Results 11,701-11,720 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I did not know that.

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: You are lucky we had not gone, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

Other Questions: Biofuel Obligation Scheme Targets (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 148 together. The 2009 renewable energy directive sets all member states a binding target that 10% of the energy used in the transport sector must come from renewable sources by 2020. The directive also requires that all bio-fuels used to meet the 10% target must comply with certain sustainability criteria. Specifically, they must not be made from...

Other Questions: Biofuel Obligation Scheme Targets (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Either the Deputy is incorrect, or my advice and my direct knowledge is incorrect. This is the first I have heard about 27 Commissioners signing off on a 5% cap. I suggest it never happened. If it happened while I was president of the Council, nobody told me about it. Rather than agreeing to a 5% cap, some of the countries mentioned by the Deputy were quite opposed to the line I was...

Other Questions: Biofuel Obligation Scheme Targets (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: No, I am afraid that is not the case at all. The Deputy is misinformed. After I met representatives of non-governmental organisations during the Irish Presidency, I undertook to submit their arguments into the debate in Europe. I have to inform the Deputy that when I did so, the arguments in question received a very cold reception from some states. If I thought that a blocking minority...

Other Questions: Telecommunications Services Provision (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Considerable progress has been made in recent years in both the coverage of mobile telephone and broadband services across Ireland, with a multiplicity of commercial operators providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. ComReg advises that voice coverage is at 99% of the country. The Government has also undertaken a number of initiatives to bring broadband to those...

Other Questions: Telecommunications Services Provision (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Deputy Durkan is correct about the lack of uniformity of the service throughout the country. Unfortunately, that lack of uniformity is in every country with a rural population. We have the least densely populous rural demographics in the EU. That is not an excuse for creating a new digital divide in the country. We must do our utmost so that even where it is not commercial for the private...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Broadcasting Charge Introduction (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Programme for Government commits to transform the TV Licence into a household based Public Service Broadcasting Charge, to be applied to all eligible households and applicable businesses regardless of the device used to access content or services. It is not my intention that this Charge would place any additional burden on those who are currently compliant and pay their €160 per...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Climate Change Policy (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Government climate change policy has been developed in line with the ambitious EU climate and energy targets set for 2020. These targets set three key objectives for 2020: a 20% reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels; raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources to 20%; and a 20% improvement in the EU's energy efficiency. The Government is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postcode Implementation (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 17 and 28 together. 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 every letter-box in the State in 2015. The Government also approved, subject to contract, the appointment of a consortium headed by Capita Ireland as the company which will develop,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: In late 2008, the Trustees of the ESB Superannuation Scheme brought forward the Tri-Annual Valuation of the Scheme by one year to assess the financial health of the Scheme. The Actuarial Valuation to 31 December 2008 showed an ongoing valuation deficit of €1.9 billion and a Minimum Funding Standard deficit of €1.8 billion. Consequently, the ESB and the ESB Group of Unions...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Guidelines (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, in conjunction with my Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, is undertaking a review of the Wind Energy Guidelines which will address the key issues of noise (including separation distance) and shadow flicker. Draft guidelines will be published for public consultation by end-November 2013 with a view to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Appointments to State Boards (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: This Government has made changes in relation to appointments to State Boards and bodies with new arrangements involving advertisement of vacancies for applications from suitably qualified candidates and, in accordance with the government Decision of 12 April 2011, I have, each year, on my Department's website, invited Expressions of Interest from persons wishing to be considered for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The objective of the national mapping exercise under the National Broadband Plan is to identify and map current and planned broadband services, both basic and next generation access (NGA). The process for participating in the mapping exercise has been published on my Department's website () and notified to all undertakings authorised by ComReg. Information has been sought from participating...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: A full cost benefit analysis is under way to determine if it is mutually beneficial for Ireland and the United Kingdom to enter an Inter-Governmental Agreement in early 2014 to facilitate trade in renewable energy. A key part of this analysis is the potential for job creation in Ireland. A preliminary cost-benefit analysis completed by NewERA ahead of the signing of a Memorandum of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Oil and Gas Exploration (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: On 9 May 2012 the former Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture published its Report on Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration. The Report contained a number of recommendations in respect of the fiscal and regulatory framework applying to oil and gas exploration in Ireland. At my request the Report was debated in Seanad Éireann on 27 June 2012 and in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Sale of State Assets (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Bord Gáis Éireann is in the process of selling its energy business, Bord Gáis Energy. BGÉ and its advisors, working with NewERA, who are advising the Government in relation to the sale, are currently assessing the latest bids received for Bord Gáis Energy. The Deputy will understand that, as the process is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for me to make any further...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Seirbhísí Leathanbhanda (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Tá margadh teileachumarsáide na hÉireann saortha go hiomlán ó 1999 de réir riachtanais Threoracha cheangailteacha ón AE. Is cúram don earnáil phríobháideach, a oibríonn sa mhargadh lánsaortha, faoi rialáil rialtóra neamhspleách, An Coimisiún um Rialáil Cumarsáíde (ComReg), é na...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Corrib Gas Field Issues (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: A representative for Environ, the independent consultants appointed by my Department to assist in the oversight and monitoring of the conditions of consent to construct the Corrib Gas pipeline, conducted a site visit during the 2nd and 3rd of July this year. The purpose of this brief visit to the Corrib Project, which did not require access to the tunnel, was to: a) Review the points raised...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (24 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 45 and 46 together. The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. Ireland is currently heavily reliant on imported fossil fuels to meet our energy needs. While it is acknowledged that fossil fuels will remain part of the energy mix for some time...