Results 3,401-3,420 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Agencies (23 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I wish to advise the Deputy that I have not set up any State Bodies since taking office on 9th March 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Semi-State Bodies Mergers (18 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: This year’s poor peat harvest has created significant financial challenges for Bord na Móna and emphasises the importance of the company’s ongoing diversification and growth strategy away from its core peat business. The management of Bord na Móna is taking decisive steps to ensure a sustainable future for the company and to secure long-term employment by way of its...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Information and Communications Technology Issues (18 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: In 2009, with the publication of the Technology Actions to Support the Smart Economy report, my Department identified the possibility of significant economic potential from first mover use of new types of flexible networking technology in a research context. To this end it put in place the first phase of the Exemplar programme, a test bed facility based on one such new and advanced Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (18 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: EirGrid have advised that as of October 2012 approx. 1,695MW of wind generation capacity is connected or energised. The maximum potential of wind generated electricity, based on an average yearly 31% capacity factor, if applied to the existing installed capacity could potentially produce 4.6 Terawatt hours over a year. This would translate into approximately 18% of electricity demand. At...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (18 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Information on Ireland’s strategic oil reserves planning can be found in the Handbook on Oil Supply Disruption Contingency Measures published on my Department’s website . Ireland is fully compliant with its European Union (EU) obligation to hold 90 days supply of category one, category two and category three oil products for use in the event of an oil supply disruption. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Gas and Electricity Disconnections (18 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I have no statutory function in the setting of electricity and gas prices, whether in the regulated or non-regulated parts of these markets. Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is an independent statutory body. Since 4 April 2011 prices in the electricity retail market have been fully...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Semi-State Bodies Mergers (18 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: This year’s poor peat harvest has created significant financial challenges for Bord na Móna and emphasises the importance of the company’s ongoing diversification and growth strategy away from its core peat business. The management of Bord na Móna is taking decisive steps to ensure a sustainable future for the company and to secure long-term employment by way of its...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Information and Communications Technology Issues (18 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: In 2009, with the publication of the Technology Actions to Support the Smart Economy report, my Department identified the possibility of significant economic potential from first mover use of new types of flexible networking technology in a research context. To this end it put in place the first phase of the Exemplar programme, a test bed facility based on one such new and advanced Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (18 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: EirGrid have advised that as of October 2012 approx. 1,695MW of wind generation capacity is connected or energised. The maximum potential of wind generated electricity, based on an average yearly 31% capacity factor, if applied to the existing installed capacity could potentially produce 4.6 Terawatt hours over a year. This would translate into approximately 18% of electricity demand. At...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (18 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Information on Ireland’s strategic oil reserves planning can be found in the Handbook on Oil Supply Disruption Contingency Measures published on my Department’s website . Ireland is fully compliant with its European Union (EU) obligation to hold 90 days supply of category one, category two and category three oil products for use in the event of an oil supply disruption. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Gas and Electricity Disconnections (18 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I have no statutory function in the setting of electricity and gas prices, whether in the regulated or non-regulated parts of these markets. Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is an independent statutory body. Since 4 April 2011 prices in the electricity retail market have been fully...

Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: That is a bonus.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Expenditure (17 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department aims, in its dealings with suppliers of goods and services, to pay all invoices as soon as possible after the goods and services have been satisfactorily delivered and the supporting documentation necessary to enable the payment has been received by my Department. A table outlines the number of payments made by my Department in 2011 broken down into the timeframes as requested...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (17 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The SAORSAT satellite service has been developed by RTÉ on its own initiative and is not a requirement under the Broadcasting Act 2009. The carriage of 3e, TV3 or any other broadcaster on the SAORSAT service is a commercial decision for each of the broadcasters in question and the terms and conditions relating to such carriage would be a matter for commercial negotiation between...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Irish Language (17 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: In accordance with the provisions of the Broadcasting Act 2009, the public service broadcast corporations, RTÉ and TG4, are independent in the pursuance of their objects, subject to the requirements of the Act, and as such I, as Minister, have no function in the management of their day to day affairs, including decisions relating to advertising. I should point out to the Deputy however,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Regulatory Bodies (17 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Under section 4 of the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) has the responsibility to regulate the activities of electrical contractors with respect to safety. In November 2007, the Commission published the decision paper “Vision for the Regulation of Electrical Contractors with respect to Safety” (CER/07/203) which sets out the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (17 Oct 2012)

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 all EU Member States by the Renewable Energy Directive. The obligation currently requires that the amount of biofuel brought to the market is not less than 4.166% of the relevant disposal of petroleum road transport...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Incentives (17 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), under the Renewable Energy Research, Demonstration & Development (RERD&D) Programme, supports research and development of renewable energy technologies and systems. Applications for funding under the scheme are invited on a regular basis. Information can be found at . I understand also that Enterprise Ireland operates a range...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Consultancy Contracts (17 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The table below outlines details of fees paid for professional services by my Department over the past 12 months. My Department administers a very diverse and complex brief. The Department has a small cohort of permanent staff, some 245 full time equivalents at present. Its remit includes oversight of very complex policy areas and direct procurement of major services where protection of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (17 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The State is not a provider of telecommunication services, except in instances of clear market failure such as in the cases of both the National and Rural Broadband Schemes. Such interventions are always subject to EU State Aid clearance to ensure no unacceptable level of market distortion takes place. The Rural Broadband Scheme (RBS) was launched last year in recognition of the fact that...