Results 4,801-4,820 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — State Bodies: State Bodies (15 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Arrangements for the payment of salaries to its staff, including the Chief Executive Officer, and the making of statutory deductions are day to day operational matters for Ordnance Survey Ireland as is the case with any Agency or Body Corporate under the aegis of my Department. In relation to the Chief Executive Officer, I understand that the Board has put in place arrangements to recover...

Written Answers — Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation (15 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Energy Affordability is a cross-cutting policy issue and tackling the root causes requires action on a number of fronts across Government and across Agencies. Energy poverty is caused by interaction between energy prices, thermal inefficiency of the home and income. Action to mitigate energy poverty has focused on providing assistance through the schemes operated by the Departments of...

Written Answers — Inland Fisheries: Inland Fisheries (15 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Regulations are made annually following statutory public consultation, for the management of the wild salmon and sea trout fishery, based on the scientific and management advice provided by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI). Every year salmon river stocks are reassessed and any new scientific information is included to ensure that the most up-to-date information is utilised in the formulation of...

Written Answers — Croke Park Agreement: Croke Park Agreement (15 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Under the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014, detailed action plans have been developed by each State agency under the remit of my Department to underpin the change and reform process envisaged by the Agreement. The State Agencies concerned are set out in the table below. The Action Plans were first developed in October 2010 and subsequently revised in January 2011 and my Department has...

Written Answers — Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation (15 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I have no plans to include water harvesting (i.e. rain capturing) in the Better Energy: Warmer Homes scheme, which provides energy efficiency improvements to low-income homes, and is by definition designed to improve the energy performance of domestic dwellings. Water Harvesting is a water management technique and thus more appropriate to my colleague, the Minister for the Environment,...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (15 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The primary purpose of Part 2 of the Communications Regulation (Premium Rate Services and Electronic Communications Infrastructure) Act 2010 is to ensure the more effective regulation of the premium rate sector in the interest of consumer protection, including the prevention of scams and fraud. Under the provisions of that Act, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (15 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy will be aware of the Government Decision of 12th April 2011 regarding new procedures for Appointments to State Boards. Accordingly, on 3rd June 2011 I publicly sought Expressions of Interest for inclusion among those to be considered for appointment for vacancies which are to arise in bodies under the aegis of my Department up top end 2011. Following the public notice on my...

Written Answers — Offshore Exploration: Offshore Exploration (15 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I assume that the Deputy is referring to an environmental impact assessment related to the Corrib gas project. In February of this year consent was granted under Section 40 of the Gas Acts, for the construction of a natural gas pipeline from the Corrib subsea facilities approximately 83 km offshore, to the Corrib gas terminal at Bellanaboy. The route of that pipeline passes through...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (15 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Since my appointment as Minister one member of my staff, a Special Adviser, has been appointed at a salary that exceeds the applicable pay scale for the grade. This staff member was not employed by me prior to my appointment and his annual salary of €97,200 was approved by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

Written Answers — National Broadband Scheme: National Broadband Scheme (15 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I understand that the number of subscriptions to date under the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) is 38,017, of which 3,550 are located in County Kerry. I must stress that in designing the NBS in 2008, my Department did not set a target of customer numbers. It is important to note that had my Department set target numbers for the Scheme, it would have exposed the public purse to an...

Written Answers — Capital Projects: Capital Projects (15 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: In the time available, it has not been possible to identify and assemble the information requested. My Department is in the process of identifying and assembling the information and I will revert to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Electricity Generation: Electricity Generation (15 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 360 and 361 together. ESB Electric Ireland was established in 2010 as ESB's single supply business and comprises the previously separated ESB Independent Energy (ESBIE), Customer Supply and Energy Services. Financial details of the ESB Group, including ESB Electric Ireland, are available in the Annual Report and Accounts of the company which are available on...

Leaders' Questions (15 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Deputy Adams still managed to give him a mention.

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (10 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The electronic communications market is, and has been since its liberalisation, a commercial competitive market. Thus, the provision of services, including broadband, is a matter for those private sector service providers, regulated by the independent regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). The Government only intervenes in cases of market failure. Between the...

Written Answers — Offshore Exploration: Offshore Exploration (10 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: A finding from a research study sponsored by my Department estimated that there could be a total reserve potential in the order of ten billion barrels of oil equivalent in the frontier basins west of Ireland. This figure is simply an estimate of unproven potential, derived from an assessment of the scale of acreage, the state of knowledge of offshore geology and experience elsewhere. It is...

Written Answers — Cyber Security: Cyber Security (10 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I assume that the Deputy is referring to a National Cyber Security Strategy. My Department is in the process of developing strategies in relation to cyber security and it my intention to publish a high level cyber strategy document in 2012.

Written Answers — Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation (10 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Smart meters facilitate energy efficiency by providing consumers with more detailed, accurate and timely information regarding their energy consumption and costs, thus helping consumers reduce any unnecessary energy usage and shift any discretionary electricity usage away from peak consumption times. The traditional electricity meter is not capable of operating in reverse and as a result is...

Written Answers — Energy Prices: Energy Prices (10 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Programme for Government commits to the provision of a feed in tariff for micro-generators producing electricity for their own homes, farms and businesses and selling surplus electricity to the grid. The programme also states that the tariff will not be significantly above the single energy market price for electricity. A number of activities in recent years have supported...

Leaders Questions (9 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: It all depends on whether there are any in his constituency.

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (8 Nov 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is charged with ensuring the protection and conservation of our inland fisheries resource including enforcement of the Fisheries Acts, conservation Bye-laws and orders. I am advised that there are currently 12 full-time IFI officers involved in, amongst other duties, policing illegal fishing activity in the area that covers the River Barrow, Nore and Suir...