Results 4,261-4,280 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Offshore Exploration (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I again draw the Deputy's attention to the statutory function and role of the regulator. On 1 March he convened a meeting of the stakeholders and everybody was invited to make a presentation. I refer to the article in today's edition of the Irish Examiner on this issue which deals with some of the complexities and pitfalls for the consumer and the national interest. It is being bruited in...

Offshore Exploration (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Yes, I believe they are and that we cannot anticipate-----

Offshore Exploration (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I cannot be certain until I hear the decision. The CER has not made the decision, but staff in the office have pledged that it will be made before the end of April. The last time we had such a meeting, they pledged that it would be made before the end of October and the company went to the European Union, which was regrettable because it delayed the process. I am as anxious as everybody...

Television Licence Fee (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The programme for Government commits to examining the role and collection of the television licence fee in the light of existing and projected convergence of technologies and transforming the television licence into a household-based public broadcasting charge to be applied to all eligible households and applicable businesses, regardless of the device used to access content. In line with...

Television Licence Fee (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I do not envisage that any decision will be finalised this year, for a number of reasons. High among these is the objective of successfully managing the transition from analogue to digital television services by RTE. That is a big project, and RTE has put something like €70 million into building the system and general preparation. The termination of analogue signals across Europe and the...

Television Licence Fee (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy is right; unfortunately, advertising is limited, and I regret to say there is no particular sign at the moment that it is increasing. There is competition, also, from online advertising for a share of the traditional advertising market. That is a problem for the industry. The answer to the Deputy's question is that it will be an extensive, root-and-branch review because of the...

Sale of State Assets (7 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government has decided that Bord Gáis Éireann's energy business and some of the ESB's non-strategic power generation capacity will be part of the assets disposal programme required by the memorandum of understanding. The Government has also reiterated its commitment to retaining the ESB as a vertically integrated utility in State ownership and to retaining the electricity and gas...

Written Answers — Sale of State Assets: Sale of State Assets (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government has decided that Bord Gáis Éireann's Energy business will be part of the assets disposal programme. The Government has also reiterated its commitment to retaining Bord Gáis Éireann's gas transmission and distribution systems as well as the two gas interconnectors in State ownership as national strategic infrastructure. I do not foresee job losses in BGÉ as an inevitable...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (6 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. Details of broadband services available in each county can be found on ComReg website at www.callcosts.ie. In cases of market failure the Government will intervene, where it is appropriate and possible to...

Written Answers — Energy Prices: Energy Prices (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The provision of secure, sustainable and competitive energy supplies is critical for the economy and for business and mitigating energy costs where possible remains a key priority. Global gas and oil prices have risen sharply since the start of 2011 driven by events in North Africa and Japan and high demand from China and India and other emerging economies. Given Ireland's heavy reliance on...

Written Answers — Departmental Reviews: Departmental Reviews (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I understand that the Deputy's question relates to the rationalisation of State bodies. My Department is currently reviewing the rationalisation proposals for agencies under its aegis as set out in the Public Service Reform Plan with the objective of addressing them within the required timeframe as set out in the plan.

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (6 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. The State only intervenes in cases of clear market failure, such as in the cases of both the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) and the Rural Broadband Scheme (RBS). Any such State intervention is subject to...

Written Answers — Offshore Exploration: Offshore Exploration (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 322 and 323 together. Standard Exploration Licence 2/11 was granted last year to a consortium comprising Providence Resources Plc and Star Energy Oil and Gas Ltd over an area of approximately 380 square kilometres in the Kish Bank Basin. The exploration licence confers on the holder the exclusive right to search for petroleum in the licensed area, but does...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland's telecommunications market has been open to competition since 1999 and since then has developed into a well-regulated market supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. Despite the current economic difficulties, significant private sector investment continues to be made in the provision of broadband products and...

Written Answers — Electricity Transmission Network: Electricity Transmission Network (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Responsibility for the grid connection process is vested in the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). I have no function in the matter. The CER operates a group approach to connecting projects to the national grid. The latest group approach, ''Gate 3', was the subject of extensive public consultation by the CER prior to the design and roll out of the process. Following the consultation,...

Written Answers — Electricity Transmission Network: Electricity Transmission Network (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: In accordance with the Electricity Regulation Act 1999, the statutory responsibility for the processing of connections to the electricity network and the costs related thereto are a matter for the system operator and the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) in the first instance. I have no function in relation to national grid access.

Written Answers — Electricity Transmission Network: Electricity Transmission Network (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: In accordance with the Electricity Regulation Act 1999, the statutory responsibility for the processing of connections to the electricity network and the costs related thereto are a matter for the system operator and the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) in the first instance. I have no function in relation to national grid access.

Written Answers — Renewable Energy: Renewable Energy (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Under the Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC Ireland has been set a legally binding target for renewable energy as a proportion of all energy consumption that must be achieved by 2020. The National Renewable Energy Action Plan sets out that this overall 16% target will be achieved through 40% consumption of renewables in the electricity sector, 10% in the transport sector and 12% in the...

Written Answers — Energy Prices: Energy Prices (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland is a price taker in the global fossil fuel market. The Irish oil industry is fully privatised, liberalised and deregulated and there is free entry to the market. There is no price control on petroleum products and it has been the policy objective of successive Governments to promote price competition and consumer choice. Previous surveys have shown that prices which Irish retailers...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (6 Mar 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 330 and 331 together. My Department was established in 2007 and provision of information for the years prior to that year is not possible. The information sought by the Deputy in the period 2007-2011 is set out in the table. Year No. Requests No. Fees1 Fees1Rec'd€ RefundsMade€ No. S&R2Fees S&R2 Fees€ 2007 77 71 1,040.00 60.00 4 386.45 2008 72 47...