Results 5,141-5,160 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Exchequer Savings: Exchequer Savings (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Report of the Review Group on State Assets and Liabilities, chaired by Mr Colm McCarthy, was presented to Government and published in April this year. In respect of Bord na Móna the Review Group recommended that the Government should seek to dispose of Bord na Móna as a single entity, including peat extraction rights but not ownership of the peat lands. Following publication of the...

Written Answers — Television Licence Fee: Television Licence Fee (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: RTÉ is an independent national public service broadcaster whose remit and obligations are set out in the Broadcasting Act 2009. Section 114(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 charges RTÉ with providing and operating a national sound broadcasting service which shall have the character of a public service, be a free-to-air service and be made available, in so far as it is reasonably...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The North West Mayo Forum was established in 2008 by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Minister for Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The Forum was established with the dual objectives of providing an opportunity for dialogue between parties with an interest in the Corrib gas project and offering an opportunity for furthering the socio-economic...

Written Answers — Offshore Exploration: Offshore Exploration (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Companies wishing to submit applications for licensing options in the competition run by my Department last year were not required to indicate as part of their application the method they would propose for the extraction of gas in the event of a commercial discovery being made in the future. The licensing options on offer at the time specifically excluded exploration drilling of any kind....

Written Answers — Broadcasting Services: Broadcasting Services (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Advisory Group on Media Mergers Report points out that there are some indications of a trend towards the concentration of media ownership and that this may accelerate depending on economic circumstances. Global trends also reveal a tendency by large media corporations to acquire other media organisations on a continuing basis. The audiovisual media business in Ireland is subject to the...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I am acutely aware of the difficulties that recent electricity and gas price rises by several utilities are having on householders and particularly those vulnerable customers who may already be struggling with arrears. The recent report from the Society of the St. Vincent de Paul is a sobering reminder that energy poverty and reduced income are a cause of deep anxiety among many older people...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The telecommunications market in Ireland has been fully liberalised since 1999 and, since then, has seen the steady growth and development of vibrant well-regulated competition in the provision of the full range of telecommunications products and services. The Government is not a player in this market and can only intervene in cases of market failure. Between the significant private and...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The telecommunications market in Ireland has been fully liberalised since 1999 and, since then, has seen the steady growth and development of vibrant well-regulated competition in the provision of the full range of telecommunications products and services. The Government is not a player in this market and can only intervene in cases of market failure. Commercial operators have been investing...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Under the NewERA proposals in the Programme for Government, there is a commitment to co-invest with the private sector and commercial Semi State sector to provide Next Generation Broadband customer access to every home and business in the State. The Next Generation Broadband Taskforce has an important role, in this regard. In June of this year I convened the Taskforce which I chair and...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The issue of net neutrality is currently being considered by the European Commission and the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). The Commission intend to publish the evidence emerging from BEREC's investigations by the end of 2011. The essence of net neutrality and the issues underpinning the debate include how best to preserve the openness and quality of this...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government's energy policy, including the regulatory framework, seeks to deliver a secure, sustainable and competitive energy supply. In achieving this objective, the regulatory framework must meet evolving energy policy challenges and also ensure compliance with the requirements of both EU and national legislation. The regulation of the electricity and gas market is the responsibility...

Written Answers — Offshore Exploration: Offshore Exploration (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: It is a matter for the Environmental Protection Agency, which is an independent statutory body, to determine the activities that it is to licence. From my own Department's perspective I can inform the Deputy that each proposal for the drilling of an exploration well gives rises to a detailed application and assessment, before permission to drill can be given. On the specific issue of...

Written Answers — Seismic Surveys: Seismic Surveys (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: There were the two seismic surveys in the general Galley Head / Mizen Head area during the 1960s. Details of these surveys are set out in the following table: Survey ID Company Seismic Contractor Survey Type Survey length Survey Area 1969/01 Marathon Oil Western Geophysical 2D line 2571 km Celtic Sea / Irish Sea 1969/02 Conoco Seiscom 2D line 1091 km Celtic Sea / Fastnet Basin The data...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Energy poverty is a cross-cutting policy issue and tackling the root causes requires action on a number of fronts. Energy poverty is caused by the 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 Social Protection, Environment and the...

Written Answers — Exploration Licences: Exploration Licences (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Earlier this year, my Department granted onshore Licensing Options to two companies over parts of the Lough Allen Basin. The Licensing Options are preliminary authorisations and are different to exploration licences. The Options are for a two year period from March 2011 to the end of February 2013. During this period, the companies will evaluate the natural gas potential of the acreage...

Written Answers — Exploration Licences: Exploration Licences (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The potential of the Irish offshore as a petroleum producing region is largely unproven. This is likely to remain the case unless there is a relatively significant increase in the level of exploration activity, in particular exploration drilling. Over the past decade on average only two exploration wells have been drilled per year. The principal aim of the 2011 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 473 and 480 together. My Department has a contract with a taxi company to provide taxi services at a very competitive rate. I have set out the information requested by the Deputy, as it relates to that contract, in the following table. Period Spend 2011 January – August €7,246 2010 €18,400 2009 €17,309 2008 €27,760 In addition to the...

Written Answers — Energy Resources: Energy Resources (14 Sep 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 — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland launched the Greener Homes Scheme in March 2006 to support homeowners who wished to install renewable heating technology in their homes. The technologies supported included Biomass, Heat Pumps and Solar Thermal systems. The scheme closed for applications in May 2011 when solar thermal technology transitioned across to Better Energy: Homes. At that...

Written Answers — Electricity Transmission Network: Electricity Transmission Network (14 Sep 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: EirGrid, the State owned independent electricity transmission system company, is building the East West Interconnector between Ireland and Britain. The construction of this vital strategic infrastructure by EirGrid is on schedule for completion next year. I have no role in the planning and construction of transmission infrastructure, which are operational matters for EirGrid. The planning...