Results 9,921-9,940 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

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

Pat Rabbitte: My Department has not conducted an exercise of the type mentioned by the Deputy. Such an exercise would require the identification of reliable comparable data sets suitable for the precise purpose of understanding and explaining the relationship between the relevant fuel costs and electricity prices. Suitable data sets are not readily available, particularly in the case of fuel costs....

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

Pat Rabbitte: The procurement process to select a postcode management licence holder to implement a National Postcode System is still ongoing and being managed by my Department on a ring fenced basis. That process began last year with the publication of a Pre Qualification Questionnaire on he final decision to proceed with implementation of a national postcode will be one for Government and will be based...

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

Pat Rabbitte: Window replacement works are not eligible for support under either Better Energy: Homes or Better Energy: Warmer Homes, both of which are operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The Better Energy: Homes scheme provides support to homeowners towards the installation of attic and wall insulation, and heating system upgrades including solar thermal with the works being...

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

Pat Rabbitte: As the Deputy will be aware from my Reply to a Parliamentary Question raised by him on this issue on the 2nd May, I met with the Western Development Commission on the 21st March last. The meeting provided the opportunity for very useful and informative discussion in regard to the Commission’s Report into the benefits of national gas infrastructure for the North West. We also...

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

Pat Rabbitte: Section 125 and section 126 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provide for the development of an Oireachtas TV channel to be known as the “Houses of the Oireachtas Channel”. This legislation provides that the channel should be established by the Commission of the Houses of the Oireachtas and that the oversight of the channel should be the responsibility of the “Joint...

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

Pat Rabbitte: RTÉ and TG4 are independent national public service broadcasters whose remit and obligations are set out in Section 114 and Section 118 of the Broadcasting Act 2009. Section 98 of the 2009 Act also provides that these companies shall be independent in the pursuance of these objects, subject to the requirements of the Act, and as such I, as Minister, have no function in the management of...

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

Pat Rabbitte: On the 2nd of October I announced very encouraging results from a Millward Brown Lansdowne tracking study on the Digital TV Switchover which was carried out between September 10 - 20. This research showed that between mid August and mid September 50,000 viewers who were reliant on analogue TV network made the switch to Digital TV, leaving approximately 150,000 still to make the switch....

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

Pat Rabbitte: As the Deputy will be aware, a Government Decision was made at the end of May last year, on foot of a submission by my colleague the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, to draft a new Consumer and Competition Bill. Part of that decision involved giving effect in legislation to the recommendations of the Report of the Advisory Group on Media Mergers, and to transfer responsibility...

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

Pat Rabbitte: The Broadcasting Act 2009 provides for RTÉ and TG4 to provide their broadcast services, in as far as possible, throughout the whole island of Ireland. In developing plans for the development of digital television in Ireland, my predecessor was cognisant that the UK was also upgrading their television services to digital. Digital is more efficient than analogue TV. It is capable of...

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

Pat Rabbitte: The Broadcasting Act 2009 fully provides for the establishment and operation of The Houses of the Oireachtas Channel. In particular, section 125 and section 126 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provide for the development of an Oireachtas TV channel to be known as the “Houses of the Oireachtas Channel”. This legislation also provides that the channel should be established by the...

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

Pat Rabbitte: Bord na Móna has long recognised the need to diversify its activities in order to secure a sustainable future and transition away from dependence on its traditional peat business. A number of factors, including environmental constraints on the use of peat in power generation and horticultural products and the expiry of the Public Service Obligation for peat-fired power generation in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Television Reception (11 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 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. Section 130 of the Broadcasting...

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

Pat Rabbitte: I am aware of the findings contained in the Cuts that Don’t Hurt report by the Dublin Friends of the Earth published in May this year, which is a welcome contribution to the debate. I acknowledge there is a considerable amount of money being spent by the public sector each year on energy but whether a saving of €100m in two years is achievable as the report suggests, in light...

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

Pat Rabbitte: I have not received any proposal from the EU Commission in relation to capping crop-based biofuel production. However, I understand that a proposal relating to the use of certain biofuels will be circulated to Member States in the coming weeks. Once I receive this, I will consider its implications for renewable energy policy and the further development of a sustainable biofuel sector in...

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

Pat Rabbitte: I wish to advise the Deputy that since the establishment of my Department in June 2007, it has not allocated any money to Ballina, Castlebar or Westport Town Council. In relation to payments made by the State Agencies under the aegis of my Department, this is an operational matter for the individual agency in the first instance and I have no function in this regard. I am asking the Agencies...

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

Pat Rabbitte: The provision of telecommunications services, including the provision of users’ equipment, is a matter in the first instance for services providers operating in a liberalised market regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). I am advised that following a request from the EU Commission and in close co-operation with the Commission services, major producers of...

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

Pat Rabbitte: The provision of electronic communications services is, in the first instance, a matter for competing service providers operating in Ireland’s fully liberalised telecommunications market, regulated by the independent regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). The telephony market is served by a variety of commercial fixed line, wireless and mobile providers....

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

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 124 and 125 together. The Government has undertaken a number of initiatives in recent years to bring broadband to those parts of the country where operators have not offered services on a commercial basis. In the case of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS), for example, services are available from the NBS service provider, 3, to persons with a fixed...

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

Pat Rabbitte: Completion of the Corrib gas field development works by the developer is the principal factor that will determine the date for first gas. Pending such completion, it is not possible to state a date for when gas from the Corrib gas field will become available. It is estimated that construction of the onshore section of the pipeline, including the construction of a 5km tunnel, which began...

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

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Question Nos. 127 and 128 together. The provision of mobile phone networks and services is undertaken by telecommunications service providers operating in a liberalised market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). Licences to provide mobile telephony services are granted by ComReg pursuant to the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1926, as amended,...