Results 5,841-5,860 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Second Stage (31 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to present this Bill for the consideration of the House. The Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill is the first piece of legislation I will be introducing to the 31st Dáil and I am pleased that it is such a significant one. The Bill was passed by the Seanad last December and was introduced in this House prior to its...

Written Answers — Energy Security: Energy Security (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The oil industry is fully privatised, liberalised and deregulated and there is free entry to the market. International Energy Agency statistics show that Ireland obtained 23.3% of its crude oil supply from Libya in 2010, representing 8.78% of overall oil imports to this country in the year in question. The oil was sourced on the commercial market and I would emphasise that Ireland does not...

Written Answers — Disconnection of Utilities: Disconnection of Utilities (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) collects and periodically issues information on the global number of disconnections by all energy supply companies based on data obtained from ESB networks and Bord Gáis networks, in relation to electricity and gas respectively. The total number of domestic disconnections completed by ESB networks on behalf of all supply companies for non-payment...

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: An bhfuil cead agam dul go dtí an leithreas?

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I have already stated that the tribunal report attributes the genesis of the competition to the former Minister, Mr. Cowen, who was the Minister with responsibility for communications at the time. He brought an aide-memoire to Cabinet and the entire business was discussed as to the merits of an auction system as compared to a "beauty contest" as it was called. Some people have revived the...

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: -----and they would do a great deal of the work.

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Pardon, Deputy Dooley?

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I cannot understand what is happening, Ceann Comhairle-----

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: -----I am doing my best to impart information, to pay tribute to a former leader of Fianna Fáil who set up this tribunal and all I get is derision from the Opposition benches.

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Please go ahead, by all means.

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I thank everybody who contributed to the debate. I again put on record on behalf of the Government our thanks to Mr. Justice Moriarty. I deplore the intemperate attacks made on his integrity and motivation. In saying that I do not take any issue with any Member of the House who wants to dispute a particular finding or wants to dispute a matter of fact from any tribunal report. However,...

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: Deputy Kelleher is sitting beside the man who is the leading graduate of the academy of financial jiggery pokery that was Fianna Fáil for so many years. He comes in here, puts on his Mother Teresa face and starts lecturing us on these issues.

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: In that case the Deputy should not walk into it. I do not know very much about the funding of Fine Gael-----

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: -----but in all fairness I cannot believe Deputy Martin made the contribution he did. His younger colleagues were very careful to take the report on its merits and to look forward. They wanted to see whether the Government will implement the reforms. However, you came in with no other purpose than to seek to link what has transpired to Fine Gael in the futile attempt to damage the Government.

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I am talking to the Deputy through the Chair. I regretted that because he is the Deputy from whom we heard so much during the general election campaign about new politics. He gave all sorts of assurances through all his interlocutors that politics would not and could not go on as it went on before and he would do it differently. He claimed there would be no more Punch and Judy politics....

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: He did; I have the transcript.

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I also have the transcript of the McCracken report, which Deputy Martin and Mr. Ahern had before they entered into the deal with Deputy Lowry. That report was very clear in stating: It is an appalling situation that a Government Minister and chairman of a parliamentary party can be seen to be consistently benefiting from the black economy from shortly after the time he was first elected to...

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I find it very difficult to keep up with that. He also criticised the inadequate time provided.

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: I know what is in the Moriarty report but a number of people on the other side who wanted a debate on it last week could scarcely have read the cover, never mind the report. They were complaining about the Taoiseach not conceding a debate last week or complaining about the Taoiseach avoiding questions on it when he came in here about an hour after receiving it. There was such humbug about...

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Pat Rabbitte: We have, and in considerable detail. Furthermore, we have allowed a two day debate a week after its publication. Some two months after findings of the McCracken report against Mr Haughey were published Fianna Fáil finally conceded a debate on it for 90 minutes. It is a great help to have people to check things for you; I was used to doing it for myself. I asked someone to check what...