Results 2,741-2,760 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Incentives (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The REFIT support system was introduced to support renewable sources of electricity in Ireland. The current REFIT reference rates are as follows: Technology Price (Euro/MWh) Large wind = 69.235 Small Wind = 71.664 Hydro = 87.455 Biomass/Landfill Gas = 85.026 Approximately 1900MW of renewable...

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

Pat Rabbitte: Electric Ireland has been offering a 9c/kwh feed in tariff, on a commercial basis, to domestic microgenerators since February 2009. No other electricity supply company has to date chosen to enter the market and to offer a microgeneration feed-in-tariff on a commercial basis, although the Commission for Energy Regulation invited them to do so. No company has opted to offer, on a commercial...

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

Pat Rabbitte: My Department have been in contact with ESB Networks (ESBN) regarding micro renewable generation. When a micro-generator has been installed and ESBN have received payment for the import/export meter along with the necessary Electro-Technical Council of Ireland (ETCI) electrical certification, ESB Networks will install import/export metering. ESBN have informed us that the average connection...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Schemes (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 206 and 207 together. The Energy Efficiency Fund (the Fund) will be established with the aim of providing finance to energy efficiency initiatives in the public and private sectors. The aim is to attract matching funding from the private sector, such that the overall amount available for investment is greater than €70 million. The Fund will be...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Staff Numbers (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department currently employs a full time equivalent of 10 staff on fixed term contracts. These staff are employed in the Private Offices of the Minister and Minister of State and the number includes four civilian drivers. Their pay and associated costs are accounted for in the Department’s Vote, which is reported on a monthly basis to the Department of Public Expenditure and...

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

Pat Rabbitte: I can confirm that two former members of staff, who have retired from within my Department, were reinstated for a very short period following their retirement for specific projects, which required their previous expertise and experience. One has not yet sought payment for his brief employment on a translation project. The other was employed in 2012 as a petroleum affairs expert at a cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Staff Numbers (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department does not employ any agency staff.

Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Bypass.

Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy should tell that to his teddy bear.

Other Questions: Energy Schemes (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: In response to Deputy Michael Moynihan, I should clarify that the energy efficiency fund has not been set up to replace the retrofit scheme but is in addition to it. The difficulty in respect of domestic retrofitting - I agree with the points made by Deputies Michael Moynihan and MichaelColreavy - is that it is a grants-based incentive, but in the programme for Government we have committed...

Other Questions: Energy Schemes (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I will be happy to bring that proposal to the attention of the SEAI.

Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy should know well about obfuscating before a tribunal. All he need do is consult his former leader.

Other Questions: Energy Schemes (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97, 133 and 140 together. Energy efficiency is internationally recognised as the most cost effective means of delivering greenhouse gas abatement. It is equally important in the current fiscal climate that energy efficiency offers an opportunity to stimulate economic activity and employment and improve national competitiveness. Extensive studies...

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Deputy Murphy is right. The putative €9.2 billion that was notionally allocated for the connecting Europe facility was diminished during the process leading to the conclusion of the multi-annual financial framework budgetary discussions. The figure on the telecommunications side now is a rather miserly €1 billion. However, I do not believe it will have much impact on our...

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The answer I gave earlier to Deputy Moynihan covers Kerry as well and that is the plan. In the short term Deputy Griffin ought to examine if any of the areas to which he referred are covered under the national broadband strategy. The strategy was an agreement entered into between a leading telecommunications company and the previous Government and there is a facility under the agreement...

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: As the Deputy knows, the architecture of the plan we published in August last year essentially envisages a three-tier formation. In other words, by 2015 some 50% of the population will have access to very high-speed industrial strength broadband. By the end of the lifetime of the Government in 2016, a further 20% of the population will have a broadband speed of 40 Mbps per second or better....

Other Questions: Social Media Regulation (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My understanding is that the relevant Oireachtas committee is about to commence its hearings on this issue. I hope to have the opportunity to be heard by that committee. My Department has been seized of this issue for some time. Our position is little different from that of other jurisdictions which have found, for the reasons that I have set out, that one cannot simply regulate this...

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Considerable progress has been made in recent years in both the speeds and coverage of national broadband infrastructure, with a multiplicity of commercial operators providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. The Government has also undertaken a number of initiatives to bring broadband to those parts of the country where commercial operators have been unable to offer...

Other Questions: Social Media Regulation (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Question Nos. 95 and 103 together. Social media consist of on-line platforms which allow people to create, share and exchange information and comment among themselves in virtual communities and networks. To date, social media have not been subject to a formal regulatory regime in Ireland or elsewhere akin to that in place to regulate traditional radio and television...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Media Mergers (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, will bring the refurbishment of competition law to the House during this term. It will transfer the responsibilities referred to by the Deputy to my Department. On the point about plurality, the review group examined this issue and the law will reflect the importance the Government attaches to...