Results 10,541-10,560 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

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

Pat Rabbitte: Telecommunications services providers operate in a fully liberalised market. Neither I nor the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the market regulator, has statutory authority to impose regulated maximum retail price limits on service providers operating in a competitive market. ComReg does have statutory authority to impose a universal service obligation (USO) on one or...

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

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland’s telecommunications market has been liberalised since 1999 and since then has developed into a well-regulated market, supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. Details of broadband services available on a County-by-County basis can be found on the website of the Commission for Communications Regulation...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Digital Television Service (20 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: This is an issue that will arise right across the EU as 4G services are rolled out. My Department is aware that organisations in several countries including Ofcom have conducted studies on the potential problem. A group has been established by my Department to examine the degree to which this issue may arise in Ireland when the roll-out of 4G services commences later in 2013. This group...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (20 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Considerable progress has been made in recent years in both the coverage and speeds of national broadband infrastructure, with a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. The combination of private investment and State interventions such as the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) and the Rural Broadband Scheme (RBS) means that Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Charges (20 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: Exploration Licences (21 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The three onshore licensing options granted in February 2011 are for a two year period from 1st March 2011 to 28th February 2013. The licensing options confer upon the holders the first right, exercisable at any time during the period of the option, to an application for an exploration licence or licences over all or part of the area covered by the option. Under the terms of the licensing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Exploration Licences (21 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Energy and Natural Resources (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No.2) Order 2011, (S.I. 631 of 2011), delegates powers and duties under, inter alia, the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960 (No.7 of 1960), to Deputy Fergus O’Dowd, Minister of State at my Department. This delegation confers the power to Minister of State O’Dowd to grant Exploration Licences....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (21 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I am very conscious of the dangers posed by carbon monoxide gas to people in their homes and at their places of work. In that regard I was pleased to launch the first Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week on the 24th September 2012. The Awareness Week saw a sustained, multi-media publicity campaign to alert people to the dangers posed by carbon monoxide and to give them advice as to what they...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee Collection (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The programme for Government commits to examining the role and collection of the television licence fee in the light of the existing and projected convergence of technologies and the transforming of the television licence into a household based public broadcasting charge to be applied to all eligible households and applicable businesses, regardless of the device used to access content or...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee Collection (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The answer is "Yes". I have been talking to Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, for example, which has made certain proposals to me in this regard on the basis that their stations broadcast public service content. I am examining its case. A pretty fundamental review by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland is under way. It is about to be concluded. I will examine it in this context. It...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee Collection (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: There is certainly a difficulty in this regard. There is no doubt about it. We will examine whether it can be surmounted. I do not dispute what the Deputy has said about the value of the output of these regional stations, which undoubtedly carry public service content. This is not the only sector from which I get representations looking for a share of the licence fee. There are others out...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The policy of promoting renewable energy in Ireland has been in existence since the mid-1990s, when the alternative energy requirement schemes were introduced. High dependence on imported fossil fuels and the imperative to respond to the challenges of climate change have underpinned the switch to renewable energy. The policy has been reinforced at EU level, most recently with the decision...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The last thing I want to do is to increase Deputy Colreavy's level of unhappiness, but I have to say to him that what I have just put on the record of the House is that we do indeed have a very refined strategy in this area, and I refer him back to the Strategy for Renewable Energy 2012-2020, which I published last year. I suggest that Deputy Colreavy cannot take up the position he did when...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I do not see how banning turbines would enable jobs to be created here.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The purpose behind what we are doing is using a resource that has not heretofore been exploited in order to create employment, generate earnings for the State and, in the process, diminish our imports in terms of fossil fuels. There is very careful strategic consideration behind what we are doing. It provides the opportunity for a new export sector in Ireland. The scale of it remains to be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Guidelines (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 93 together. The policy of promoting renewable energy in Ireland has been in existence since the mid-1990s. High dependence on imported fossil fuels and the imperative to respond to the challenges of climate change have underpinned the switch to renewable energy. This policy has been reinforced at EU level, most recently with the decision to pursue a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Guidelines (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I agree with the Deputy that it is important that these developments take place sensitively and, wherever possible, with the consent and support of local communities. I set out some ways in which communities might become involved. I also set out, in the strategic policy statement to which I refer, possibilities for community gain and community participation. Deputy Pringle is bringing...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Guidelines (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I do not disagree with very much of what Deputy Moynihan stated. He is correct - and I repeat - that we must proceed with sensitivity. There are always local considerations which must be taken into account. I am very conscious of that fact. On Saturday last in Galway, I met representatives from the organisation known by the acronym CREWE. The full title of the organisation escapes me but...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Guidelines (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The entire exercise we are engaged in is to try to crystallise the benefits to Ireland. That is the entire approach behind what we are doing. As I have said publicly previously, I do not have any intention of settling for construction jobs and making the sandwiches. There must be a return to Ireland, and in terms of the smaller wind farms that have been built already there is a return in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Media Mergers (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: As Deputy Ross may be aware, at present my primary function in regard to media is directly related to my remit in the broadcasting sector. The responsibility for control of mergers and acquisitions, including those relating to the media in the State, lies with my colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. However, legislation is in train in his Department to significantly...