Results 11,141-11,160 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: EU Directives (11 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department is currently working on transposing a number of EU Directives the details of which are set out in tabular format below. Title of Directive/Regulation Present Position Required latest date of transposition EU Regulation 994/2010  concerning measures to safeguard security of gas supply and repealing Council Directive 2004/67/EC The Regulation came into effect on...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Speeds (11 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Question Nos. 532 and 536 together. The National Broadband Plan commits to speeds of 30Mbps – 70Mbps with target upload speeds in the region of 25% - 30% of these speeds. This will require investment by the State in areas where there is no commercial market. In order to progress the State-led investment, a full procurement process must be designed. In...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (11 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department is making preparations to commence a formal national mapping exercise to identify those areas where State intervention will be required to enable the delivery of high speed broadband services over the coming years in line with the commitments set out in the National Broadband Plan. It will also form a critical input to an EU State Aid application in respect of any State-led...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (11 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Question Nos. 534 and 535 together. The State can only intervene to ensure access to broadband services in areas where the competitive market has failed to deliver such services, as in the case of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS). Following an extensive mapping exercise and a competitive tendering process, my Department entered into a contract in late 2008 with...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: European Council Meetings (11 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Given the Irish Presidency’s emphasis on promoting stability, jobs and growth, our focus within the Telecoms’ Council has been to progress initiatives under the Digital Agenda for Europe and to push for the completion of the various dossiers linked to the Digital Single Market. At its meeting on June, I reported to Council on progress in relation to the various files for which...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: European Council Meetings (11 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: At the Energy part of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy (TTE) Council, which was held in Luxembourg on Friday, I presided over discussions by EU Energy Ministers on the areas of the internal energy market, the indirect land-use change issue in relation to biofuels production, energy technologies and innovation, and external energy relations. Ministers were presented with a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Postcode System Establishment (11 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government is committed to introducing a national postcode system. The implementation of a national postcode system is a complex and detailed process. The procurement process to select a postcode management licence holder to implement a National Postcode System is ongoing. It is expected that the matter will be put to final tender in the near future. A national postcode system is in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Warmer Homes Scheme Applications (12 Jun 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 SEAI maintains a live database of applicants who apply to be considered for the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Reports (12 Jun 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. My Department has completed a number of Value for Money and Policy Reviews since March 2011, publishing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Recreational Angling Sector Data (12 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I can advise the Deputy that it is intended to publish, in the coming weeks, the results of the most comprehensive National survey and analysis ever undertaken of the Recreational Angling Sector. I am advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), who commissioned the study, that while it is being finalised, the initial results indicate that there are 406,000 participants in angling across all...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Warmer Homes Scheme Data (12 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) under the Better Energy Programme. Warmer Homes provides a range of energy efficiency measures to households that are vulnerable to energy poverty. The SEAI has received 5,445 applications for the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme to date in 2013. Of these, 1,217 homes have been...

Leaders' Questions (13 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Therefore, the Deputy was behind it all the time.

Topical Issue Debate: Sale of Strategic Energy Assets (13 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I can never get accustomed to speaking to a House in which there are no Opposition Members present. The Acting Chairman possibly provides the only opposition for the Government.

Topical Issue Debate: Sale of Strategic Energy Assets (13 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: This is an entirely new experience for me. I thank Deputy Noel Harrington for raising his concerns which I am sure are shared by many people about the somewhat unexpected announcement made last week. Security of oil supply is central to the economy and our economic and social development. Oil is imported either in the form of petroleum products or as crude oil. The crude oil imported...

Topical Issue Debate: Sale of Strategic Energy Assets (13 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I assure Deputy Harrington that it is my intention in the very near future to publish the strategic study and I would be very happy to see it debated in the joint committee. It is open to the committee to bring in representatives from Phillips 66 to discuss different aspects of that company's decision. The fact is that the obligations to 2016 will remain in place. It is difficult to say...

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

Pat Rabbitte: Since market liberalisation in 1999, the provision of telecommunications services, including broadband services, is primarily a matter for the service providers concerned who operate in a fully liberalised market, regulated by the independent regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). Details of commercial services available in each County can be found on ComReg's...

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

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 107 together. All post-primary schools will have a 100Mbps broadband connection installed by the end of 2014, through a project jointly funded by my Department and the Department of Education and Skills (DES). The national rollout, which commenced in 2012, will be completed on an incremental basis. Last year some 202 schools were identified for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (13 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: As the Deputy will be aware I published the second National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) on 28 February last, which reaffirms Ireland's commitment to a 20% energy savings target in 2020 in pursuit of our EU obligations. This is equivalent to 31,925 Gigawatt hours (GWh) or a reduction in annual CO2 emissions of around 7.7 Mega tonnes (Mt). Recognising that Government must lead by...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Conservation (13 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Energy Efficiency Fund (the Fund) will be established with the aim of providing finance to energy efficiency projects 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 ultimately greater than €70 million. The Fund will be managed by an independent fund manager and operate on...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Television Licence Fee Collection (13 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The current TV licensing system is underpinned by Part 9 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, which sets out inter alia the requirement to have a television licence and the penalties for not having a valid licence. Currently, only one class of licence and one level of licence fee exist and this covers any number of devices so long as they are all in the same property (residential or commercial)....