Results 5,481-5,500 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Broadcasting Legislation (21 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: We are not talking about the medium or long term in terms of tidying up this area. The Bill will be before the House in a reasonable time. However, if what Deputy Ross fears or anticipates happens, then current powers ought to be adequate if the political will exists to intervene. In my direct experience going back over the years, it is political will that has been absent. Although there...

Energy Exploration (21 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: In recent years there has been renewed interest in targeting the natural gas resource potential of the onshore north-west carboniferous or Lough Allen basin. This potential had been identified in earlier exploration but was not considered commercially viable at the time. In February of this year, following an open competition, my Department awarded two two-year onshore petroleum licensing...

Energy Exploration (21 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I am aware there are concerns in the United States about the process to which Deputy Ferris refers. When this matter first came to my attention, I did not appreciate that the work going on consisted largely of desktop studies of existing data. Therefore, the notion one could fall into a terrible hole around Lough Allen is not exactly in accord with what is happening. I am also aware that a...

Energy Exploration (21 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I would be as concerned as the Deputy if the fallout in this case was as he fears. I believe we are a very long way from that and I assure people who live in the area that this is not the case. I am aware there are concerns in the United States and that the French Parliament not long ago banned the practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, as Deputy Ferris refers to it. There are...

Telecommunications Services (21 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I am happy to report that thanks to a combination of significant private and public investment in broadband provision, the vast majority of premises here, including many hard-to-reach rural premises, can now avail of at least a basic broadband service. The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband services, is a matter in the first instance for private sector service...

Telecommunications Services (21 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I am aware of the Deputy's interest in the subject because he has been in contact with me on more than one occasion about it. I am fairly convinced that we will have 99% penetration if not by the end of this year, certainly by next year. The problem, as he pointed out, often relates to the last mile and often relates to the bandwidth and speeds rather than the availability of basic...

Telecommunications Services (21 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: My conversion to the merits of private sector involvement in this area is as nothing compared with the conversion that has befallen the Deputy since he went into opposition. He seems to expect that in 14 weeks I can remedy the mistakes his governments made in 14 years, which is stretching it a bit.

Telecommunications Services (21 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: We did not recover from the disaster of the privatisation of Telecom Éireann and the fact that it was ripped off successively purely for the purpose of asset stripping and taking money from it, meaning that the investment was not made when we had competitive advantage. While that is history now, it is something that must be corrected. The EU targets are that every household would have 30...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (16 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The proposed REFIT support scheme, which is aimed at supporting the use of biomass in electricity generation and heat production, was submitted to the EU Commission in Brussels for State Aid clearance in November 2010. My Department has been in regular contact with the Commission on this matter and is confident that the final stages of the clearance process by the Commission have been reached.

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (16 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The provision of broadband services is, in the first instance, a matter for private sector service providers operating in Ireland's fully liberalised telecommunications market. Broadband services are provided by private service providers over various platforms including DSL (i.e. over telephone lines), fixed wireless, mobile, cable, fibre and satellite. Details of broadband services...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (16 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The provision of broadband services is, in the first instance, a matter for private sector service providers operating in Ireland's fully liberalised telecommunications market. Broadband services are provided by private service providers over various platforms including DSL (i.e. over telephone lines), fixed wireless, mobile, cable, fibre and satellite. Details of broadband services...

Order of Business (16 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Good wishes.

Written Answers — Media Industry: Media Industry (15 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 357, 358, 360 and 373 together. I have no function in the matters referred to in the Deputy's question. The Broadcasting Act 2009 sets out my legislative responsibilities in respect of broadcasting in this State. In particular, the issue of general media ownership policy and media mergers does not fall within the remit of my Department. This is a matter for...

Written Answers — Media Industry: Media Industry (15 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The issue of general media ownership policy and media mergers is a matter for the Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation and I have no function in these matters. The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is responsible for the regulation of the radio market and the granting of broadcasting licenses in this market. The Authority is an independent statutory body and accordingly I have...

Written Answers — Media Industry: Media Industry (15 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I have no function in the matters referred to in the Deputy's question. The Broadcasting Act 2009 sets out my legislative responsibilities in respect of broadcasting in this State. In particular, the issue of general media ownership policy and media mergers does not fall within the remit of my Department. This is a matter for the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

Written Answers — Media Industry: Media Industry (15 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The issue of general media ownership policy and media mergers is a matter for the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and I have no function in these matters. The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is responsible for the regulation of the local radio market and the granting of broadcasting licences in this market. The Authority is an independent statutory body and I have no...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (15 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Question Nos. 363 and 364 together. Section 39 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides for the duties of broadcasters and includes duties in relation to objectivity and impartiality in news and current affairs as referred to by the Deputy. In addition, Part 4 of the 2009 Act makes provision for the preparation and implementation of codes of practice in relation to complaints...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (15 Jun 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Section 42 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides, inter alia, for codes governing the standards and practice of broadcasters, encompassing the issues raised by the Deputy concerning editorial independence within broadcast media. In addition, Part 4 of the 2009 Act makes provision for the preparation and implementation of codes of practice in relation to complaints handling and for a...

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

Pat Rabbitte: The regulation of the wholesale mobile voice call termination market is a matter for the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). I am anxious to ensure that mobile termination rates (MTRs) charged by Irish service providers are in line with those charged elsewhere in Europe and that Irish citizens and businesses benefit from the lowest call costs possible. Following regulatory...

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

Pat Rabbitte: There are twenty-one exploration licences and five licensing options active in the Irish offshore. Exploration activities under these authorisations are ongoing and subject to the performance of agreed work programmes including detailed reporting and the release of exploration data and evaluation reports to my Department. My Department has approved two seismic surveys to date in 2011 and a...