Results 12,961-12,980 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: 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. This will be achieved by providing:- - a policy and regulatory framework that assists in accelerating and incentivising commercial investment; and - a State-led...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Appointments to State Boards (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The Board of Bord na Móna plc was established under the Turf Development Act, 1998. The Board consists of up to twelve members. Of these, seven of the members are appointed by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The remainder are the Managing Director who is appointed by the Board and is an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: As we are a bit late in starting-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: -----I might skip the formal statement, because the launch of the ESB-Vodafone joint venture is proceeding this morning. The purpose of the work that preceded the national broadband plan and the publication of the plan itself was to enhance commercial investment in the provision of broadband. Where the commercial sector will not invest or cannot invest adequately, the State must intervene....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: Yes, the process will be concluded by autumn and will be published for whatever consultation and response will happen. I do not mean, for example, the new joint venture company will not intrude in some of those areas. Where they do, and those villages fall off, we will have the capacity to add them on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: Of course. Eircom may also intrude into some of those areas and all the people in the areas are concerned about is whether they can get it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I agree with the Deputy's substantial conclusion, that fibre optic connectivity will address the issues about which he is concerned regarding the disparity between rural and urban Ireland. The Deputy is correct that one or two pockets close to O'Connell Street are black spots due to historical reasons. Senator Eamonn Coghlan has spoken to me privately about a particular area with which he...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: While some are more advanced than others, they are in full flight.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I was asked about the 50% commitment this morning. It was a commitment of the commercial sector at the time of the preparation of the broadband plan, and the commercial operators - Eircom, UPC and others - have exceeded it. The Eircom plan will take until mid-2016 and will exceed 1.4 million premises, compared to its commitment of 1 million. In view of the trends here and internationally...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: On the supplementary question from Deputy McEntee, that will all be exposed in the detailed mapping exercise that will be completed by autumn. More than half of the work has been done on that. That is a minute exercise in planning and comparisons in terms of being able to persuade the Commission that there is not a private sector alternative available. To do that, this detailed exercise had...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy is not wrong but we have moved on for a number of reasons. The funding prospects are not as gloomy as they were in 2011. The rate of acceleration in applications is greater than we envisaged and a further important change is the commission has clearly indicated that its assessment of projects that seek permission for the State to intervene will be more demanding in terms of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I apologise. The influence we can have, which is bearing fruit, is better competition. The entrance today of a new commercial company is being portrayed in some quarters as a State intervention. The ESB is a commercial State company and the joint venture with Vodafone is a commercial enterprise. That is a new player in the market. We have to improve competition because that is the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: Deputy Coffey is correct. People are not prepared to tolerate a very poor or inadequate service anymore. The traditional division that might have been between rural areas and urban areas 30 or 40 years ago is no longer the case. Therefore we have to respond. When the national broadband scheme was introduced the alternative was nothing. In addition the expectations were a great deal...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: That is a very confidential matter and I could not possibly comment. The fact the school attracts pupils from the mainland who come across on the ferry in the morning and back in the evening is evidence of how this technology can revolutionise the teaching environment. We are examining with the Minister for Education and Skills how we can address the undoubted growing demand from the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: We have been examining this. This year there has been a change in the franchise for the operation of the MANs, which has prompted this type of examination. I do not want to commit myself at this stage, because the other side of it is that competition in the sector is very important. The ESB and Vodafone would take offence at their venture being characterised as the State intervening. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland operates a code which provides against misleading advertising. Separately ComReg assesses promised speeds as against delivery. I suspect the most egregious examples to which the Senator is pointing relate to a generalised advertisement not being appropriate for a particular pocket which has basic connectivity problems, and when it comes down...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: National Broadband Plan: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (2 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I thank the Chairman.

Oil and Gas Fiscal System Review: Statements (3 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I am pleased to have the opportunity to open this debate on the Wood Mackenzie report on Ireland’s oil and gas fiscal system. In the mid-1970s, when Ireland’s first oil and gas fiscal terms were introduced, there was an expectation that the Irish offshore would be the next North Sea, particularly after the initial success of the Kinsale gas find in 1971. Those terms were set...

Oil and Gas Fiscal System Review: Statements (3 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The 5% upfront is an important provision.

Oil and Gas Fiscal System Review: Statements (3 Jul 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: We do not have the money. At €100 million per-----