Results 4,141-4,160 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte
- Written Answers — Broadcasting Services: Broadcasting Services (22 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: Issues relating to television coverage in specific areas of the country are an operational matter for RTÃ. The Broadcasting Act 2009 provides for RTÃ to rollout a digital TV network to the same extent as the analogue TV network. RTÃ has informed my Department that the current analogue TV network covers 98% of the population and that its new digital TV network Saorview will also cover 98%...
- Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (22 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: The REFIT 1 scheme is a feed in tariff support scheme that is payable for up to fifteen years for qualifying projects up to 31 December 2025. The scheme was formally cleared under the State Aid rules by the EU Commission and any changes to the scheme require further Commission approval. The terms and conditions of REFIT 1 provided that the Minister could grant a project an extension of time...
- Written Answers — Mobile Telephony: Mobile Telephony (22 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: The authorisation of telecommunications service providers generally, the award of spectrum licences including the imposition and monitoring of associated quality and coverage requirements for the spectrum rights to provide mobile telephony services are statutory functions of the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) under the Communications Regulation Act, 2002 as amended. Section...
- Written Answers — Broadcasting Services: Broadcasting Services (22 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: The development of the RTÃ network is an operational matter for RTÃ and not one in respect of which I, as Minister, have a function.
- Written Answers — Electricity Generation: Electricity Generation (22 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: Electric Ireland operated a voluntary microgeneration scheme for domestic consumers with an upper limit of 11kv in size which closed for new applicants at the end of February. The scheme operated at a rate of 19 cent per kilowatt hour for Electric Ireland customers. This is above the wholesale rate of around 7 cent per kilowatt hour. Despite being asked to consider introducing such a...
- Written Answers — Gas Exploration: Gas Exploration (21 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 318, 321 and 322 together. Before addressing the detail of the questions asked by the Deputy I believe it would be helpful to first clarify for the Deputy the difference between the fracturing of wells in the case of conventional gas exploration and production and the practice known as "hydraulic fracturing" or "fracking" that is used in the case of...
- Written Answers — Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation (21 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 319 and 337 together. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers the Better Energy Programme on behalf of my Department. Better Energy: Workplaces supports sustainable energy upgrades to existing buildings, services, facilities and processes, in the public, commercial, industrial and community sectors. The programme is aimed at achieving...
- Written Answers — Energy Usage: Energy Usage (21 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: This is an operational matter for the ESB which is an independent statutory body and I have no role or function in this regard.
- Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (21 Mar 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 — Postal Services: Postal Services (21 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: A procurement process for a national postcode system is currently under way. The process began on 17 January 2011 with the publication of a pre-qualification questionnaire on the e-tenders website www.etenders.gov.ie for the appointment of a postcode management licence holder. Since then intensive work has taken place on what is a complex project. The final decision to proceed with the...
- Written Answers — Post Office Network: Post Office Network (21 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: Matters relating to the post office network, including post office closures, are an operational matter for the management and Board of An Post and one in which I have no statutory function.
- Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (21 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: I wish to advise the Deputy that the information she has requested is an operational matter for the individual Bodies and Regulators concerned.
- Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (21 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: Details of the total number of board places and the remuneration applicable, as requested by the Deputy, is set out in tabular form. I would like to point out that whether eligible Board members accepted the applicable fee is a matter for the individual board members concerned. Number of Members Broadcasting Authority of Ireland 9 Category 4Chair: â¬8,978Director: â¬5,985 Commission...
- Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (21 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: I can inform the Deputy that the number of Commercial State bodies and non-commercial State bodies, including regulators, under the aegis of my Department is 18, broken down as follows: Status An PostBord Gáis ÃireannBord na MónaEirGridElectricity Supply Board (ESB)Raidió TeilifÃs ÃireannTG4 Commercial State Bodies Inland Fisheries IrelandDigital Hub Development AgencyFoyle,...
- Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (21 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: Mileage claimed by Ministers of State at my Department since its formation in June 2007 is outlined in the following table: 2007 2008 2009 2010 Mr. Tony Killeen â¬1,208 â¬1,772 Mr. Seán Power â¬20,776 â¬13,000 Mr. Conor Lenihan* 0 0 * Minister of State Lenihan, who was also assigned to the then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in 2009/2010, did not claim mileage in my...
- Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (21 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: Ireland's telecommunications market has been liberalised since 1999. The delivery of deregulated telecommunications services, including broadband services, and the retail prices charged are decided in the open competitive market by commercial operators. Neither my Department nor the market regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), has any legal basis to regulate...
- Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (21 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: The allocation of bandwidth and the award of spectrum licences, including the imposition and monitoring of associated quality and coverage requirements for the spectrum rights to provide mobile telephony services, are statutory functions of the Commission for Communications Regulation under the Communications Regulation Act, 2002 as amended (the Act). Furthermore section 11 of the Act...
- Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (21 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to co-invest with the private sector and commercial Semi State sector to provide Next Generation Broadband customer access and associated fast speeds to every home and business in the State. The Next Generation Broadband Taskforce (NGBT) which I convened last summer has an important role to play in this regard. It comprises the CEOs of...
- Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (21 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: The Commission for Communications Regulation publishes quarterly reports on trends in the telecommunications market generally. In the case of contracted broadband speeds the most recent report to end Q4 2011 shows a continuing trend of customers moving to higher speeds. The report demonstrates that between Q4 2009 and Q4 2011 the number of all broadband subscribers contracted at speeds up...
- Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (21 Mar 2012)
Pat Rabbitte: Ireland's telecommunications market has been liberalised since 1999 and thus the delivery of broadband services is a matter, in the first instance, for private sector commercial operators which are licensed and regulated by the independent regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). The Government has undertaken a number of initiatives to bring broadband to those parts...