Results 4,921-4,940 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 10 and 14 together. The EU-IMF Programme of December 2010 involves a commitment that the Government will outline methods to raise funds through asset disposal. The 2011 budget included a similar commitment. The programme for Government includes a commitment to finance investment from the proceeds of the sale of certain non-strategic State assets. Far from...

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: If ever there was a booby trap set for a Minister, this is it.

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: If the Deputy does not mind, I will fail to spring it. The reason it is a case of festina lente is market circumstances are such that no one would wish to go to the market with State assets. The reason we are going to the market is the memorandum of understanding. The House has seen what has been enforced in Greece in the disposal of state assets. When one considers the menu of State...

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: If we could achieve the targets set without the sale of State assets, the honest answer to the Deputy's question is that I would be perfectly pleased with that outcome. My approach to the disposal of State assets is that I am prepared to examine the issue on a case-by-case basis. Different arguments can be advanced for different holdings in State ownership and arguments that apply to one do...

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Several people representing the three elements that make up the troika visit this country at the end of each quarter and check the homework of the Department of Finance. If we are not in compliance, they will not sign the cheque. Up to now, they have accepted it. I hope my ministerial colleagues, Deputies Noonan and Howlin, will be able to report tomorrow that, once again, they have...

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy has broken my train of thought. They require that we realise significant funds from the sale of State assets. It is an open secret that they attempted to include a figure of €5 billion in the renegotiated memorandum of understanding. Instead, the revised memorandum of understanding commits to an ambitious programme involving the disposal of State assets. I am unsure how...

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I have regular discussions with Bord na Móna. The problem is we are running out of móna.

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Yes, the company has been imaginative in diversifying and gradually replacing its core business. The Government is engaging with it in a number of areas. Obviously, the last thing we want to see is a diminution of employment in the company. The opposite is our objective and discussions with it are ongoing. I do not know what we will do with the cut-away bog. We are considering the...

Fiscal Policy (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: As I have stated on a number of occasions, there is no question of the Government surrendering control of either of the companies to which the Deputy refers. The Deputy referred to adhering to targets, meeting the bottom line and substituting one thing with another. This trade-off is taking place on the revenue side, for example, in reversing the previous Government's decision on the...

Renewable Energy Tariff Scheme (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Under Directive 2001/77/EC, Ireland was assigned a renewable electricity target of 13.2% by 2010. Following extensive public consultation and consideration, it was decided that to reach the 2010 targets, a new scheme was necessary to deliver the build rate required to meet the renewable electricity directive target level. Experience across Europe clearly showed that feed-in tariffs were...

Renewable Energy Tariff Scheme (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I broadly agree with the Deputy in that the time taken is longer than I would like. I was in Brussels last week on a number of different issues, and the same question was raised with me by our own MEPs. The latest information I have as a result is that the biomass REFIT is likely to emerge as early as next week, which is welcome because I am aware of a couple of tangible projects that are...

Renewable Energy Tariff Scheme (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: It is impossible to say. Once it goes through the system, we have complied by providing the information required from us. After that, it goes through the system in the Commission and, like everywhere else, that system has its own bureaucracy.

Renewable Energy Tariff Scheme (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I view this from the point of view of the targets we have to make. It is clear from the experience across Europe that without some kind of a feed-in subsidy, it would not happen.

Renewable Energy Tariff Scheme (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I believe we are agreed on that much.

Renewable Energy Tariff Scheme (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Yes, but only the supply company is prepared to take it on. Otherwise, there would not be the extent of progress that has been made in terms of building out the capacity. Only the supply companies would take it on. With regard to REFIT 1, as we have known it, a number of changes have been introduced to the mechanism that tighten up some of the Deputy's concern, and they are with the...

Electricity Generation (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Under the renewable energy directive, 2009/28/EC, Ireland was set a binding national target by the European Union of 16% of all energy consumed to be from renewable sources by 2020. National targets of 40% electricity, 12% heating and cooling and 10% transport are commensurate with reaching our overall directive target. Currently, there is approximately 1,800 MW of renewable generation...

Electricity Generation (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I will give the Deputy one last piece of information that is relevant to this question. It pertains to the proposed Atlantic marine energy test site at Belmullet, County Mayo, which is approaching a stage of development that could see it ready to enter the full consenting process within the next few months, subject to budgetary considerations in 2012 and future years. The test site includes...

Electricity Generation (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Involved in what?

Electricity Generation (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I agree with the Deputy that anything that reduces Ireland's dependence on the importation of fossil fuels is a positive development and there are certainly possibilities into the future in this regard. In addition, it undoubtedly would help to reduce Ireland's carbon emissions. As for the role of NewERA in this regard, the main issue confronting the Government is the provision of adequate...

Telecommunications Services (19 Oct 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The telecommunications market in Ireland, including the provision of next generation broadband networks and services, has been fully liberalised since 1999 and has since seen the steady growth and development of significant well regulated competition in the provision of the full range of telecommunications products and services. Provision of broadband services, including next generation...