Results 7,461-7,480 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: Ireland has a target to treble the contribution from renewable energy sources in electricity production from 5% approximately to 15% by 2010. The target approximates to 1650 megawatts of generating plant. There is currently 940MW of renewable powered electricity capacity connected. This consists of approximately 670MWs of wind-powered plant, 236MW of hydro powered plant with the balance...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: The telecoms market in Ireland is fully liberalised and open and the provision of telecommunications services is a matter in the first instance for the private sector companies. Statutory responsibility for the regulation of this sector rests with the independent regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), under the Communications Regulation Act 2002 and the Regulations...

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: Following a lengthy public consultation process in 2004 on development options for Dunmore East Harbour, a planning application for a harbour development, together with an environmental impact statement, were prepared and submitted to Waterford County Council. Planning permission for the development of the Fishery Harbour Centre was received in late 2005. The cost of providing the new...

Written Answers — Aquaculture Development: Aquaculture Development (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 409 to 413, inclusive, 415 to 417, inclusive, and 419 to 422, inclusive, together. The Co-ordinated Local Aquaculture Management Systems (CLAMS) process is a nationwide initiative, to facilitate the management and the development of aquaculture, by local stakeholders, in bays and inshore waters throughout Ireland. BIM provide assistance to individual CLAMS...

Written Answers — Aquaculture Development: Aquaculture Development (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: The Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997, as amended, allows for applications to be made for the cultivation of mussels at any location on the foreshore. Such applications are, of course, subject to statutory criteria and public policy. Aquaculture licences may be granted to individual persons, partnerships, co-operative societies or companies. There is no obstacle to a licensee employing a third...

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: For the period 1992 to 1996 there were no works undertaken by the Department in Killary Harbour other than a Hydrographic Survey in 1996.

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: Council Regulation (EC) No. 850/98 lays down technical conservation measures for the protection of juvenile marine organisms. However, Article 43 of this Regulation provides for a derogation from these measures (mesh size and other technical stipulations) for the purpose of scientific research. The cases referred to by the Deputy relate to scientific research being carried out with...

Written Answers — Energy Supply: Energy Supply (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: Since 2002, the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is a statutory independent body, has been charged with all aspects of the assessment and licensing of prospective operators who wish to develop and/or operate a gas distribution system within the State under the Gas (Interim) (Regulation) Act 2002. The construction by Bord Gáis Éireann (BGÉ) of a natural gas transmission...

Written Answers — Postal Services: Postal Services (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: The future provision of postal, delivery and counter services will be, in the first instance, a matter for An Post and other service providers. As set out clearly in the Programme for Government, this Government and the Board of An Post continue to be committed to the objective of ensuring a viable and sustainable nationwide post office network into the future. With this in mind, I have...

Order of Business (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: Níl fhios againn.

Postal Services. (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: Ireland has participated fully in the debate on the liberalisation of postal services in Europe, not only in the last six months but for a longer period. The deadline of 1 January 2009 for the final liberalisation of those services has been in the public domain for a considerable period, before I became Minister. In the course of the labour relations difficulties at An Post a year ago and...

Electricity Generation. (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: The Government's energy policy Green Paper, Towards a Sustainable Energy Future for Ireland, identifies the dominance of the ESB as one of the factors influencing the apparent reluctance of independent generators of scale to enter the market. This dominance arises from the ESB's continued ownership of a large and diverse portfolio of plant and particularly from the company's ability to set...

Electricity Generation. (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: I have had discussions with the ESB on several occasions, including some, for instance, in the context of the Green Paper and in the aftermath of the Deloitte report. Departmental officials have discussions with the ESB on a regular basis about an entire range of issues relating to energy and electricity markets, security and adequacy of supply and so on. It is my understanding that the ESB...

Electricity Generation. (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: I have regular contact with EirGrid, BGE, Bord na Móna and the ESB. I had regular contact with the CER, EirGrid and the ESB on the capacity of the grid for this winter. This included two face-to-face meetings with the CER and EirGrid to get their assurances that the system has the required capacity for this winter. The most recent of these meetings took place last Thursday. I have an...

Electricity Generation. (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: The Deputy should have listened carefully to what I just said. I was assured by the bodies responsible for security of supply that all matters are in order. When I received that assurance in June, I asked for further assurances. I met the bodies recently to ascertain what extra measures they had taken. Capacity is tight but those are the expert bodies that have advised me. At the last...

Postal Services. (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: An Post operates within a regulatory framework as enshrined in EU and Irish law and therefore, the universal service obligation, which includes nationwide postal delivery requirements, is a statutory requirement for An Post as the designated universal service provider. To assist the company in meeting this obligation, it has a legal monopoly on all mail items weighing 50 g or less until...

Postal Services. (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: The deal between Fortis, the Belgian bank, and An Post will open the use of the postal network for financial services generally, such as insurance and so forth, as well as banking. That will operate throughout the post office network. Obviously, the post offices that are already computerised and electronically enabled will be in a position to do that straight away. Not all post offices...

Postal Services. (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: That is a useful task it could undertake in the future.

Telecommunications Services. (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: I meet industry and interested parties on a regular basis in pursuit of my objective to facilitate the widespread availability of competitively priced broadband in Ireland. The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband, is a matter in the first instance for private sector companies operating in a fully liberalised market, regulated by the independent Commission for...

Telecommunications Services. (21 Nov 2006)

Noel Dempsey: I have had several meetings with Mr. Danon and Mr. Comb, including two where I met both together, during which we discussed a range of matters. At our initial meetings, the two men wanted to introduce themselves and outline their views on where their company was going and what they were planning to do. I wanted to learn their plans for broadband and the telecommunications sector in general....