Results 10,521-10,540 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Expenditure (12 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is not involved in any means testing of individuals.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Services Provision (13 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Line rental charges form part of the universal service obligation (USO) in the telecommunications market. The purpose of this USO is to ensure that all citizens can access basic telecommunications services at fixed locations at reasonable prices. The USO in the telecommunications market is provided for in both EU legislative acts, Directive 2002/22/EC of the European Parliament, as amended...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Semi-State Sector Remuneration (13 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Information relating to individual pension details in respect of bodies and agencies under the aegis of my Department is a day-to-day matter for those organisations. My Department does not have the information sought by the Deputy. I will ask the relevant agencies and bodies under the aegis of my Department to respond directly to the Deputy in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Services Provision (13 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Eircom is a private company. I have no legal basis to seek to influence its commercial decisions on pricing. Eircom is the designated provider of universal services in the telecommunications market. In June 2012, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) extended until June 2014, the universal service obligation addressed to Eircom which, among other things, requires that line...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Natural Energy Efficiency Action Plan (14 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I intend to publish the second National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) in the coming weeks. This updated Action Plan reaffirms Ireland’s commitment to a 20% energy savings target by 2020 in pursuit of our EU obligations. This 20% saving is equivalent to 31,925 Gigawatt hours (GWh) or a reduction in annual CO2 emissions of around 7.7 Mega tonnes (Mt). The actions outlined in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Commemorative Stamp Programme (14 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Special and Commemorative Stamp Programme for 2014, which was approved by Government on 18 December 2013, did not include a stamp to commemorate the bicentenary of the birth of Thomas Davis. However, I understand from An Post’s Philatelic Advisory Committee that, subject to Government approval, a stamp to commemorate the bicentenary of the birth of Thomas Davis will now be...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Television Reception (14 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The timing of the launch of TG4 HD on SAORVIEW and Sky and other platforms is a matter for TG4 in commercial negotiations with the various platform providers. The development of a full TG4 HD service is one which may take several years, given the level of investment required to, inter alia, build and equip new HD studios. The current TG4 HD service on UPC is a trial service only and TG4...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Value for Money Reviews (14 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Value for Money and Policy Reviews are designed to secure improved value for money from public expenditure by providing systematic analysis of expenditure programmes and policies to provide a basis on which more informed decisions can be made on priorities within and between programmes. It is part of a range of measures in this regard including the Review of Capital Investment (2011), which...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Expenditure (14 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 243 and 244 together. The Department of Communications Energy and Natural Resources is accommodated in three office facilities (two buildings in Dublin and one in Cavan), and a geological core store facility. In accordance with Government policy of securing efficiencies in all areas of public expenditure, my Department actively manages all areas of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Ministerial Appointments (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 459 to 461, inclusive, together. I wish to advise the Deputy that for the past two years I have, on the Department’s website, invited Expressions of Interest from persons wishing to be considered for appointment to vacancies on State Boards under the aegis of my Department. In both years, this information has been used to inform decisions for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Generation (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Memorandum of Understanding on energy cooperation that UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Edward Davey, and I signed on 24 January will result in completion of consideration of how Irish renewable energy resources, onshore and offshore, might be developed to the mutual benefit of Ireland and the United Kingdom. This will determine whether it is beneficial for both...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Approximately €1 billion is being invested in Ireland by existing companies in fibre infrastructure which will deliver broadband speeds of 30 Mbps to 150 Mbps bits per second to most homes and businesses. This investment will provide significant choice to the consumer. While fibre to the home (FTTH) is currently not widely available to homes and multi-dwelling units (MDUs) in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Decisions by private operators relating to investment in infrastructure to provide broadband services, includinging the upgrading of an exchange, are taken purely on commercial grounds, having regard to the cost of service provision and the anticipated revenue returns from any such investment. The Deputy will appreciate therefore, that I do not have a statutory authority to direct commercial...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Services Provision (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: In June 2012 the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) extended until June 2014, a universal service obligation (USO) addressed to Eircom, which among other things, requires that line rental for basic fixed line telephone services is available to end users at a standard geographically averaged price across the country. There are no proposals to amend this obligation. Moreover,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Radio Spectrum (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: 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 recently announced the winning bidders of its Multi-band Spectrum Auction for the 800, 900 and 1800 MHz bands. I can confirm that ComReg transferred the amount of €450M, in respect of upfront fees...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: There are a number of important files to be progressed by the Irish Presidency in relation to the promotion of renewable energy. The Council conclusions on last year’s Commission renewable energy communication invited the Commission to present non-binding guidance to further improve national support schemes in order to achieve further cost reduction and market integration, as well as...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: On 8 February the European Council reached an agreement on the EU Budget Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-20. The Regulation will now be the subject of agreement by the Council and requires the consent of the European Parliament before it is adopted. While the proposed cut to the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is regrettable, I do not anticipate that there will be any significant...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: During the preparation of the National Broadband Plan which I published in August last, the commercial market operators indicated that they expect to provide 70 Mbps to 100 Mbps services to 50% of the population by 2015. The commercial sector is already making these investments in high speed services, particularly in urban and semi-urban areas. The Government is committed in the Plan to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Prices (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Responsibility for the regulation of the gas market, including the setting of certain gas tariffs, is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) which is an independent statutory body. Network costs are reviewed every five years and used to establish maximum allowed revenues for BGÉ's transmission and distribution activities for a given year of the five-year period. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Conservation (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Question Nos. 475 to 481, inclusive, together. The Better Energy programme is Ireland’s national energy efficiency upgrade programme, for which specific targets for energy savings are set out in the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP). The NEEAP emphasises the role of market actors in facilitating the delivery of energy savings, with the introduction of...