Results 1,781-1,800 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Written Answers — Post Office Network: Post Office Network (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 233 together. The development and continued viability of An Post and the post office network is a matter for the board and management of An Post. There will continue to be a key national role for An Post, both in delivery of mails and as a quality service provider through its nationwide network of post office outlets. The market for traditional postal...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI, established as a statutory agency in May 2002, implements a wide variety of programmes on energy efficiency and renewable energy on behalf of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. Under SEI's house of tomorrow research, development and demonstration programme, financial support is directed at encouraging developers of housing, both...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has overall responsibility for the management of the EU emissions trading scheme in Ireland. Furthermore, the Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for operating and monitoring the scheme with participants being legally obliged to report their emissions levels on an annual basis to the agency. The Commission for Energy...

Written Answers — Postal Services: Postal Services (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 157 and 232 together. The development and continued viability of An Post and the post office network, is in the first instance, a matter for the board and management of An Post. An Post plays a key role, both in delivery of mails and as a quality service provider through its nationwide network of post office outlets. However, there is universal agreement that...

Written Answers — Electricity Generation: Electricity Generation (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: It is general policy to support development of distributed generation where economically feasible. Under the oversight of the Commission for Energy Regulation several measures have been put in place to ensure the development of a grid system that will facilitate the development of distributed or embedded generation. The commission has introduced an autoproducer tariff to ensure equitable...

Written Answers — Broadcasting Legislation: Broadcasting Legislation (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: My core policy objectives for the development of the broadcasting sector are detailed in the statement of strategy, 2003 to 2005 of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. These aim to create an environment that encourages the maintenance of high quality Irish radio and television services by both independent broadcasters and RTE; to secure a viable future for high...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 274 together. Within the electricity market a target is established to increase the amount of electricity consumed from renewable energy sources to 13.2% by 2010 as an alternative to existing fossil and carbon fuel sources. This is regarded as a challenging target to achieve. The new fixed price feed-in tariff support programme, recently announced,...

Written Answers — Broadcasting Legislation: Broadcasting Legislation (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: My core policy objectives for the development of the broadcasting sector are detailed in the statement of strategy, 2003 to 2005 of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. These include to create an environment that encourages the maintenance of high quality Irish radio and television services by both independent broadcasters and RTE; to secure a viable future for high...

Written Answers — Energy Resources: Energy Resources (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: Ireland is a member of the International Energy Agency, IEA, an OECD body which, inter alia, monitors developments in the international oil market. The IEA keeps the oil market situation under constant review. As a member of the IEA, Ireland is required to maintain emergency oil stocks equivalent to at least 90 days of net imports of crude oil equivalent in the previous year. The EU imposes a...

Written Answers — Broadcasting Legislation: Broadcasting Legislation (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: Work is continuing on the development of legislative proposals that will form the basis of a new broadcasting Bill. The priority issues to be addressed by the legislative proposals that will form the basis of a new broadcasting Bill include the establishment of a single content regulator for commercial, community and public service broadcasters; the establishment of RTE as a company under the...

Written Answers — Electricity Generation: Electricity Generation (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: The state of industrial relations in ESB is a matter to be dealt with in accordance with the established industrial relations procedures within the company and is not one in which I have a function.

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 284 together. My Department administers the alternative energy requirement, AER, competitions, the underlying principle of which is that prospective generators are invited to make a formal application to build, own and operate newly installed renewable energy based electricity generating plant and to supply electricity from these to the ESB under a...

Written Answers — Energy Efficiency: Energy Efficiency (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: The EU Commission has commenced a consultation process on its Green Paper, On Energy Efficiency Or Doing More With Less, which was published on 22 June. A broad consultation is taking place across all branches of Government to ensure a joined up and inclusive response to this initiative. There are three main ways to reduce our energy demand: eliminating waste, cutting back on demand, and...

Written Answers — Electricity Generation: Electricity Generation (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: At present, I have certain limited statutory powers to give directions to the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, and these do not include a power to issue instructions on this matter. They are restricted solely to electricity trading arrangements.

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: Last April, I announced that I was changing the renewable energy support mechanism from competitive tendering to a fixed feed in tariff mechanism. In September, I announced the support prices for different technology bands including general biomass price support. The new fixed price tariffs are: large wind energy, over 5 MW, 5.7 cent per KW hour; small wind energy, under 5 MW, 5.9 cent per KW...

Written Answers — Postal Services: Postal Services (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 256 together. An Post is a commercial State body and the question of pay increases in the company is one in which I have no function. An Post has a remit to be financially viable and, following significant losses which amounted to €43 million in 2003 alone, An Post management invoked the "inability to pay" clause provided for in Sustaining Progress....

Written Answers — Prospecting Licences: Prospecting Licences (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 178 and 302 together. As part of the commitments in the programme for Government, I intend to bring forward proposals for a new Minerals Development Bill to consolidate and update legislation enacted between 1940 and 1999 regulating the non-petroleum minerals sector. Work is under way on this in my Department. I also intend bringing forward Bills to update the...

Written Answers — Energy Efficiency: Energy Efficiency (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: Within the electricity market a target is established to increase the amount of electricity consumed from renewable energy sources to 13.2% by 2010. This is regarded as a challenging target to achieve. Currently, we have 675 MW of renewable capacity connected to our system and to reach the 2010 target of 1,450 MW, we will have to more than double the present renewable capacity. Current...

Written Answers — Energy Supply Costs: Energy Supply Costs (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: As the Deputy will be aware, I do not have any function regarding the pricing of gas and electricity. This falls within the statutory remit of the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, the independent regulator for electricity and gas. I am advised by the CER that as regards electricity prices, the regulated ESB public electricity supplier, PES, prices will increase by an average of 4.11%...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 263 together. The provision of broadband services is a matter in the first instance for the private sector companies operating in a fully liberalised market regulated by ComReg. It has been clear for some time that the telecommunications sector has failed to invest at the level necessary to keep pace with the demand for broadband, so my Department's...