Results 9,681-9,700 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Bord Gáis: Bord Gáis (18 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The matter raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Bord Gáis Éireann (BGÉ) and one in which I have no statutory function. BGÉ has advised that all the relevant legal and contractual provisions with respect to the Late Payments in Commercial Transactions Regulations 2002 are being complied with by the company.

Written Answers — Workplace Safety: Workplace Safety (18 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 211 and 212 together. The matters raised by the Deputy are operational matters for Bord Gáis Éireann (BGÉ) regulated in accordance with the safety regulatory framework established by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) and I have no function in this regard. BGÉ is the owner of the national gas transmission and distribution systems and is mandated...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (18 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The general scheme of a Geothermal Energy Development Bill was published in July, 2010 along with the associated Regulatory Impact Assessment. Both these documents are available on the Department's website. Geothermal energy is a new area of legislative endeavour which will create a legislative framework to facilitate the exploration for and development of geothermal energy resources. It...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Details of payments by my Department to local authorities for the period in question are set out in the following Table. These related to a variety of programmes including Information and Communications Technology (Metropolitan Area Networks), Capital Mining Works, Integrated Mapping for the Sustainable Development of Ireland's Marine Resource (INFOMAR). Table: Payments to local authorities...

Written Answers — Ministerial Advisers: Ministerial Advisers (18 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 216 together. There are two Special Advisers employed in my Department. Both were appointed by the Government on my behalf. My predecessor who was assigned to the Department in June 2007 also employed two Special Advisers. One Special Adviser was appointed to various Ministers of State who served in my Department from June 2007 to March 2011.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy was almost on jobseeker's allowance himself.

Energy Conservation (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, administers the better energy programme, which includes the better energy homes and warmer homes and workplaces schemes. Exchequer funding of €76.146 million has been allocated to the better energy programme in 2012, which is projected to deliver 597 GWh in energy savings this year and is the equivalent of €34.2 million in the value of...

Energy Conservation (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The position is that the SEAI is still doing research to establish why there are fewer applications. It is undoubtedly the case from previous studies that if the winter is very bad, the spike in applications is evident for anyone to see. Therefore, the mild winter is plausible as a part explanation but it is not the full explanation. It would appear that people are reluctant to put their...

Energy Conservation (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The answer is "No". In fact, we will direct any extra money to the workplace scheme in particular, where there is increasing awareness and uptake on the part of SMEs. It is not the case that there are not many householders in the queue. It is just that the numbers have fallen. There are many in the queue and they will not be left hanging.

Postal Services (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Under the Communications Regulation (Postal Services) 2011 Act, An Post is statutorily required, as the designated universal service provider, to provide a universal postal service. The essential element of this obligation is the collection and delivery of mail to every address in the State on every working day. The universal service obligation is a form of safety net, ensuring by way of...

Postal Services (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I can confirm for the Deputy that legal proceedings have been commenced by the independent regulator, ComReg, against An Post on the basis that the company has failed to achieve the next-day delivery targets fixed by ComReg. The application by ComReg seeks to have imposed a financial penalty of €11.9 million on An Post for breach of the quality of service standard as measured by ComReg in...

Postal Services (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: It is a reasonable question as to the extent to which the imposition of a penalty of €11.9 million on An Post would correct the perceived deficiency. Greater challenges than this face An Post. I suspect the extent of electronic substitution, the decline in its core business, the challenges that confront it from competition and so on rank higher in the matters that confront its management....

Postal Services (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Leas-Cheann Comhairle is not taking No. 3.

Energy Prices (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Responsibility for the regulation of gas prices is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, which is an independent statutory body. Bord Gáis Energy's gas tariffs for domestic customers continue to be regulated by the CER and are reviewed each year. I have no function in the matter. The regulator is undertaking its annual detailed review of the Bord Gáis Energy, BGE,...

Energy Prices (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I will indeed ensure the regulator is fully cognisant of the contents of that report. There is a long way to go on the analysis of whether any price increase in warranted. The main drivers in international gas prices are the euro-sterling exchange rate, network costs and volume consumption trends. The weak euro may indeed have assisted many of our SMEs in exporting from the country in...

Natural Gas Grid (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The matters raised by the Deputy are operational matters for Bord Gáis Éireann. The company's gas safety operators are regulated in accordance with the safety regulatory framework established by the Commission for Energy Regulation, which has statutory responsibility for gas safety. I have no function in this regard. The first incident referred to by the Deputy occurred in May 2010, as...

Natural Gas Grid (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I must confess that I did not even know about this incident until the Deputy put down the question. However, I was only recently engaged in exchanges in the House with Deputy Catherine Murphy about the unfortunate incident that happened at Leixlip. There is a very careful safety framework in place and it is effectively supervised by the national gas safety committee, which includes...

Natural Gas Grid (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I agree with the Deputy that anything short of best practice would not be acceptable in this area. I have assured myself that best practice obtains and will continue to obtain.

Media Mergers (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The issue of media ownership and the concentration of that ownership in the hands of limited numbers of individuals is a sensitive and critical issue for Governments in every developed country. It is all the more so here due to our small scale and the relative ease with which this concentration can occur. The reason this issue is such a critical one stems obviously from the critical role...

Media Mergers (19 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I agree with the Deputy that the media is not like other businesses and media enterprises are not like other enterprises because of the formative role media can have on the very character of our democracy and the coverage of public affairs. I agree with him that diversity of content and ownership are central. The Sreenan report sets out several principles concerning the public interest test...