Results 3,721-3,740 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Road Improvement Schemes (11 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I have some sympathy with the point the Deputy makes about inconvenience. However, the professional and technical advice is that it is necessary to proceed in the way outlined. I am sure the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, would be happy to talk to the county manager or county engineer about bridging the four month period and minimising the inconvenience and to discuss the concerns raised by the...

Road Improvement Schemes (11 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I understand that.

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (10 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Following scientific research conducted by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) indicating that the European eel stocks are in a critical state, the EU introduced Council Regulation 1100/2007, the objective of which is to achieve recovery of the stocks to previous high levels. The Regulation required that all Member States prepare a national Eel Management Plan...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (10 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I wish to advise the Deputy that issues relating to sick leave in State Bodies under the aegis of my Department are an operational matter for the individual Bodies in the first instance and I have no function in this regard. I will however ask the Agencies under the aegis of my Department to reply directly to the Deputy in the matter.

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (10 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: In the 1960s and 1970s Irish bass stocks were very severely depleted due to the overexploitation of the species by commercial fishing. This resulted in the near loss of one of our most important marine sport fish species and the collapse of the accompanying angling tourist industry that serviced this area. As a result of the serious decline in bass stocks, bass conservation legislation was...

Written Answers — Inland Waterways: Inland Waterways (10 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: ESB is an independent statutory body and the matter referred to by the Deputy is an operational matter in which I have no role or function.

Written Answers — Mobile Telephony: Mobile Telephony (10 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The provision of mobile telephony services within the EU is a fully liberalised market and regulation of that market is limited to the provisions permitted by EU harmonisation Directives. The maximum charges which can be imposed for roaming services within the EU is also regulated by EU harmonisation measures, in the form of EU Regulations. The most recent such Regulation, Regulation (EU)...

Written Answers — Energy Resources: Energy Resources (10 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Ongoing discoveries of oil and new methods of extraction of oil and gas continue to change the fossil fuel landscape as well as having impacts on global energy markets. Ireland, however, remains critically dependent on imported fossil fuels, particularly oil and natural gas, which are subject to price volatility and supply risks. This dependency underlines the immediate and long term...

Written Answers — Energy Prices: Energy Prices (10 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I have no statutory function in relation to the setting of diesel and petrol fuel prices. The oil market is fully liberalised and deregulated. Notwithstanding increased global oil production, the International Energy Agency oil market analysis continues to point to a tight balance between global oil supply and demand with price impacted by ongoing geopolitical uncertainties. The National...

Written Answers — Broadcasting Services: Broadcasting Services (10 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: There are several digital TV service providers in the country. The main pay TV operators are Sky and UPC. In addition RTÉ operates a digital network called SAORVIEW, which is subscription free. I have no role in relation to the subscriptions demanded by pay TV service providers or the payment processes they use. The Broadcasting Act 2009 requires RTÉ to provide a national digital network...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (10 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The REFIT 1 feed in tariff scheme was open for applications until end 2009 and the project, referred to by the Deputy, applied for entry into the scheme in June 2006. The scheme required that projects were operational by end 2010. However extensions of time have been granted for projects to build out after that date, although the end date of the scheme remained the same. As there were no...

Written Answers — Post Office Network: Post Office Network (10 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Operational matters and the role of developing commercial strategies for 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 I do, however, have a strong concern in relation to the ongoing commercial position of the Company and I regularly liaise with the Company in this regard. The Company has been...

Written Answers — Public Service Obligation Levy: Public Service Obligation Levy (5 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 99 together. The Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy has been in place since 2001 and is a support mechanism for peat generation, some conventional generation and the development of renewable electricity. The levy is designed to compensate electricity suppliers for the additional costs they incur by purchasing electricity generated by the three peat...

Written Answers — Inland Fisheries: Inland Fisheries (5 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has carried out four catchment-wide electric fishing (CWEF) surveys of the River Barrow. With the exception of 2008 the Barrow survey has been carried out annually since 2007. The following results for 2011 are the data requested by the Deputy: A catchment wide survey of the Barrow catchment was carried out in August and September 2011. The survey comprised...

Written Answers — Renewable Energy: Renewable Energy (5 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The 2009 Renewable Energy Directive (Articles 6-11 of Directive 2009/28/EC) provides mechanisms whereby renewable electricity can be traded between countries so that renewable power produced in one country may be counted towards the legally binding renewable target in another. This can be done through a number of mechanisms including statistical transfer and joint projects. The UK...

Written Answers — Digital Television Service: Digital Television Service (4 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Issues relating to the transmission, coverage and availability of SAORVIEW are an operational matter for RTÉ whose obligations are set out in the Broadcasting Act 2009. As such I have as no role in these matters. I have however been informed by SAORVIEW that the SAORVIEW network offers 98% population coverage so by itself fully meets RTÉ's legislative obligations for a replacement...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (4 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I wish to advise the Deputy that issues relating to sick leave in State Bodies under the aegis of my Department are an operational matter for the individual Bodies in the first instance and I have no function in this regard. I will however ask the Agencies under the aegis of my Department to reply directly to the Deputy in the matter.

Written Answers — Prompt Payments: Prompt Payments (4 Jul 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. The Prompt Payment of Accounts Act 1997 provides for 30 days between receipt of invoice and payment. However, in...

Written Answers — Advertising Standards: Advertising Standards (4 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The matter of advertising on billboards does not come within the remit of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, and I have no function in the matter. I am aware that the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland exists as a non-statutory self-regulatory body, independent of Government and set up and financed by the advertising industry. I am informed that certain...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (4 Jul 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: It is not possible to provide the information requested in the timeframe allowed but my Department will provide it directly to the Deputy shortly.