Results 4,301-4,320 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (28 Feb 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...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The telephone costs charged to not-for-profit community-based organisations operating helpline services, including on a cross-border basis, is a commercial matter between service providers offering such services and telephony service providers.

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Specific statistics on broadband uptake by SMEs are not currently gathered. It is known however, that as of mid-2011 for Enterprises in Ireland (with 10 or more employees), 91% had a broadband connection (source: Central Statistics Office Information Society Statistics 2011). These statistics are based on a survey of e-commerce and ICT usage by enterprises that was conducted by the Central...

Written Answers — Ministerial Transport: Ministerial Transport (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the tables below. Minister Rabbitte Amount € Mileage Month 1,849.82 3,969 May 858.36 3,016 June 2,578.14 4,666 July 122.95 432 August 1,006.64 3,535 September 814.79 2,860 October 984.60 3,458 November 996.64 3,500 December 0 0 January 2012 0 0 February 2012 Total 9,211.94 Total 25,436 A 10% deduction is made each month for...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the table below: Amount Minister Rabbitte €83.35 Minister O'Dowd €113.63 Deputy Secretary General * €1,478.81 * The expenditure in question relates to the hosting by the Department of a working dinner on 27 September 2011 for the 12 members of the International Energy Agency country Review team visiting Ireland to undertake the...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland's telecommunications market has been open to competition since late 1999 and has succeeded in attracting many of the major international players in addition to a high number of indigenous service providers. There is no national direct State involvement in the Communications Market. State involvement tends to arise in the provision of services in cases of clear market failure (for...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 491 of the 11 January last. In that reply I indicated that discussions with relevant stakeholders, including the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA), the IDA and Enterprise Ireland would be advanced urgently in the context of the announcement on 17 November last. I also advised the Deputy that the process would also take account...

Written Answers — Gas Exploration: Gas Exploration (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 134 of 18 January 2012. The decision on the regulatory treatment of the gas interconnectors is statutorily a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) under the Gas (Interim) (Regulation) Act 2002. I have no function in the matter. The CER, as the independent energy regulator has a remit to protect energy consumers,...

Written Answers — Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Better Energy Programme administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is designed to incentivise energy efficiency upgrades in existing buildings that were constructed prior to the introduction of the current Building Regulations. As the proposal to build a fully passive community centre at Kielduff is a new construction project, there is no grant assistance under...

Written Answers — Post Office Network: Post Office Network (28 Feb 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 — Post Office Network: Post Office Network (28 Feb 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 Advertising: Departmental Advertising (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I can inform the Deputy that no such recruitment process took place in my Department in the past 12 months. Two Clerical Officers were appointed from the redeployment panel in March 2011. Information in respect of bodies and agencies under the aegis of my Department is a day to day matter for those organisations and my Department does not have the information sought by the Deputy. I will,...

Written Answers — Natural Gas Grid: Natural Gas Grid (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The development and expansion of the natural gas network is in the first instance a commercial matter for Gaslink, the subsidiary Network Company of BGE, which is mandated under Section 8 of the Gas Act 1976, as amended, to develop and maintain a system for the supply of natural gas that is both economical and efficient. The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is a statutory,...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I wish to advise the Deputy that the instruction from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform that all board members should be given the option to waive the related board fee on a discretionary basis as a matter of formal protocol has been brought to the attention of all State Bodies under the aegis of my Department. It is a matter for the individual board members concerned to...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the table: Minister's Mileage Costs 2011 Salary Cost for 2 Civilian Drivers 2011 Civilian Driver Expenses 2011 Total 2011 €9,212 €44,746 €6,280 €60,238

Electricity Charges (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: May I say how well the Chair befits you?

Electricity Charges (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I would like to draw the attention of Deputies Ó Cuív and Buttimer to the fact that responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation, which is an independent statutory body. The residential electricity market has changed dramatically over the past two years with the introduction of competition. Suppliers are required...

Electricity Charges (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I was merely explaining the background of the impact of deregulation to Deputy Ó Cuív, which he understands well. I was not suggesting the increase in the charge in the particular case of customers who use two units of electricity per day would cause them to switch supplier. Rather I was pointing out that since deregulation there has been considerable switching.

Electricity Charges (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I am reluctant to get into the business of telling the ESB how to do its job, however.

Electricity Charges (28 Feb 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I heard the Deputy's points about changing the reading of meters in question and a once-off annual billing. There has, however, been some misconception in the public domain about this charge. Conclusions were jumped to that this was a charge on the poor. It is not a charge on the poor.