Results 11,841-11,860 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Bodies Data (20 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Departmental remit includes complex policy areas and oversight of State regulation and provision of key strategic services such as energy and public broadcasting. In this context, the number of Commercial State Bodies and Non-Commercial State Bodies, including Regulators, currently under the aegis of my Department, is 18. In the case of public bodies established by Statute, the maximum,...

Leaders' Questions (21 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Stop digging, Deputy Fleming, and sit down.

Leaders' Questions (21 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Hold my jacket.

Topical Issue Debate: Electricity Transmission Network (21 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I would like to thank the Deputies who have given me an opportunity to make these remarks about this issue. I do not know why it took three weeks for Deputy Phelan to get it on the agenda. I was out of the country on energy business over the last couple of days, but other than that, I am available to deal with the queries any time they are raised. EirGrid's Grid25 national programme, and...

Topical Issue Debate: Electricity Transmission Network (21 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I get the point. Deputy Pat Deering said there was a formal consultation process but that there was no real engagement. I am concerned about this because after the North-South project I had a number of direct discussions, apart from the republication of the 2012 policy statement, in which I made it plain that I wanted those involved to engage with citizens along the route in their own...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (21 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The primary support mechanisms for renewables, including wind farms, are the Alternative Energy Requirement (AER) schemes and the Renewable Energy Feed-In-Tariff (REFIT) schemes. These schemes were introduced to incentivise the development of renewable electricity generation capacity necessary to allow Ireland to meet its target of meeting 40% of electricity demand from renewable generation...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (21 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020 and it is expected that this will be met by achieving 40% renewable electricity, 12% renewable heating and 10% renewable transport. The Directive also requires that Member States set out in a National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) their...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (21 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland’s telecommunications market has been fully liberalised since 1999 in accordance with the requirements of binding EU Directives. The market has since developed into a well-regulated market, supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. Details of broadband services available in each County, including County...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Appointments to State Boards (21 Nov 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...

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Brian Lenihan senior's great phrase was "the futility of consistency". I beg the Deputy's pardon.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Bioenergy Strategy Implementation (26 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 432, 433 and 442 to 444, inclusive, together. Academic and industry research suggest that there is a potentially significant role for biogas and biomethane in meeting our renewable energy requirements, particularly in the challenging heat and transport sectors. Biogas can be utilised to generate electricity, heat or as a transport fuel. Electricity...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Banking (26 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department does not provide services to the public where payment is accepted by debit or credit card. However, the Geological Service of Ireland, a Division in my Department, operates a bookshop which accepts payment by debit and credit cards but does not charge fees to customers who avail of this facility. I will ask the agencies under the aegis of my Department to supply the requested...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (26 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland’s telecommunications market has been fully liberalised since 1999 in accordance with the requirements of binding EU Directives. The market has since developed into a well-regulated market, supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. Details of broadband services available in each County, including Counties...

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

Pat Rabbitte: There are a number of supports currently available for developing or upgrading micro-hydroelectric schemes in Ireland.The primary support mechanism for the support of renewables, including hydropower, is the Renewable Energy Feed-In-Tariff (REFIT) schemes. These schemes were introduced to incentivise the development of renewable electricity generation capacity necessary to allow Ireland to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (26 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The broadband service contracted under National Broadband Scheme (NBS) is a basic, affordable, scalable product in keeping with EU State Aid clearance for the Scheme in September 2007. Under the terms of the contract which my Department has in place with Hutchison 3G Ireland Ltd (trading as “3”), the NBS mobile wireless service currently offers minimum download and upload speeds...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (26 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 438 and 439 together. One of the objectives of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), as provided under the Broadcasting Act 2009, is to stimulate the provision of high quality, diverse and innovative programming by commercial, community and public service broadcasters and independent producers. In line with this objective, the BAI is assigned...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Sector Regulation (26 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I refer to the reply to Question No. 403 [49271/13] of 19 November 2013.

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

Pat Rabbitte: 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 to come, progress is being made towards increasing the share...

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

Pat Rabbitte: Under the EU Renewable Energy Directive, Ireland is required to increase the share of renewable energy in total energy demand from 3.1% in 2005 to 16% by 2020. To reach the 16% target, Ireland is committed to achieving 40% of electricity, 12% of heating and 10% of transport power from renewable resources by 2020. Wind generally displaces marginal generation plant, which are either gas or...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (26 Nov 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...