Results 3,461-3,480 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Sale of State Assets (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government has decided to dispose of Bord Gáis Éireann’s Energy business as part of the State Assets disposal programme. The Government has also reiterated its commitment to retaining the gas networks as well as the two gas interconnectors in State ownership as national strategic infrastructure, critical for the delivery of secure, sustainable and competitive energy...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed services of at least 30 megabits per second are available to all enterprises and homes well in advance of the target date of 2020 set by the EU Commission in the EU “Digital Agenda for Europe”. The 30 megabits...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: While the results of the recent appraisal well on Barryroe are encouraging, further appraisal work will be required to determine if the discovery can be declared commercial and proceed to a petroleum production project. It is a core policy objective of my Department to maximise the benefits to the State from exploration for and production of our indigenous oil and gas resources. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Sale of State Assets (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government has decided to dispose of Bord Gáis Éireann’s Energy business and some of ESB’s non-strategic power generation capacity as part of the State Assets disposal programme. The Government has also reiterated its commitment to retaining the electricity and gas networks as well as the two gas interconnectors in State ownership as national strategic...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Petroleum and Gas Exploration (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 27, 30 and 38 together. Firstly I should clarify that no petroleum exploration activity has been licensed in Dublin Bay. Providence Resources and partners have a drilling commitment on their petroleum exploration licence in the Kish Bank Basin off the Dublin\Wicklow coast. I am aware of booklet entitled “Liquid Assets - Ireland’s oil and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: In 2011, Ireland had 17.6% renewable electricity, 3.6% biofuels and 5% renewable heating, which amounted in total to 6.5% of all energy consumed being from renewable sources. Our intention, in order to meet our 2020 binding targets, is to increase renewable energy to 40% in the electricity sector, 10% in the transport sector and 12% in the heating sector, which together amounts to 16%...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Gas and Electricity Disconnections (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department has not conducted an exercise of the type mentioned by the Deputy. Such an exercise would require the identification of reliable comparable data sets suitable for the precise purpose of understanding and explaining the relationship between the relevant fuel costs and electricity prices. Suitable data sets are not readily available, particularly in the case of fuel costs....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postal Services (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The procurement process to select a postcode management licence holder to implement a National Postcode System is still ongoing and being managed by my Department on a ring fenced basis. That process began last year with the publication of a Pre Qualification Questionnaire on he final decision to proceed with implementation of a national postcode will be one for Government and will be based...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Schemes (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Window replacement works are not eligible for support under either Better Energy: Homes or Better Energy: Warmer Homes, both of which are operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The Better Energy: Homes scheme provides support to homeowners towards the installation of attic and wall insulation, and heating system upgrades including solar thermal with the works being...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Natural Gas Grid (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: As the Deputy will be aware from my Reply to a Parliamentary Question raised by him on this issue on the 2nd May, I met with the Western Development Commission on the 21st March last. The meeting provided the opportunity for very useful and informative discussion in regard to the Commission’s Report into the benefits of national gas infrastructure for the North West. We also...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Section 125 and section 126 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provide for the development of an Oireachtas TV channel to be known as the “Houses of the Oireachtas Channel”. This legislation provides that the channel should be established by the Commission of the Houses of the Oireachtas and that the oversight of the channel should be the responsibility of the “Joint...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Sector Regulation (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: RTÉ and TG4 are independent national public service broadcasters whose remit and obligations are set out in Section 114 and Section 118 of the Broadcasting Act 2009. Section 98 of the 2009 Act also provides that these companies shall be independent in the pursuance of these objects, subject to the requirements of the Act, and as such I, as Minister, have no function in the management of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: On the 2nd of October I announced very encouraging results from a Millward Brown Lansdowne tracking study on the Digital TV Switchover which was carried out between September 10 - 20. This research showed that between mid August and mid September 50,000 viewers who were reliant on analogue TV network made the switch to Digital TV, leaving approximately 150,000 still to make the switch....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Media Mergers (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: As the Deputy will be aware, a Government Decision was made at the end of May last year, on foot of a submission by my colleague the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, to draft a new Consumer and Competition Bill. Part of that decision involved giving effect in legislation to the recommendations of the Report of the Advisory Group on Media Mergers, and to transfer responsibility...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Broadcasting Act 2009 provides for RTÉ and TG4 to provide their broadcast services, in as far as possible, throughout the whole island of Ireland. In developing plans for the development of digital television in Ireland, my predecessor was cognisant that the UK was also upgrading their television services to digital. Digital is more efficient than analogue TV. It is capable of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Broadcasting Act 2009 fully provides for the establishment and operation of The Houses of the Oireachtas Channel. In particular, section 125 and section 126 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provide for the development of an Oireachtas TV channel to be known as the “Houses of the Oireachtas Channel”. This legislation also provides that the channel should be established by the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Bodies (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Bord na Móna has long recognised the need to diversify its activities in order to secure a sustainable future and transition away from dependence on its traditional peat business. A number of factors, including environmental constraints on the use of peat in power generation and horticultural products and the expiry of the Public Service Obligation for peat-fired power generation in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Television Reception (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: RTÉ has built, owns and controls the Saorview TV network and is responsible for the roll-out, coverage and operation of that network. This includes information on transmitter sites being used. This is in accordance with Part 8 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, which provides that the development of the RTÉ network is an operational matter for RTÉ. Section 130 of the Broadcasting...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Conservation (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I am aware of the findings contained in the Cuts that Don’t Hurt report by the Dublin Friends of the Earth published in May this year, which is a welcome contribution to the debate. I acknowledge there is a considerable amount of money being spent by the public sector each year on energy but whether a saving of €100m in two years is achievable as the report suggests, in light...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Incentives (11 Oct 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I have not received any proposal from the EU Commission in relation to capping crop-based biofuel production. However, I understand that a proposal relating to the use of certain biofuels will be circulated to Member States in the coming weeks. Once I receive this, I will consider its implications for renewable energy policy and the further development of a sustainable biofuel sector in...