to access content. In line with...

Television Licence Fee (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I do not envisage that any decision will be finalised this year, for a number of reasons. High among these is the objective of successfully managing the transition from analogue to digital television services by RTE. That is a big project, and RTE has put something like €70 million into building the system and general preparation. The termination of analogue signals across Europe and the...

Television Licence Fee (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy is right; unfortunately, advertising is limited, and I regret to say there is no particular sign at the moment that it is increasing. There is competition, also, from online advertising for a share of the traditional advertising market. That is a problem for the industry. The answer to the Deputy's question is that it will be an extensive, root-and-branch review because of the...

Sale of State Assets (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government has decided that Bord Gáis Éireann's energy business and some of the ESB's non-strategic power generation capacity will be part of the assets disposal programme required by the memorandum of understanding. The Government has also reiterated its commitment to retaining the ESB as a vertically integrated utility in State ownership and to retaining the electricity and gas...