Results 11,861-11,880 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electric Vehicle Grants (26 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: In April 2011, I opened the Electric Vehicles Grant Scheme, which is run by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, to incentivise the purchase of new electric vehicles. Only passenger or light commercial vehicles, categories M1 or N1, which have achieved European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval, qualify for aid under the scheme. 276 of the electric vehicles registered over the...

Gas Regulation Bill 2013: From the Seanad (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I apologise for being late. I was at a committee with a European agenda. I do not know why the timetabling was so tight. We are dealing with some amendments from the Seanad to conclude the passage of the Gas Regulation Bill. Having regard to developments this morning, I felt it would not be appropriate in my dealings with the Opposition if I did not make some brief opening remarks in...

Gas Regulation Bill 2013: From the Seanad (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: As part of the assets-disposal process required by the troika as part of the programme we are now about to exit, the Government decided on the disposal of the energy business of Bord Gáis and the retention in State ownership of the distributive networks. The legislation before the House is to enable that to happen. It is not that the Government has taken any decision not to sell the...

Gas Regulation Bill 2013: From the Seanad (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The reference to section 46 in amendment No. 1 is a reference to the new section 46 proposed to be inserted by amendment No. 15. These amendments are considered necessary because at present there is no provision in primary legislation to provide for ministerial approval for the making of a pension scheme by Irish Water. The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish...

Gas Regulation Bill 2013: From the Seanad (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: No. I can certainly give the assurance he seeks. This is a very calculated and deliberate decision by the Government to establish a water utility in State ownership, and to grow it and maintain it in State ownership in order to deal with some of the acute problems we have in water provision and water wastage. The purpose here is to enable it to get on with its business because key critical...

Gas Regulation Bill 2013: From the Seanad (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: This is purely a drafting amendment.

Gas Regulation Bill 2013: From the Seanad (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: These amendments are grouped, as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle says. They are drafting amendments. They are purely technical and are proposed to provide greater clarity with respect to the assets, licences, rights and liabilities and staff of BGE and its subsidiaries, which may be included in the transfer plan and to provide that assets may be transferred to an energy company from BGE, a...

Gas Regulation Bill 2013: From the Seanad (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: This amendment relates to a taxation matter and is designed to avoid a potential anomaly in the treatment of capital gains tax on the proceeds from any future sale of Bord Gáis Energy. Under existing tax rules the pre-sale transfer of the energy assets by BGE into a subsidiary known as the energy company, as provided for in the Gas Regulation Bill 2013 will automatically be subject to...

Business of Dáil (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I move: "That the sitting be suspended from 11.09 a.m. until 12.00 p.m."

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: In January of this year the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Mr. Edward Davey MP, and I signed a Memorandum of Understanding on energy cooperation. That Memorandum sent a strong signal of our shared interest in developing the opportunity to export green electricity from Ireland to Britain and will result in completion of consideration of how Irish renewable...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland has the capability to achieve its national targets for renewable electricity from onshore renewable generation alone, with capacity to spare. This means that, under the co-operation mechanisms outlined in Directive 2009/28/EC, there is potential for projects of scale both onshore and offshore that are aimed at export markets. It is in this context that the United Kingdom Secretary of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Sector Regulation (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 133 together. The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is the statutory independent body responsible for regulation of the broadcasting sector, which includes oversight of compliance in relation to broadcast content. The monitoring and enforcement of compliance by broadcasters with the various codes and standards established by the Authority is a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Expenditure (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department administers a very diverse and complex brief. Its remit includes oversight of very complex policy areas and direct procurement of major services where protection of the State’s interest must be paramount. This situation necessarily requires my Department to procure specialist external professional advice in legal areas to enable it to discharge its responsibility to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Forthcoming Telecommunications and Energy Council of Ministers Meeting: Discussion with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Yes. I am in the House with a Bill and I presume colleagues on the committee or at least the spokespersons will want to be in the Chamber as well because we are prosecuting a Bill.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Forthcoming Telecommunications and Energy Council of Ministers Meeting: Discussion with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I thank the members for the opportunity to appear before the joint committee today to discuss the forthcoming Telecommunications and Energy Councils on 5 and 12 December, respectively. I will start by dealing with the Telecommunications Council. I understand the committee already has a copy of the draft agenda. The Lithuanian Presidency will provide the Council with progress reports on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Forthcoming Telecommunications and Energy Council of Ministers Meeting: Discussion with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: There are a number of important questions. The primary motivation behind the digital single market across Europe is not so much focused on the impact on domestic consumers; rather, it is about facilitating continued economic growth within the European Union and removing obstacles to stimulating investment and growth within Europe. It is a matter of enabling Europe to compete with Asia and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Forthcoming Telecommunications and Energy Council of Ministers Meeting: Discussion with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: No. The report was only seriously engaged in during the summer and will not be published until the end of this year. There will not be any push in the interim until we get that report and member states have had an opportunity to examine it. No primary biofuels are being processed in Ireland and all secondary biofuels are from used cooking oil and tallow. The biggest and most significant...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Forthcoming Telecommunications and Energy Council of Ministers Meeting: Discussion with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I cannot agree more with Deputy Coffey. The exciting point about this new technology is that it offers the regions an opportunity for local development that they never had previously. If we can improve the quality of broadband interconnectivity in provincial Ireland, it will stimulate the creation of local employment that has not been possible in the past 100 years of industrial policy. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Forthcoming Telecommunications and Energy Council of Ministers Meeting: Discussion with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Perhaps the Deputy should stay more in touch with neighbouring counties.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Forthcoming Telecommunications and Energy Council of Ministers Meeting: Discussion with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (27 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I have business in the Dáil after Question Time. I apologise to the committee. It is not my regulation.