Results 9,901-9,920 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Radio Broadcasting Issues (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I do not have any objection to meeting the IBI but I do not want to mislead it. I stated what my advice is. I repeat that these are commercial ventures. I recall a colleague in his House who is no longer with us described it at the time as a licence to print money. There was fierce competition to get those licences. They were commercial ventures. I do not know what the difference in...

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 14 and 16 together. The Government’s recently published national broadband plan aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high-speed services of at least 30 Mbps are available to all of our citizens and businesses well in advance of the EU’s target date of 2020, and that significantly higher speeds are...

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Deputy Cowen is being very severe. Extraordinary developments are under way at present and I have no doubt that the private telecommunications companies will furnish more than 50% of the population with industrial-strength broadband by 2015, which is ahead of the target set by the Commissioner in Europe. I do not see any point in my replicating that or seeking to spend State money where the...

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The rural broadband scheme was intended to pick up premises which did not have a service because of topographical or other issues. The investment of State money meant that the rural broadband scheme could not apply where a service provider already existed. If there are defects or difficult pockets where the national broadband scheme is not doing its job, I ask that specific complaints be...

Other Questions: EU Directives (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 17 together. The existing energy services directive, Directive 2006/32/EC, was fully transposed by SI 542 of 2009, the European Communities (Energy End-Use Efficiency and Energy Services) Regulations 2009. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that Ireland is not in compliance with its existing EU obligations. The current national energy efficiency...

Other Questions: EU Directives (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The energy efficiency directive will only be published next month and this will be followed by a prolonged consultation period because of the severity of the measures included. However, I welcome the measures and I supported the Danish Presidency at the Council of Ministers when it introduced them because they are hugely important. I welcome anything that gives an impetus to the renovation...

Other Questions: EU Directives (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The amount of money that must be put up front under the existing retrofit scheme depends on what exactly is being done.

Other Questions: EU Directives (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The average would be a ratio of approximately 2:1. For example, if people are getting a grant of €4,000, they are expected to put up approximately €8,000. In the current climate, this is something to cause homeowners to reflect on whether to retrofit and this is one of the reasons I am in the process of compiling a new pay-as-you-save scheme, which will have the merit of not...

Other Questions: EU Directives (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I agree there is a significant jobs dimension to all of this. Last year, the figures indicated that 5,500 were involved in the retrofit programme. Undoubtedly, there are jobs in this area. However, the current scheme is a demand-led scheme and there is limited investment in terms of what can be put into such a grants-based scheme. This is why we are working on the transition from that...

Other Questions: Broadcasting Legislation (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Broadcasting Act 2009 provides for the establishment of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BAI, as the independent regulator responsible for the oversight of compliance in relation to broadcast content in the State. One of the objectives of the authority, set out in section 25(b), is to ensure “that the democratic values enshrined in the Constitution, especially those relating...

Other Questions: Broadcasting Legislation (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I have heard the fear expressed that the children's referendum will not get the ventilation, scrutiny, debate and promotion it deserves because the apparent support of everybody in this House for the proposed amendment will make it difficult for broadcasters to implement the 50-50 rule as they have traditionally done. I hope that will not be the case. If I told Deputy Cowen, who is trying...

Other Questions: Broadcasting Legislation (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Coughlan judgment has been interpreted by the broadcasters as meaning 50-50 coverage of certain matters, such as referendums. If the overwhelming majority of the people, as demonstrated by their representation among the membership of this House, are in favour of a particular amendment, I agree that it seems difficult to know how the 50% on the other side can be comprised. I have seen...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: EirGrid the State-owned electricity transmission system operator has recently overseen the completion of construction of the East West Interconnector between the electricity grids of Ireland and Britain. The construction and operation of the East West Interconnector is the statutory responsibility of EirGrid. The cost of the Interconnector is underwritten by all electricity customers under...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Radio Spectrum Management (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 13 together. The management of the radio spectrum is a statutory function of the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) under the Communications Regulation Act, 2002 as amended. ComReg is currently in the process of awarding spectrum rights of use across three critical bands – the 800Mhz, 900Mhz and 1800Mhz bands – for the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Sale of State Assets (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government has decided to dispose of Bord Gáis Éireann’s Energy business as part of the State Assets disposal programme. The Government has also reiterated its commitment to retaining the gas networks as well as the two gas interconnectors in State ownership as national strategic infrastructure, critical for the delivery of secure, sustainable and competitive energy...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: 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 30 megabits per second are available to all enterprises and homes well in advance of the target date of 2020 set by the EU Commission in the EU “Digital Agenda for Europe”. The 30 megabits...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: While the results of the recent appraisal well on Barryroe are encouraging, further appraisal work will be required to determine if the discovery can be declared commercial and proceed to a petroleum production project. It is a core policy objective of my Department to maximise the benefits to the State from exploration for and production of our indigenous oil and gas resources. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Sale of State Assets (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government has decided to dispose of Bord Gáis Éireann’s Energy business and some of ESB’s non-strategic power generation capacity as part of the State Assets disposal programme. The Government has also reiterated its commitment to retaining the electricity and gas networks as well as the two gas interconnectors in State ownership as national strategic...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Petroleum and Gas Exploration (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 27, 30 and 38 together. Firstly I should clarify that no petroleum exploration activity has been licensed in Dublin Bay. Providence Resources and partners have a drilling commitment on their petroleum exploration licence in the Kish Bank Basin off the Dublin\Wicklow coast. I am aware of booklet entitled “Liquid Assets - Ireland’s oil and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: In 2011, Ireland had 17.6% renewable electricity, 3.6% biofuels and 5% renewable heating, which amounted in total to 6.5% of all energy consumed being from renewable sources. Our intention, in order to meet our 2020 binding targets, is to increase renewable energy to 40% in the electricity sector, 10% in the transport sector and 12% in the heating sector, which together amounts to 16%...