Results 9,841-9,860 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Television Reception (27 Sep 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: RTÉ has built, owns and controls the SAORVIEW TV network and is responsible for the roll-out, coverage and operation of that network. This includes information on transmitter sites being used. This is in accordance with Part 8 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, which provides that the development of the RTÉ network is an operational matter for RTÉ. I have however contacted...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Schemes (27 Sep 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Better Energy: Warmer Homes delivers a range of energy efficiency measures to households that are vulnerable to energy poverty. The scheme is managed by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and delivered through a combination of SEAI appointed Community Based Organisations (CBOs), augmented by a panel of private contractors in order to ensure national coverage. My Department...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Digital Switchover: Discussion (27 Sep 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I thank the committee for the invitation to appear before it. I take this opportunity to congratulate Deputy Tom Hayes on his appointment as Chairman of the committee and wish him well. There is a heavy agenda to be addressed in this area. We had a good working relationship with the Chairman's predecessor, Deputy Andrew Doyle, and members of the committee, with whom we managed to get...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Digital Switchover: Discussion (27 Sep 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I congratulate Deputy Michael Moynihan, who recently assumed the position of spokesman for his party in this area. I can tell Deputy Moynihan and Deputy Brian Walsh that we will have new statistics in coming days for the end of September and will be able to measure how far things have progressed, and again on 10 October. We will have a close handle on the speed of uptake. That is not to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Digital Switchover: Discussion (27 Sep 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Senator Mooney's colleague seems to be under the impression that we can leave the analogue signal on after 24 October. Can Mr. Keogh comment on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Digital Switchover: Discussion (27 Sep 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: No, I do not really. As I have said, these difficulties were anticipated a year ago. RTE has put more investment into it than it can afford in the present climate. The view was taken that if this is to be done, it should be done well because everyone is entitled to a service and some people cannot be left behind. As a result, the investment has been very significant. Where issues...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Digital Switchover: Discussion (27 Sep 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Perhaps the Chairman would allow Ms Curtis to reply to several questions which were asked about her domain.

Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: That is in the Koran.

Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Strócaí.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (2 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: My officials and I have met with RTÉ on several occasions over the course of the last 12 months and we have discussed a wide range of issues, including provision of RTÉ services to the wider Irish Diaspora. Section 110(4) and (5) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 require RTÉ to review and report on the provision of such services and I received RTÉ’s latest report in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (2 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 341 and 342 together. The Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed services of at least 30Mbps are available to all of our citizens and businesses, well in advance of the EU’s target date of 2020, and that significantly higher...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Services Provision (2 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I am aware of the recent OECD survey which reported that Ireland was more expensive than the EU average for pre pay mobile phone customers. The OECD pre-paid basket includes at least two operators for each country, once they cover 50% of mobile subscriptions. In Ireland’s case only two operators are included. The methodology used takes the cheapest offer from these two companies...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Staff Remuneration (2 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Allowances payable by my Department are common to more than one Department. These allowances were accordingly reviewed by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in the context of the recent review of allowances and my Department was not required to prepare a Business Case in respect of the allowances. As part of the overall review, the Delegates allowance which was payable in my...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (2 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: RTÉ has built, owns and controls the Saorview TV network and is responsible for the roll-out, coverage and operation of that network. This is in accordance with Part 8 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, which provides that the development of the RTÉ network is an operational matter for RTÉ. Section 130 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 Act provides that RTÉ must roll out a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Gas and Electricity Disconnections (2 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The East West Interconnector is a 500mw High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) interconnector linking the electricity grids of Ireland and Great Britain for the first time. The EirGrid project is of strategic national importance in terms of Ireland’s economic infrastructure. Electricity interconnection improves security of supply, promotes further competition in the electricity market...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (2 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: In 2009, under the initial pilot phase of this project, a total of 78 post primary schools were provided with 100Mbps broadband. I subsequently announced the full rollout of 100Mbps to all second level schools in Ireland, to be completed over a 3 year period commencing in 2012. 202 post primary schools were selected this year for the first phase of the national rollout. Of these, 37...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Speeds (2 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government is firmly committed to ensuring that all Irish businesses and citizens have access to high speed broadband services and the recently-published National Broadband Plan aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed services of at least 30Mbps are available to all of our citizens and businesses well in advance of the EU’s target...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (2 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: RTÉ has built, owns and controls the SAORVIEW TV network and is responsible for the roll-out, coverage and operation of that network. This is in accordance with Part 8 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, which provides that the development of the RTÉ network is an operational matter for RTÉ and therefore one in which I, as Minister, have no function. I have however been informed...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Services Provision (2 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Metropolitan Area Networks (“MANs”) are State owned, underground telecommunications networks that are located in regional cities and towns. They consist of carrier-neutral duct and fibre rings linking the main commercial and public buildings to “co-location centres” where service providers locate their telecommunications equipment and access the network. These...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (2 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Section 114(1)(f) of The Broadcasting Act, 2009 requires RTÉ to establish and maintain a television broadcasting service and a sound broadcasting service, which services shall be made available, in so far as RTÉ considers reasonably practicable, to Irish communities outside the island of Ireland. As the Deputy may be aware, in the present financial conditions, it is not possible...