Results 2,821-2,840 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Prices (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government is most concerned at the impact of higher energy prices on residential and commercial consumers. It is the case however, that Ireland in the main, is at the mercy of international fossil fuel prices which dictate the retail price of electricity and gas, which is the key factor in the retail price of both electricity and gas. In particular, Ireland is a price taker for gas....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I assume the Deputy is referring to price support schemes for renewable energy generation. Ireland operates a number of support schemes for renewable generation known as REFIT. The REFIT schemes operate by providing a floor price for renewable electricity exported to the grid from specified technologies over a 15 year period. The reference rates for the REFIT 1 and REFIT 2 scheme per...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Under Directive 2009/28/EC Ireland was set a target of 16% of all energy consumption to be from renewable sources by 2020, up from 3.1% in 2005. Each Member State was required to have at least 10% renewable transport consumption by 2020 and was required to produce a National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP), setting out how the overall target would be achieved across the electricity,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Social Media Regulation (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: As the Deputy will be aware, Social Media are online platforms that allow people create, share and exchange information, and to comment amongst themselves in virtual communities and networks. To date, these media have not been subject to a formal regulatory regime akin to that used to ‘regulate’ traditional radio and television broadcast media, either in Ireland or in other...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postal Services (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Operational matters in relation to 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 the Company in this regard. An Post has many strengths and has the largest retail presence in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Cloud Computing (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Cloud computing has the potential to revolutionise the IT investment model in Ireland and elsewhere. It allows companies to use the internet to efficiently access vast amounts of computing resources that would otherwise be beyond their reach. A report undertaken by A&L Goodbody and commissioned by Microsoft has suggested that Cloud Computing sales by Irish firms could be worth...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Gas Exploration (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Completion of the Corrib gas field development works by the developer is the principal factor that will determine the date for first gas. Pending such completion, it is not possible to state a date for when gas from the Corrib gas field will become available. It is estimated that construction of the onshore section of the pipeline, which began last year, including the construction of a 5km...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Exploration Licences (21 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The three onshore licensing options granted in February 2011 are for a two year period from 1st March 2011 to 28th February 2013. The licensing options confer upon the holders the first right, exercisable at any time during the period of the option, to an application for an exploration licence or licences over all or part of the area covered by the option. Under the terms of the licensing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Exploration Licences (21 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Energy and Natural Resources (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No.2) Order 2011, (S.I. 631 of 2011), delegates powers and duties under, inter alia, the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960 (No.7 of 1960), to Deputy Fergus O’Dowd, Minister of State at my Department. This delegation confers the power to Minister of State O’Dowd to grant Exploration Licences....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (21 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I am very conscious of the dangers posed by carbon monoxide gas to people in their homes and at their places of work. In that regard I was pleased to launch the first Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week on the 24th September 2012. The Awareness Week saw a sustained, multi-media publicity campaign to alert people to the dangers posed by carbon monoxide and to give them advice as to what they...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Digital Television Service (20 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: This is an issue that will arise right across the EU as 4G services are rolled out. My Department is aware that organisations in several countries including Ofcom have conducted studies on the potential problem. A group has been established by my Department to examine the degree to which this issue may arise in Ireland when the roll-out of 4G services commences later in 2013. This group...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (20 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Considerable progress has been made in recent years in both the coverage and speeds of national broadband infrastructure, with a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. The combination of private investment and State interventions such as the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) and the Rural Broadband Scheme (RBS) means that Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Charges (20 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Line rental charges form part of the universal service obligation (USO) in the telecommunications market. The purpose of this USO is to ensure that all citizens can access basic telecommunications services at fixed locations at reasonable prices. The USO in the telecommunications market is provided for in both EU legislative acts, Directive 2002/22/EC of the European Parliament, as amended...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Ministerial Appointments (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 459 to 461, inclusive, together. I wish to advise the Deputy that for the past two years I have, on the Department’s website, invited Expressions of Interest from persons wishing to be considered for appointment to vacancies on State Boards under the aegis of my Department. In both years, this information has been used to inform decisions for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Generation (19 Feb 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: Broadband Services Provision (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Approximately €1 billion is being invested in Ireland by existing companies in fibre infrastructure which will deliver broadband speeds of 30 Mbps to 150 Mbps bits per second to most homes and businesses. This investment will provide significant choice to the consumer. While fibre to the home (FTTH) is currently not widely available to homes and multi-dwelling units (MDUs) in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Decisions by private operators relating to investment in infrastructure to provide broadband services, includinging the upgrading of an exchange, are taken purely on commercial grounds, having regard to the cost of service provision and the anticipated revenue returns from any such investment. The Deputy will appreciate therefore, that I do not have a statutory authority to direct commercial...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Services Provision (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: In June 2012 the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) extended until June 2014, a universal service obligation (USO) addressed to Eircom, which among other things, requires that line rental for basic fixed line telephone services is available to end users at a standard geographically averaged price across the country. There are no proposals to amend this obligation. Moreover,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Radio Spectrum (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The management of the radio spectrum is a statutory function of the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) under the Communications Regulation Act, 2002 as amended. ComReg recently announced the winning bidders of its Multi-band Spectrum Auction for the 800, 900 and 1800 MHz bands. I can confirm that ComReg transferred the amount of €450M, in respect of upfront fees...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (19 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: There are a number of important files to be progressed by the Irish Presidency in relation to the promotion of renewable energy. The Council conclusions on last year’s Commission renewable energy communication invited the Commission to present non-binding guidance to further improve national support schemes in order to achieve further cost reduction and market integration, as well as...