Results 11,261-11,280 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte
- Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (10 Jul 2013)
Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 182 and 184 together. It is a condition of EU and International Energy Agency (IEA) membership that all Member States maintain certain levels of strategic oil reserves to maintain security of oil supply. The National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) is responsible for maintaining Ireland’s 90 days of strategic oil stocks for use in the event of an oil...
- Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Mobile Telephony (10 Jul 2013)
Pat Rabbitte: A proposal to register all customers of mobile phone services was considered previously by my Department which identified many complex legal, technical, data protection and practical issues to be considered. It was concluded at the time that the proposal would not solve the illegal and inappropriate use of mobile phones and was not practical. There are no current proposals to compel mobile...
- Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (10 Jul 2013)
Pat Rabbitte: At the end of December 2008, the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) held 46% of their stockholding obligation as physical stocks on the island of Ireland, 38% as physical stocks abroad and 16% as stock tickets. By the end of April 2013, the situation has dramatically improved and the split is now 74% as physical stocks on the island of Ireland and 26% as physical stocks in other EU Member...
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: I thank the Vice Chairman. I apologise for the unavoidable absence of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Fergus O'Dowd. I agree that perhaps the best way for us to proceed is by way of questions and answers. There are some very large policy issues hanging or dependent on some of the subhead items which I am sure colleagues will want to take the opportunity to query. The gross...
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: Will the Deputy repeat that?
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: Which subhead?
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: I am with the Deputy.
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: Deputy Moynihan is correct. When one sees the various subheads of the Vote one appreciates the expanse and variation in the area encompassed by the Department. In his questions he put particular emphasis on the importance of broadband, the progress that will be made by the end of the year and the financial issues that will arise from that. This relates in part to Deputy Harrington's...
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: Will the Deputy pose his question again? I am finding it quite difficult to locate the figures to which he refers.
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: What is the Deputy's point?
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: If the Deputy looks at the total figure - this applies to communications as well as across the Department - he will see that the level of staffing is below the ceiling we were permitted. There are a variety of reasons for this, such as people taking retirement, etc. The position in this regard will be corrected as the year progresses because as Deputy Colreavy noted, we certainly do not...
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: Does the Chairman wish me to deal with these matters now?
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: First, in response to the Chairman's own question, the €185,724,000 really is what it claims to be, namely, an estimate. If one looks at the 2012 Estimate, it is the same Estimate. However, the Chairman's point is that it is more than the outturn for 2012. The reason for that is the outturn was somewhat less than the Estimate for reasons of evasion, non-collection, the recession or...
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: It may be so. In any event, the outturn of €179 million fell short of what was the Estimate. While the 2013 Estimates include a figure of €185,724,000, as Zhou Enlai replied when asked about the impact of the French Revolution, it is too early to say yet where that figure will end up. However the Chairman is correct, in that there is a significant evasion problem that could...
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: The answer to that is "Yes" and "No". Yes, more money will be there but the Chairman already has heard from Deputy Moynihan that others are contending for a share of the revenue. For example, the independent production sector makes an increasingly valuable contribution these days in respect of creativity, innovation and that kind of thing. The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, that is,...
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: To some degree, it is in the eye of the beholder. The Act sets out broad principles. Philosophically, we are talking about the obligation on public service broadcasters to reflect society back to itself in terms of current affairs, news reporting, quality productions, drama and culture, for example. I refer also to the support of symphony orchestras. Regional radio stations produce public...
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: Yes, but it was to facilitate the independent sector which constitutes people who are not RTE employees although they may be former RTE employees or just young people have come through the education system who make documentaries or other programmes and sell them to RTE. They do have access to that fund.
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: I agree with Deputy Michael Moynihan that the merit of the energy efficiency drive is that it is a win-win. It reduces our consumption of energy. It leads to a reduction in our import bill, contributes to healthier living and leads to savings for the consumer. There is no doubt that given current constraints, we should be targeting money at energy efficiency measures. As the Deputy said,...
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: That is correct. I accept that much of the built environment is not up to the standard that it might be if we were developing it now. That is true. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, was allocated €50 million in the past few weeks to address the precise issue identified by the Deputy, which relates to local authority housing. That should see a fairly quick...
- Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Pat Rabbitte: The whole thrust of policy is to get control of emissions and to decarbonise the energy sector. We have had considerable success so far. International experts regard Ireland having 17% of its electricity generated from wind as a considerable achievement. The figures Deputy Colreavy referred to relate to the amount of renewable energy added per annum. It is not even. We have targets to...