Results 5,301-5,320 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

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

Pat Rabbitte: I move amendment No. 20: In page 25, to delete lines 44 to 47 and substitute the following: "(2) (a) Subject to paragraphs (b) and (d), a uniform tariff shall apply throughout the State to any postal service provided at single piece tariff. (b) The Commission may, having regard to the reasonable needs of users, with the prior consent of the Minister, decide that a uniform tariff referred to...

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

Pat Rabbitte: I move amendment No. 22: In page 25, lines 48 and 49, to delete "a decision under".

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

Pat Rabbitte: I move amendment No. 24: In page 26, to delete lines 7 and 8. There was an interesting debate at Committee Stage on An Post handling of international mail and the levels of remuneration it receives for this mail. I undertook at Committee Stage to have a look at the issue again. To remind Deputies, terminal dues is the mechanism used by national postal operators to settle with each other for...

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

Pat Rabbitte: I move amendment No. 28: In page 32, to delete line 4 and substitute the following: "(f) the feasibility of granting the access sought, (g) the capital investment in the postal network made by the universal postal service provider concerned, and".

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

Pat Rabbitte: I move amendment No. 30: In page 36, line 17, to delete "a decision under".

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

Pat Rabbitte: I regret I cannot take on board the Deputy's amendment. I will reiterate some points we have already discussed about the Bill's origins. Under section 11 of the Communications Regulation Act 2002, the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, is statutorily independent in the exercise of its functions. A regulator independent of postal service providers is an explicit requirement of...

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

Pat Rabbitte: In certain circumstances.

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

Pat Rabbitte: I agree with the spirit of the amendments but I am advised by the Parliamentary Counsel that there is no requirement or necessity to put this into primary legislation because the cornerstone of the Bill is the universal service obligation, which is the real tacit recognition of the importance of the role of the postal service. I fully acknowledge the social function of the postal service and...

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

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy cannot have it both ways. Either we set up a statutorily independent regulator or we do not. The requirement behind this is that An Post is a State-owned postal company and we must separate regulation from ownership. Either he accepts that basic principle or not but he cannot argue for both sides. I accept the importance of the social role of the postal service in Ireland. As...

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

Pat Rabbitte: I agree with Deputy Ferris that the service provided by An Post across the country is very important and is appreciated by the people of Ireland. I have no doubt about that. The universal service obligation enshrined in this legislation will protect that important aspect of An Post. Deputy Joan Collins quoted an example from Holland, but I have no intention - neither does the Government -...

Leaders' Questions (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy is losing his touch. He is all over the shop.

Leaders' Questions (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: If the Deputy had any shame, he would be under the table.

Leaders' Questions (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: To clean up the mess made by Fianna Fáil.

Leaders' Questions (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: He needs a script.

Leaders' Questions (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Could we get on to the script, Joe?

Leaders' Questions (20 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: He could be a leader soon.

Written Answers — Local Authority Grants: Local Authority Grants (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Window replacement works are not eligible for support under either Better Energy: Homes or Better Energy: Warmer Homes, both of which are operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), on behalf of my Department. The Better Energy: Homes scheme provide support for attic and wall insulation, solar thermal, efficient boilers and heating controls. These measures were selected...

Written Answers — Inland Fisheries: Inland Fisheries (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 309 to 313, inclusive, together. As the Deputy may be aware, the Standing Scientific Committee (SSC) of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) carries out an appropriate assessment of salmon stocks in compliance with the Habitats Directive and provides annual advice in relation to this. I am advised that fish counters represent only one of an array of methods by...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 314 and 321 together. The Programme for Government commits to facilitate the development of energy cooperatives to make it easier for small scale renewable energy providers to contribute to our renewable targets. The involvement of local community participants in renewable energy projects has been advocated as a means to progress the uptake of renewable...

Written Answers — Energy Resources: Energy Resources (19 Jul 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The revenue to be achieved by a 10% levy on natural resources extracted offshore in Ireland would depend on a range of factors, including the capital cost of extraction, quantities and grades of resources extracted and the price of the extracted material over the life of the extraction of the resource. In the case of non-petroleum minerals, there is no production from the Irish offshore at...