Results 12,461-12,480 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Other Questions: Wind Energy Generation (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: Deputy Moynihan is correct. It is technically feasible, but the cost that comes with it is the issue. For example, one could run an AC cable and, upon reaching a particularly scenic area, nothing would prevent one from putting the cable underground, but it could not be for a long distance. Doing that would require a DC cable. Take something as simple as the Tyrone-Meath line. The...

Other Questions: Broadcasting Legislation (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: At the outset, I clarify that my responsibility is for broadcasting legislation. Defamation legislation is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality. The commitment I gave during the debate in the Seanad on 18 February 2014 was to amend section 39 of the Broadcasting Act 2009. That section requires every broadcaster to ensure that nothing is broadcast which might...

Other Questions: Broadcasting Legislation (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: Whatever changes I eventually settle on, I will put them into committee where we can tease through the type of issue Deputy Murphy raises. I do not know of any legal prohibition to provide for the circumstances the Deputy describes. One could easily see the case for the defence in this matter, namely, that the person being referred to took offence and sought an apology. As I understand it,...

Other Questions: Broadcasting Legislation (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I have not been furnished with the precise date of the initiation of the contemplated legal action. While that is a matter between the person concerned and his solicitors, my understanding is that there was the narrowest possible window between the legal action being launched and the resignation of the individual in question. In fairness to him, he wrote his letter of resignation as soon as...

Other Questions: Post Office Network (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I am not sure I agree with Deputy Naughten that-----

Other Questions: Post Office Network (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: Did I not read the formal reply?

Other Questions: Post Office Network (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: As Deputy Naughten does not wish me to read it, I will not do so. I am not sure I would agree with Deputy Naughten that An Post sees it as a cost rather than an asset. The collapse of mail volumes by 25% in the past five years owing to e-substitution and so on rather than the collapse of An Post's core business is what is driving the pressure on the postal network. The fear on the part of...

Other Questions: Post Office Network (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I did. It is part of the submission being made by my Department to the Cabinet sub-committee on social policy. I have gone outside the two examples provided at that time by Deputy Naughten. I am also looking at the possibility of returning the driving licence service to An Post. I also wonder whether if in small villages where Garda stations have been closed post offices might serve as a...

Other Questions: Post Office Network (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: There are very good social reasons why we cannot consider this matter only through the prism of cost. I accept the argument in that regard. Like all clichés, however, that which Deputy Moynihan condemned earlier has a grain of truth. As Deputy Moynihan stated, An Post is a commercial State company with a remit to carry out its business profitably, etc. As such, it is not in receipt...

Other Questions: Post Office Network (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: It is not the case that An Post has sat on its hands, so to speak, in this area. An Post has extended new business lines in recent years in a range of areas, including Garda fines, gun licences, insurance services, foreign exchange services, Postfone, extended banking services, TaxPay, the DHL retail partnership, real-time waste top-up, Dublin same-day delivery, Saorview and the secure meter...

Other Questions: Post Office Network (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: Of course it is not true because the Government has no plans to close post offices. As I have stated, a total of 197 post offices were closed between 2006 and 2010 but I did not hear a squeak from some of the people who are now concerned about the fact that a total of 17 have closed since 2010.

Other Questions: Post Office Network (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: We should see this in perspective and acknowledge that there is a responsibility on the part of the people who manage the commercial offices. I agree with Deputy Durkan. At a time when the banks are resiling from interaction with average customers at the bank counter, there are possibilities for the post office given its network of retail outlets. An Post is and has been examining these...

ESB (Electronic Communications Networks) Bill 2013: From the Seanad (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: These are technical drafting amendments back from the Seanad. They have been drafted following consultation with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel and are required to improve the legal certainty of the Bill. They do not represent a change in policy in respect of the sections affected.

ESB (Electronic Communications Networks) Bill 2013: From the Seanad (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I thank the House for facilitating the passage of the Bill. I acknowledge the level of consensus in the House supporting this initiative to use the existing ESB supply system, either by the ESB or by the ESB in collaboration with another company, to provide fibre optic cable to parts of Ireland that have endured a less than adequate service on occasion in recent years. I thank the House for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The cost to the State of delivering the Metropolitan Area Networks or MANs Programme is in the region of €176 million. The Programme was eligible for co-funding of 40% to 50% under the European Regional Development Fund. Phase I of the MANs programme delivered optical fibre based networks to twenty eight towns and cities around the country. The total capital cost of Phase I of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 16 together. The Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August 2012, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed broadband is available to all citizens and businesses including those in County Donegal. This will be achieved by providing: - a policy and regulatory framework that...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (11 Mar 2014)

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: Renewable Energy Exports (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: In January of 2013 the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Mr. Edward Davey M.P. and I signed a Memorandum of Understanding on energy cooperation. That Memorandum sent a strong signal of our shared interest in exploring the opportunity to export green electricity from Ireland to Britain and resulted in consideration over the last fifteen months of how Irish renewable energy...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Mobile Telephony (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The regulation of retail charges for roaming services is implemented by way of EU Regulations which limit the maximum retail prices for retail roaming services within the European Union. The first such EU Regulation commenced in 2007. Two further EU Regulations were introduced in 2010 and 2012 to further reduce the maximum permitted retail roaming charges within the EU and to increase...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Legislation (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21, 33 and 36 together. There are a range of legislative proposals currently under consideration in my Department which will require amendment of the Broadcasting Act 2009. The Programme for Government commits to examining the role and collection of the TV Licence fee and to the introduction of a household based Public Service Broadcasting Charge, to be...