Results 11,681-11,700 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Transmission Network (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I regret that the Deputy should dismiss as claptrap and out of hand a €500 million investment programme designed to bring secure and safe energy to the south of Ireland-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Transmission Network (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: -----in the future. To dismiss it out of hand is entirely unreasonable. I was in the Deputy's constituency today and I missed him because he always gives a very warm welcome.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Transmission Network (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I can assure the Deputy that I never accused any Tipperary man of being caveman; I said the opposite.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Transmission Network (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I said there are no caveman in this country-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Transmission Network (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: -----and I did not mention Tipperary at all. I want to clear that I did not say that at any stage.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Transmission Network (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: No, the Deputy did not.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Transmission Network (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy is so busy talking he never hears anything; he is so busy talking he does not listen.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Transmission Network (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: This is a good news story-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Transmission Network (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: -----and it is very important that the concerns of local communities and local citizens are taken into account-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Transmission Network (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: -----and it is for that purpose that EirGrid has set up an expensive consultation process, along the line of the approximate route yet to be fixed on, where it can hear local representative organisations, local representatives, councillors and citizens make their feed in, as appropriate, to the process.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Electronic Payments (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The introduction of electronic payments for the social welfare system is primarily the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, as part of the payments strategy for her Department. In that regard, I have acknowledged that a move to e-payments will help to underpin national competitiveness. Indeed, the switch to electronic payments for social welfare transactions...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Electronic Payments (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I agree with Deputy Moynihan. There is no point in us putting our finger in the dyke. The digital economy is here. The trend towards electronic funds transfer and electronic commerce transactions generally is well under way and if we are to stay competitive, we must ensure we can compete in this space. We have a unique rate of retail outlets in Ireland in terms of our population. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Electronic Payments (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I take on board what the Deputy is saying. The evidence would appear to be, for example, that where a post office has been refurbished and modernised and has the latest technology, it attracts new business. Deputy Moynihan will know that some of the older offices he has spoken about have been run down, and the trickle of business is limited enough. I know the kind of constituency the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Postcode System Establishment (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland is the only country in the EU and OECD that does not have a national postcode, and this Government is strongly committed to introducing a national postcode system. Such a system will be a vital part of the national infrastructure. On 8 October 2013, I obtained Government approval for the launch of a new national postcode system that will provide a unique seven character code to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Postcode System Establishment (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I welcome Deputy Colreavy's support for the implementation of a postcode. The fact we did not do so in previous decades means we now have the benefit of technology which was not there previously. This unique identifier will be at the leading edge in that regard. The precious local address will not be interfered with. There will be a new line at the bottom of the envelope, so whatever the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Postcode System Establishment (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The cost of the contract over ten years is €25 million. The two big elements of that are the cost of accessing the GeoDirectory data and the cost of upgrading departmental databases, so that they can exploit the new post code system. Some €8.27 million will be paid to the GeoDirectory. That is money which comes back to the State as the GeoDirectory is a State organisation...

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I launched the first phase of the Government's national digital strategy in July this year. The aim of the strategy is to significantly increase the levels of digital adoption in Ireland. It sets out key objectives across three different strands, namely, trading online and entrepreneurship; citizen engagement, and education and e-learning. My Department has worked closely with...

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I agree with Deputy Moynihan that we ought not to allow a new divide to arise in the country - this time a digital divide - between parts of the rural population and urban Ireland in terms of the services available there. The basic training programme to which I referred is an attempt, in part, to address that but Deputy Moynihan raises the more fundamental question about the availability of...

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I thought we were due to finish at this stage.

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I am confused.