Results 4,501-4,520 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

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

Pat Rabbitte: The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) publishes quarterly statistical reports on developments in the telecommunications market in Ireland on its website www.comreg.ie . ComReg's most recent publication, for the quarter ending September 2011 (Q3 2011), reports total broadband subscriptions increased to 1.652m compared to 1.624m at end March 2011(Q1 2011). At the end of both...

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). A number of existing international telecommunications routes are provided by multiple operators. Other operators are currently exploring the possibility...

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

Pat Rabbitte: The percentage of Ireland's designated continental shelf that is currently licensed for exploration or leased for production of hydrocarbons is 4.4%. The percentage of the area of sedimentary basin (i.e. geologically significant for hydrocarbons) within the designated continental shelf that is currently licensed for exploration or leased for production of hydrocarbons is 9.3%. While Ireland...

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

Pat Rabbitte: There has been significant growth in the take up of broadband services and contracted speeds in Ireland in recent years. The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has reported that between Q3 2007 and Q3 2011 the number of broadband subscribers has more than doubled from 793,000 to more than 1.6 million. It is also the case that, at the end of September 2011, 73.2% of domestic...

Written Answers — Energy Resources: Energy Resources (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Completion of the development works by the developer is the principal factor that will determine the date for first gas. Pending such completion, it is not possible to state a date for when gas from the Corrib gas field will become available. The Corrib Project requires a number of statutory permissions in order for the developer to construct, operate and maintain the development. In...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I intend to appoint a third commissioner to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) following a competitive process as early as possible this year. The Electricity Regulation Act 1999, provides for the Commissioners to be appointed by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The process to fill the...

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

Pat Rabbitte: I have consistently welcomed the proposal by Shannon LNG to construct a LNG terminal near Ballylongford, County Kerry. Such a facility, together with the bringing onshore of Corrib Gas would provide important security of gas supply for Ireland. I met the promoters of the project soon after taking office last year and both my Department and the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) are in...

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

Pat Rabbitte: A procurement process for a national postcode system is under way. This process, which is being managed on a ring fenced basis by my Department, necessarily constrains the amount of information I can share with you at this time. By way of background, Ireland is the only country in the EU and the OECD which does not have a national postcode. In July 2009 the then Government approved the...

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

Pat Rabbitte: The provision of mobile phone networks and services is undertaken by telecommunications service providers who operate in a fully liberalised market. The regulation of telecommunications service providers, including regulatory issues surrounding mobile phone network coverage and quality, is the responsibility of the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) in accordance with its...

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

Pat Rabbitte: The Application Phase of the Rural Broadband Scheme (RBS) closed on 29 July 2011. The Department received 5,000 applications and it is expected that up to 4,000 of these will qualify under the terms of the scheme. The Verification Phase of the Scheme has now commenced. In this phase of the Scheme, the details of applicants are being passed to Internet service providers to assess whether a...

Written Answers — Sustainable Energy Grants: Sustainable Energy Grants (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 493 from him of 11 January last.

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

Pat Rabbitte: There has been significant growth in the take up of broadband services and contracted speeds in Ireland in recent years. The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has reported that between Q3 2007 and Q3 2011 the number of broadband subscribers has more than doubled from 793,000 to more than 1.6 million. It is also the case that, at the end of September 2011, 73.2% of domestic...

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

Pat Rabbitte: It is Government policy that An Post remains a strong and viable company, in a position to provide a high quality, nationwide postal service and maintain a nationwide customer focused network of post offices. The Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Act of 2011 guarantees the ongoing provision of a universal postal service, the essential element of which is the collection and delivery...

Written Answers — Energy Costs: Energy Costs (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I do not have a statutory function in the setting of energy prices, whether in the regulated or unregulated market. Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, which is an independent statutory body. Prices in the retail electricity market are now fully deregulated and from 1 October 2011 gas residential...

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

Pat Rabbitte: There have been no new commercial discoveries of oil and gas in the Irish on and offshore in the past three years. The only petroleum discovery in recent years that has been declared commercial but has yet to be developed is the Corrib Gas Field. With regard to non-petroleum minerals there is a total of five hundred and fifty-eight active mineral Prospecting Licences. Details of these...

Written Answers — Energy Resources: Energy Resources (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Completion of the development works by the developer is the principal factor that will determine the date for first gas. Pending such completion, it is not possible to state a date for when gas from the Corrib gas field will become available. The Corrib Project requires a number of statutory permissions in order for the developer to construct, operate and maintain the development. In...

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

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 147 together. EirGrid's latest data, which is available on their website, shows that at the end of 2011, there is 1900MW of renewable generation on the national grid. This includes 1630MW of connected wind, 234MW of hydro and 46MW of additional other renewable generation. Ireland's achievement in terms of the level of wind integrated on to a small...

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

Pat Rabbitte: EirGrid's data, available on their website www.eirgrid.com , indicates that at the end of 2011, there were 1630MW of wind generation connected to the grid, making up the bulk of our total of 1900MW of renewable generation connected. The latest modelling undertaken by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), ('Energy Forecasts for Ireland to 2020 [2011]), indicates that capacity of...

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

Pat Rabbitte: According to the most recent Biofuels Obligation Scheme Annual Report, there were four entities producing biofuels participating in the Biofuel Obligation Scheme. Two of these companies were based in County Wexford, one was in County Kerry and one was in Galway.

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (18 Jan 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The provision of alarm or alert systems is a matter for the private marketplace. Neither my Department nor the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has any role in setting the standards for what alarm systems are used or in the monitoring of their performance.