Results 4,481-4,500 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (24 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I have requested the bodies under the aegis of my Department to respond directly to the Deputy in so far as the information sought in Parliamentary Question No. 335 of 25 October 2011 is concerned.

Leaders' Questions (24 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Deputy McGrath is spreading his wings. I did not take him for an Ahmadinejad man.

Leaders' Questions (24 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I knew there had to be a local angle.

Gas Explosion (19 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I welcome the opportunity to address the House on the important topic of gas safety. I entirely agree with the Deputy that safety must be of paramount concern. BGE is the owner of the national gas transmission and distribution systems and is mandated with the development and maintenance of the natural gas network under the Gas Act 1976. The Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, is the...

Gas Explosion (19 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I agree entirely with the Deputy that, happily, such incidents are rare but that does not mean this was not a most unfortunate incident. I extend my sympathy to the people injured in these circumstances. I am not sure it would be helpful for me to offer opinions. The preliminary accident report is filed already and that, in turn, triggers the next step, which is an international...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (19 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Communications Regulation (Premium Rate Services and Electronic Communications Infrastructure) Act, 2010, which amended the Communications Regulation Act 2002, permits the National Roads Authority (NRA) to make its road ducts on national roads available to facilitate the roll-out of backhaul fibre networks by the industry. The legislation allows the NRA to make a charging scheme for...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (19 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Better Energy programme, which is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland on behalf of my Department, provides energy efficiency upgrades in privately owned homes. The Warmer Homes Scheme specifically fully funds energy efficiency upgrades in vulnerable private owned houses. Since 2004, retrofitting measures in local authority housing are undertaken as part of the...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (19 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The provision of electronic communications services, including broadband services, is in the first instance, a matter for private sector service providers operating in Ireland's fully liberalised telecommunications market. Decisions relating to the provision of broadband services are commercial matters for the commercial service providers. Neither I nor ComReg, the telecommunications...

Written Answers — Electric Vehicles: Electric Vehicles (19 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I am advised by ESB that the charge points being installed by the company are compatible with the latest standards for electric vehicles which are being supported by the major motor manufacturers. ESB also advises that some earlier models of electric vehicles, such as legacy quadricylces, may not be able to use the charge points. I have no plans at present to introduce legislation in...

Written Answers — Gas Exploration: Gas Exploration (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Officials of my Department have had contacts with their counterparts in Northern Ireland in relation to the onshore exploration authorisations that are in place in the two jurisdictions. The primary purpose of these contacts has been to facilitate an exchange of information in relation to the nature of the activities that have been licensed and their associated timelines. There has also...

Written Answers — Mobile Telephony: Mobile Telephony (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The management of the radio spectrum is a statutory function of the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) under the Communications Regulation Act, 2002 as amended. As set out in ComReg documents 11/60 and 11/75 and associated documents, ComReg is proposing to hold a multi-band award of spectrum rights of use in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands. These documents also detail...

Written Answers — Energy Market Regulation: Energy Market Regulation (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government's priority energy policy objectives are to ensure secure, sustainable and competitive energy supply for the economy and for consumers. The energy regulatory framework for energy markets must also reflect and address evolving energy policy challenges and deliver compliance with the requirements of both EU and national energy legislation. The regulation of the electricity and...

Written Answers — Gas Exploration: Gas Exploration (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I have not to date received any applications for an exploration licence that would involve hydraulic fracturing. In February of last year, my Department granted onshore Licensing Options to three companies over parts of the Lough Allen and Clare Basin respectively. The Licensing Options are preliminary authorisations and are different to exploration licences. The Options are for a two year...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Directive 2009/28/EC imposes a legally binding target on Ireland for a 16% share of renewable energy in all energy consumed by 2020. Ireland has set targets of 40% electricity, 12% heating and 10% transport fuel to be from renewables by 2020. The combined effect of these sectoral targets is commensurate with the achievement of the overall 16% target. In 2011 around 15% of Ireland's...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The provision of telecommunications services, including international electronic communication connectivity, is primarily a matter for the private sector, regulated where appropriate by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). The island of Ireland has many international telecommunications cables, providing international connectivity to the country. There are transatlantic...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: REFIT 2 is designed to support a range of technologies including onshore wind, landfill gas and small hydro technologies. I can inform the Deputy that last week my Department received State Aid clearance from DG Competition for Ireland's REFIT 2 application. I am advising the Government accordingly of my intention to open the scheme and with the Government's agreement, the scheme will be...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (18 Jan 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 the private sector commercial operators. In cases of market failure the Government will intervene, where it is appropriate and possible to do so. The National Broadband Scheme (NBS) represents such an intervention. EU State Aid and...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Telecommunications service providers are required to provide certain statistical returns to the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the independent market regulator. ComReg publishes quarterly statistical reports, based on these returns, which can be accessed on its website www.comreg.ie . Some of the information returned by service providers to ComReg is market sensitive and...

Written Answers — Natural Gas Grid: Natural Gas Grid (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is a statutory, independent body, has, since 2002, been charged with all aspects of the assessment and licensing of prospective operators who wish to develop and/or operate a gas distribution system within the State under the Gas (Interim) (Regulation) Act 2002. I have no direct statutory function in relation to the connection of towns to the...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Eircom is a private company operating in both the fixed line and mobile electronic communications markets in Ireland. The company is trading profitably in its day to day operations. Its current reported difficulties are related to its debt levels which must be addressed and resolved by the parties involved. Eircom's fixed line network, in particular, is of strategic importance to Ireland,...