Results 10,621-10,640 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Mobile Telephony (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The award of spectrum licences including the imposition and monitoring of associated quality and coverage requirements for the spectrum rights to provide mobile telephony services are statutory functions of the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) under the Communications Regulation Act, 2002 as amended. Section 11 of the Act, requires that “Subject to this Act, the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Prices (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government is most concerned at the impact of higher energy prices on residential and commercial consumers. It is the case however, that Ireland in the main, is at the mercy of international fossil fuel prices which dictate the retail price of electricity and gas, which is the key factor in the retail price of both electricity and gas. In particular, Ireland is a price taker for gas....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I assume the Deputy is referring to price support schemes for renewable energy generation. Ireland operates a number of support schemes for renewable generation known as REFIT. The REFIT schemes operate by providing a floor price for renewable electricity exported to the grid from specified technologies over a 15 year period. The reference rates for the REFIT 1 and REFIT 2 scheme per...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Under Directive 2009/28/EC Ireland was set a target of 16% of all energy consumption to be from renewable sources by 2020, up from 3.1% in 2005. Each Member State was required to have at least 10% renewable transport consumption by 2020 and was required to produce a National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP), setting out how the overall target would be achieved across the electricity,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Social Media Regulation (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: As the Deputy will be aware, Social Media are online platforms that allow people create, share and exchange information, and to comment amongst themselves in virtual communities and networks. To date, these media have not been subject to a formal regulatory regime akin to that used to ‘regulate’ traditional radio and television broadcast media, either in Ireland or in other...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postal Services (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Operational matters in relation to the post office network are a matter for the management and Board of An Post and one in which I have no statutory function. As shareholder, however, I have a strong concern in relation to the ongoing commercial position of the Company and I regularly liaise with the Company in this regard. An Post has many strengths and has the largest retail presence in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Cloud Computing (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Cloud computing has the potential to revolutionise the IT investment model in Ireland and elsewhere. It allows companies to use the internet to efficiently access vast amounts of computing resources that would otherwise be beyond their reach. A report undertaken by A&L Goodbody and commissioned by Microsoft has suggested that Cloud Computing sales by Irish firms could be worth...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Gas Exploration (26 Feb 2013)

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, which began last year, including the construction of a 5km...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Schemes (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme under the Better Energy Programme. The Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures to households that are vulnerable to energy poverty. The scheme is delivered through a combination of SEAI appointed Community Based Organisations (CBOs), augmented by a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Oil and Gas Installations Regulation (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I assume that the Deputy is referring to the potential dangers that may result from faulty installations, especially carbon monoxide gas, which would be dangerous 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 24 September 2012. The Awareness Week saw a sustained, multi-media publicity campaign to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Incentives (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The REFIT support system was introduced to support renewable sources of electricity in Ireland. The current REFIT reference rates are as follows: Technology Price (Euro/MWh) Large wind = 69.235 Small Wind = 71.664 Hydro = 87.455 Biomass/Landfill Gas = 85.026 Approximately 1900MW of renewable...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Electric Ireland has been offering a 9c/kwh feed in tariff, on a commercial basis, to domestic microgenerators since February 2009. No other electricity supply company has to date chosen to enter the market and to offer a microgeneration feed-in-tariff on a commercial basis, although the Commission for Energy Regulation invited them to do so. No company has opted to offer, on a commercial...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department have been in contact with ESB Networks (ESBN) regarding micro renewable generation. When a micro-generator has been installed and ESBN have received payment for the import/export meter along with the necessary Electro-Technical Council of Ireland (ETCI) electrical certification, ESB Networks will install import/export metering. ESBN have informed us that the average connection...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Schemes (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 206 and 207 together. The Energy Efficiency Fund (the Fund) will be established with the aim of providing finance to energy efficiency initiatives in the public and private sectors. The aim is to attract matching funding from the private sector, such that the overall amount available for investment is greater than €70 million. The Fund will be...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Staff Numbers (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department currently employs a full time equivalent of 10 staff on fixed term contracts. These staff are employed in the Private Offices of the Minister and Minister of State and the number includes four civilian drivers. Their pay and associated costs are accounted for in the Department’s Vote, which is reported on a monthly basis to the Department of Public Expenditure and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Staff (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I can confirm that two former members of staff, who have retired from within my Department, were reinstated for a very short period following their retirement for specific projects, which required their previous expertise and experience. One has not yet sought payment for his brief employment on a translation project. The other was employed in 2012 as a petroleum affairs expert at a cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Staff Numbers (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department does not employ any agency staff.

Topical Issue Debate: Post Office Network (28 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I agree with a great deal of what Deputy Wallace said. In my recent reply to a similar question from him, I set out that it is my clear objective that An Post remain a strong and viable State company, providing high-quality services on a nationwide basis through a network of economically viable post offices, and this remains my position. I know this objective is shared on all sides of the...

Topical Issue Debate: Post Office Network (28 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I have passed on to An Post the concerns about Duncormick post office, in particular, which the Deputy mentioned. Contractual issues arose there and I understand notices have been posted locally inviting submissions from the local people. An Post has guaranteed me it will take them into account in making whatever decision it eventually arrives at, and that consultation process is quite...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Schemes (28 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The strategic and economic importance of investment in networks and energy infrastructure was emphasised in the ‘Government Policy Statement on the Strategic Importance of Transmission and Other Energy Infrastructure’, published in July 2012. The North-South transmission line is vital infrastructure for the island. The lack of sufficient interconnection between the North and...