Results 2,961-2,980 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Topical Issue Debate: Forestry Sector (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy accepts then that the country is bankrupt.

Topical Issue Debate: Forestry Sector (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: We are agreed at least that the country was bankrupted and the Government is trying to bring it back to economic health. I was talking to my Greek counterpart recently about the scale of the disposal of state assets imposed on Greece. She is of the opinion that they do not have the assets stipulated in their programme unless they sell islands. There is not any acceptance on the part of...

Topical Issue Debate: Forestry Sector (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I hope the two Deputies will jump up and down with the same vigour if it turns out that they are not to be sold.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Post Office Network (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: An Post is a commercial State body with its own board and management. Accordingly, operational matters are a matter for the board and management. These are areas in which I have no statutory function. As shareholder, however, I do have a strong concern about the ongoing commercial position of the company and I regularly liaise with the company in this regard. The reality is the core...

Topical Issue Debate: Forestry Sector (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I thank the Deputies for raising this matter and convey the apologies of the Minister, Deputy Coveney, to the House. He is involved in European Union commitments. The examination of the sale of Coillte does not have anything to do with a drive for privatisation, the influence of Margaret Thatcher or anything to do with ideology. The assets disposal programme is a requirement of the...

Topical Issue Debate: Forestry Sector (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I will read the last sentence, which is relevant, before the Deputies respond. The outcome of the overall analysis will be considered by the Government upon its conclusion. The Deputies will be aware that this entire process is a very complex one and it is not possible at this stage to pre-empt the outcome of the analysis and its possible consequences for the future of Coillte. As the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland’s electricity system is made up of larger electrical lines (the transmission grid) and smaller electrical lines (the distribution grid). Small area renewable energy projects feed into the distribution network. The Distribution System Operator (DSO) and owner in Ireland is ESB Networks. ESB Networks has a webpage which explains to the public how to connect a microgenerator,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland has three producing gas fields. They are the Kinsale, Ballycotton and Seven Heads gas fields, which are located in the Celtic Sea approximately 50km off the Cork coast. Ireland does not have any oil producing fields. In the year to 30 September 2012 total production from all three fields amounted to just under 7.8 billion cubic feet of gas. Approximately, 6.6 billion cubic feet...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 25, 38 and 120 together. The digital economy is important to Ireland. Research by Boston Consulting Group cited in the recent UPC report on Ireland’s Digital Future, estimates it will grow from a current rate of about 3% to 6% by 2016. Research currently underway in the context of the National Digital Strategy will look further at this value and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Under Directive 2009/28/EC, Ireland was assigned a legally binding target of 16% by 2020 for the percentage of all energy consumption that must be met from renewable sources. Ireland intends to meet the overall target through 40% renewable electricity, 10% renewable transport, which is a minimum binding target, and 12% renewable heating, which together amount to 16% overall. In terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Functions (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department deals with a very wide and complex policy agenda encompassing the areas of Energy, Communications, Broadcasting, Postal and Natural Resources. In addition the Department oversees important programmes funded from the Vote, and administers the Corporate Governance function in respect of some 15 commercial and non-commercial agencies and 3 regulators. These entities have a total...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Social Media Issues (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 48, 49 and 117 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services (31 Jan 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 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The National Broadband Plan which I published on 30 August last will radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland. The Plan covers all areas, including semi-urban areas of the country. It commits to high speed broadband availability across the country, well in advance of the EU’s target date of 2020. Specifically, it commits to: - 70 Mbps to 100 Mbps will be available from...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 17 together. 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 by the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive. It is estimated that at least 8.4% of the energy in transport in Ireland in 2020 will come from the use of biofuels with the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Exports (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 27 and 43 together. On 24 January 2013, UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Ed Davey, and I signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Dublin on energy cooperation. A copy of the MoU is available on my Department’s website. The MoU we signed affirms the two States’ commitment to maintaining a strong partnership on...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Gas and Electricity Disconnections (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I have no statutory function in the setting of gas prices, whether in the regulated or non-regulated market. Responsibility for the regulation of the gas market is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) which is an independent statutory body. The rise in utility disconnection numbers in recent years has coincided with the economic recession which has caused customer arrears...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Warmer Homes Scheme Eligibility (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Affordable Energy Strategy was developed by the Inter-Departmental/Agency Group on Affordable Energy (IDGAE) and published in November 2011 as part of the Department’s commitment in the Programme for Government to help mitigate energy poverty. The Strategy is key to protecting the most vulnerable in our society who may be at risk to energy poverty and provides a framework for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Sale of State Assets (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Significant progress is being made on the sale of Bord Gáis Éireann’s Energy business as part of the State Assets disposal programme. NewERA is the agency with responsibility for oversight of the sale transaction on behalf of the Government and has appointed Barclays Bank plc as financial advisers to the Government with A & L Goodbody recently appointed by NewERA as...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (31 Jan 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Directive 2009/28/EC known as the Renewable Energy Directive, assigns a legally binding target of 16% on Ireland for the share of renewables in energy consumption by 2020. This target has to be meet across the electricity, transport and heating sectors and a minimum of 10% in the transport sector is required. Ireland intends to meet the target through 40% renewable electricity, 10% renewable...