Results 4,721-4,740 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Broadcasting Legislation: Broadcasting Legislation (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is established as an independent statutory body under the Broadcasting Act 2009. Part 3 of the 2009 Act also outlines the codes governing standards and practice to be observed by broadcasters. The Compliance Committee of the BAI is charged under the Act with ensuring that all broadcasters, whether public or private, comply with their licence...

Written Answers — Offshore Exploration: Offshore Exploration (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: There were twenty-six petroleum exploration licences granted since 2001, of these sixteen are still active. Oil and gas discoveries have been made in respect of four of these licences to date. Three of the discoveries were in the North Celtic Sea Basin and one in the Slyne Basin. None of the discoveries has been declared commercial to date. Applications for lease undertakings in respect of...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 330 and 331 together. The telecommunications market in Ireland has been fully liberalised since 1999 and, since then, has seen the steady growth and development of strong well-regulated competition in the provision of the full range of telecommunications products and services which are broadly capable of meeting the current needs of telecommunications...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Telecommunications services in Ireland including broadband services are provided by private service providers over various platforms including DSL (i.e. over telephone lines), fixed wireless, mobile, cable, fibre and satellite. ComReg's website www.callcosts.ie provides detailed information on the various private sector telecommunications products and services available on a county by county...

Written Answers — Mobile Telephony: Mobile Telephony (29 Nov 2011)

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 — Social Media: Social Media (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: As Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, I have policy responsibility for certain matters, including, for example, communications infrastructure. However, I should highlight that I do not have responsibility for all activities that use such infrastructure. I have no function in the matter of regulating social media. I understand, however, that the Data Protection...

Written Answers — Postal Services: Postal Services (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Act 2011, which was enacted in August 2011, has put in place a robust and appropriate regulatory framework for the postal services market, which will offer certainty and protection to An Post, the designated universal postal service provider, its competitors, and postal service users. While I have overall responsibility for the postal sector,...

Written Answers — Energy Prices: Energy Prices (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Energy policy objectives for Ireland and the European Union are delivering security of supply and reducing the impact of competitive energy costs for consumers and business, through the development of renewable energy resources, enhanced energy efficiency and greater competition. National and EU energy policy objectives are also informed by the critical work of the International Energy...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (29 Nov 2011)

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

Written Answers — Departmental Legal Costs: Departmental Legal Costs (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: As the Deputy will be aware my Department was established in 2007, and I can advise that my Department made the following settlements, with costs shown where available, from 2007 to date. No confidentiality clauses were attached to the agreements. An out of court settlement in 2007, for a sum of €35,000, was made with a company which carried out a software upgrade for the Department. In...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: In the time available, it has not been possible to identify and assemble the information requested. I can however advise that the information as it relates to Agencies under the aegis of the Department is a day to day operational matter for the agencies themselves. The information in respect of the Department is being identified and assembled and I will revert to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Television Licence Fee (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Section 124 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 sets out the mechanism by which increases or decreases of the television licence fee may be determined. In particular, it allows for the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BAI, to recommend in a report to the Minister an annual licence fee modification. This recommendation is to be based on an annual review on the extent to which RTE has fulfilled...

Television Licence Fee (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Given the straitened economic circumstances in which we have found ourselves over the past three years, the Deputy is correct that any alleviation of charges, fees or levies on people generally would be helpful but he should not hold out a reduction in the television licence fee as alleviating the pressures under which people find themselves. I am not sure that of itself it would constitute...

Television Licence Fee (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: It is important to bear in mind that broadcasting is suffering the same stresses and strains as the economy in general. There has been a dramatic reduction in RTE's commercial income, which is nowhere near what it was three years ago. That is a serious development. There has been a significant shift of advertising away from the traditional television platform and towards the Internet. I...

Affordable Energy Strategy (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: As Deputy Martin Ferris will be aware, I published the affordable energy strategy, which meets our commitment in the programme for Government, at the weekend. This strategy will be the framework for building upon the many measures already in place to protect households at risk from the effects of energy poverty. These include the thermal efficiency-based measures delivered through the...

Affordable Energy Strategy (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I agree with Deputy Martin Ferris. It is undoubtedly the case that there are people living in the circumstances that he described. No doubt he is correct that it has a negative impact on their health, etc. I can assure him that the grant scheme to which he refers will survive the budget. Together with the jobs initiative announcement earlier in the year, we will have spent some €100...

Affordable Energy Strategy (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I am happy to communicate my view again publicly to the regulator, which is that any further changes in energy prices this winter ought to be downwards.

Affordable Energy Strategy (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I accept entirely that we are price takers in a global energy market and that gas prices, in particular, have gone up almost 30% in the last 11 months or so, which has a very severe impact on the provision of energy, including electricity. That is a very serious situation. In reply to Deputy Ferris's question, I would hope the discussions we have been having over the past six months with the...

Energy Regulation (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: 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. I have no statutory function in the regulation of marketing for either the business or domestic sectors. The regulator has informed me that it is in the process of outlining procedures for clear and comprehensible presentation...

Energy Regulation (29 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I agree with the Deputy. It is very important that there is sufficient transparency to allow customers and competitors to compare and contrast. The Deputy is correct about that. Of course, this market has seen changes in recent years and there is now competition in it. In those circumstances, it is important that there is the ability to compare and contrast and that there is adequate...