Results 2,481-2,500 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Gas and Electricity Disconnections (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity market, including disconnections, is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is an independent statutory regulator. I have no statutory function in the matter of disconnections of electricity or gas customers regardless of the supply company involved. The CER provides quarterly and annual updates on the electricity...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Official Engagements (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I visited New York, New Jersey and Pittsburgh for four days just prior to St. Patrick’s Day. In New York I met with Johnson Controls Inc., leaders in the energy efficiency sector; Verdant Power, an energy tidal company who, working with an Irish engineering company, are considering Ireland as their European manufacturing base; and United Technologies Corporation (UTC), a diversified...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Generation (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Commission for Energy Regulation is responsible for issuing licences to construct generation capacity and to generate electricity. Development in the foreshore is subject to the Foreshore Acts 1993 to 2005, which require that a lease or licence for development activity must be obtained from the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. I understand that an application...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postal Services (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Issues relating to the post office network and An Post’s commercial products are an operational matter for the management and Board of An Post and one in which I have no statutory function.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Generation (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy has been in place since 2001 and is the overall support mechanism for peat generation, for certain conventional generation constructed for security of supply purposes and for the development of renewable electricity. The levy is designed to compensate electricity suppliers for the additional costs they incur by purchasing electricity generated by...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Guidelines (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Any proposed projects resulting in the expansion of Ireland’s wind energy sector will be subject to the Planning Acts, including the requirements for public consultation. In addition, a technical review of the Wind Energy Guidelines is being overseen by officials from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, my Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Official Engagements (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: As the Deputy is aware, Energy Ministers met in Dublin over two days last week to discuss various topics relevant to the way forward for European energy policy. The deliberations commenced with a joint discussion amongst Energy and Environment Ministers to help identify key priority issues which will need to be addressed to ensure a coherent post 2020 energy and climate policy framework...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Prospecting Licences (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Xstrata Zinc Ireland Ltd. holds prospecting licences under the Minerals Development Acts 1940 to 1999 over an area centred on Caherconlish, County Limerick and including the townland of Caherline referred to by the Deputy. The minerals licensed for exploration in this case are base metals, barytes and zinc. I am informed that the company is currently carrying out an approved programme of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Post Office Network (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 116 together. Operational matters and the role of developing commercial strategies for the post office network are a matter for the management and Board of An Post and one in which I have no statutory function. As shareholder, however, I have a strong concern in relation to the ongoing commercial position of the Company and I regularly liaise with...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Hydraulic Fracturing Policy (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: No area of the Irish onshore has been designated for hydraulic fracturing. Accordingly, there can be no question of expanding an area, where no area has been so designated. As I have informed this House previously, the findings of the further EPA research will inform decisions on projects that propose the use of hydraulic fracturing as part of an unconventional gas exploration programme....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 121 together. Wave and tidal energy is still at the research, development and deployment stage globally and is not yet commercially viable. Ireland’s 2020 legally binding target under the Renewable Energy Directive has to be met across the transport, heating and electricity sectors by 2020. The target is set at 16% of all energy consumed...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: EirGrid and Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) are jointly planning a second North South electricity interconnector which will provide a second high-capacity electricity transmission line between Ireland and Northern Ireland. The proposed project is a 400kV overhead line linking the existing 400kV substation in Woodland, County Meath, with a planned substation in Turleenan, County Tyrone....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Natural Gas Grid (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The development and expansion of the natural gas network is in the first instance a commercial matter for Gaslink, which is mandated under Section 8 of the Gas Act 1976, as amended, to develop and maintain a system for the supply of natural gas that is both economical and efficient. The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is the statutory, independent body, charged with the assessment...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Appointments to State Boards (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The appointments of chairmen and directors to State Boards are made in accordance with the relevant provisions of the legislation governing those boards. The boards act in accordance with the revised Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies published by the Department of Finance in 2009, and all Board members are required to make Statements of Interests under the Ethics in Public...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120, 122 and 375 together. Under the Renewable Energy Directive, Ireland is required to increase renewable energy from 3.1% in 2005 to 16% in 2020, with a minimum target of 10% in the transport sector. Energy is consumed across the transport, heating and electricity sectors. At end 2012, we had reached 6.4% of overall energy consumption from renewable...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Memorandum of Understanding on energy cooperation that UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Edward Davey and I signed on 24 January will result in completion of consideration of how Irish renewable energy resources, onshore and offshore, might be developed to the mutual benefit of Ireland and the United Kingdom. This will determine whether it is beneficial for both...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Offshore Exploration (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: A shore base has been established in the Port of Cork for the duration of the Dunquin well operations. A fleet of four vessels will be rotating between the drilling unit and the shore base to provide support for the operations. The fleet includes two certified standby vessels with one vessel stationed at the drilling unit at all times. A Cork based company has been engaged by the operator...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Services Provision (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The regulation of maximum permitted retail charges for roaming services within a fully liberalised EU market is pursued as an EU competency, following the commencement of “EU Regulation No. 717/2007 on roaming on mobile telephone networks within the Community”. There have been three such EU Regulations since the first regulation commenced in July 2007, which have successively...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Natural Gas Grid (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: As the Deputy will be aware from my replies to previous Parliamentary Questions raised by him on this issue, the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is the statutory, independent body, charged with the assessment and licensing of prospective operators seeking to develop and operate a gas distribution system within the State. I have no direct statutory function in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Biofuel Obligation Scheme was introduced in July 2010 as the primary means to meet the target of at least 10% renewable energy in transport by 2020, which was mandated to each Member State by the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive. The Biofuel Obligation Scheme works by obligating large road transport fuel suppliers to bring a certain amount of biofuels to the market. Since 1 January...