Results 5,281-5,300 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: 1I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 to 210, inclusive, together. I announced the launch of Better Energy: the National Upgrade Programme, in early May in the context of the Government's Jobs Initiative. Better Energy Homes replaces the three existing energy efficiency and renewable energy programmes: the Home Energy Savings Scheme (HES), the Warmer Homes Scheme (WHS) and the Greener Homes...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 211 to 213, inclusive, together. Ireland is obliged under the EU Renewable Energy Directive to achieve a binding target of 16% of energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020, a five fold increase on 2005. As set out in the National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP), the bulk of Ireland's target will be met by the electricity sector. 40% of...

Written Answers — Fuel Poverty: Fuel Poverty (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Enhancing the energy efficiency of low-income homes through structural improvements remains the most effective means of reducing energy poverty. To date, energy efficiency improvements in over 65,000 homes have been made under the Better Energy: Warmer Homes programme. Better Energy: Warmer Homes provides energy efficiency improvements to homes in, or at risk of, energy poverty and is...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: In accordance with its statutory function under the 2002 and its obligations under EU law, ComReg assigns rights of use for spectrum by way of a licence under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts. Currently, the 900 MHz frequency spectrum is used to provide GSM (2G) voice and text services in Ireland. New technological developments now allow for innovative broadband services to also be provided in...

Written Answers — Broadcasting Services: Broadcasting Services (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: A Digital Switchover Steering Group (DSG) has been established to plan, coordinate and deliver switchover from analogue terrestrial TV to digital TV in Ireland by the end of 2012. The Group is chaired by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) and comprises members from DCENR, RTÉ, RTÉNL, TV3, TG4, Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) and ComReg. The Group...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The amendment submitted by the Deputy would require the Minister to have regard to the position of the Irish language as the national language in the operation of any national postcode system. While I am sympathetic to the aims of the proposal I do not propose to accept it on a number of grounds. The first is that a procurement process is currently under way for a national postcode system....

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I have made a number of concessions to him to put into the Bill where the Minister's express consent is required, for example, if there was any question of ComReg trying to shut down the universal service obligation after seven years. This was the situation in the Bill when I inherited it from Deputy Ó Cuív's party. The Minister can intervene and say "Sorry, we are not wearing that." The...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I cannot and would not be able to get the kind of derogation Deputy Joan Collins advocates. It is not consistent with the directive which has been passed. It is not the intention of this Government to privatise An Post. An Post is a State company and it has a place of affection in the hearts of most people. The universal service obligation remains and we do not intend to go down the...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I accept there is a social dimension, interaction, gossip and all the rest associated with the postman when he calls. I acknowledge all of that but the postman's job is to deliver the post, not to be a social worker or to collect the messages. If he can do all those things as well, that is a matter for the postal manager, but I have no objection. The postman is not a multi-tasker like...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: That is true. To return to the amendment, Deputy Ó Cuív knows as well as I do that fashion changes. Some of things that were everyday occurrences in rural Ireland 30 years ago have changed dramatically. He knows that the marketplace here will change as well. He knows that change is coming down the tracks at the post office everyday and that it is in the interests of the postal service...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I do not know if it is Deputy Ó Cuív's long years in government that has made him so cynical of all exchanges that take place between the elected Oireachtas and institutions established by the Oireachtas. I have not got that cynical yet. I believe ComReg takes into account the sensible views of Oireachtas Éireann and sensible views argued with it by other interests. Why would ComReg...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy is beginning to sound like Deputy Higgins.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Only since the Deputy went into opposition.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I have repeated ad nauseam that the Government has no intention of privatising An Post. Deputy Healy-Rae is correct about the experience of Telecom Éireann, now Eircom, and the asset stripping which resulted in a legacy of under-investment in the network. However, he is wrong to make a comparison with the provision before us. The regulator or competition was not at fault in the case of...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: If Deputy Shane Ross and a couple of others were stripped out, there would be a powerful left contingent in the House if this Government was replaced any time soon.

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I will protect An Post while I am here. I have every confidence that the left turn being taken on the benches opposite will protect it if there is a change in the Government. The effect of the amendments before the House would be to require the consent of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources with regard to any determination made by ComReg allowing the designated...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I move amendment No. 17: In page 21, line 27, to delete "approved" and substitute "published". This amendment arises from amendments made on Committee Stage to the provisions relating to the terms and conditions of the universal postal service provider. It clarifies that a universal postal service provider must comply with its terms and conditions, which have been "published" rather than...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I move amendment No. 18: In page 21, line 38, after "service" to insert "provision". This is another drafting amendment which seeks to correct the omission of the word "provision", which in this context and in the interests of continuity should have been linked to the term "the universal postal service".

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I move amendment No. 19: In page 25, to delete lines 36 and 37 and substitute the following: "(c) subject to any decision made by the Commission under paragraph (b) of subsection (2), prices shall comply with the uniform tariff referred to in that subsection;". Following our discussion on Committee Stage, I undertook to look again at uniform tariffs. As I mentioned in that debate, the...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: There is absolutely no inconsistency between emphasising the statutorily based independence of the regulator and making express provision for the consent of the Minister to be required in certain circumstances or providing for the capacity of the Minister to issue policy directives. Deputy Ó Cuív used a good example earlier when he spoke about the banking regulator. He was quite right to...