Results 781-800 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electricity Generation: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: There has been some interaction, and one formal meeting has taken place in London on 10 or 12 March.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electricity Generation: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: It was quite recent. As Zhou Enlai said about the French Revolution, it is too early to say, but one formal meeting has taken place. I agree with a great deal of the thrust of what Deputy Mulherin has said. If the Chairman will permit, I will make a brief comment on the costs issue. The problem is that it is a commercial marketplace - the Deputy understands that - so many of the cost...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electricity Generation: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: Was it not? I apologise. I am asked what about Wavebob, what about offshore, what about biomass, peat briquettes or whatever. As I have said to Deputy Paudie Coffey, the advice I have is that we do not have the biomass but we do have wind.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electricity Generation: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy can object away.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electricity Generation: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: That is in the eye of the beholder. The fact of the matter is that wave and tidal energy is still a twinkle in the research eye of the scientists. That is the first point. The second point is that, yes, we are investing in the research, but if a private company such as Wavebob goes down, it goes down. It is not the job of the State to support private companies. The fact of the matter is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electricity Generation: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: Yes, a community project, where the 32 farmers involved are stakeholders with Tipperary Energy, and there was not a meig of complaint. It is enthusiastically supported and we do support initiatives like that. We will have a look at offshore wind energy in the future. As I said, we have published the offshore renewable energy development plan. I hope that if developers come forward with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electricity Generation: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The memorandum of understanding was signed in Dublin by me and the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change as a first step towards an intergovernmental agreement. What I have set out in my opening remarks is the timeframe imposed on us by the European conditions. There is a huge lead time in any major energy project and, from that point of view, as I have said - I announced it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electricity Generation: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I noted that Deputy Paudie Coffey made reference to the Green Paper. Did he ask a question on it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electricity Generation: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: One of the points made in the Green Paper is that we are inviting responses on the biomass issue. The Deputy is right about the conversion at Great Island. In a country that has very few significant building projects left it is a very big building project. I went to look at it and it is immensely impressive. The conversion from using oil to gas is to be welcomed. It is a very big new...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electricity Generation: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: Deputy Stanley is correct. There is significant concern in his local county about this. I believe a great deal of this concern is due to a misunderstanding, some to misinformation and some due to disinformation. One cannot say that one is concerned about the trend towards nuclear energy in Britain and that one is in favour of renewable energy, but not in his or her county. We cannot do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electricity Generation: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I thank the Vice Chairman and the joint committee for organising a series of hearings on this issue and inviting me to address them on the generation and use of electricity in Ireland and the potential export of surplus electricity to the United Kingdom. First, I need to distinguish between different types of development connected with power generation and supply. These are often rolled up...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electric Vehicle Grants (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: In April 2011, I opened the Electric Vehicle Grant Scheme to incentivise and support, through grants of up to €5,000, the early deployment of electric vehicles in Ireland. The scheme remains open this year and the grants are in addition to the VRT reliefs of up to €5,000 which apply to electric vehicles. Additionally, the ESB, through its ecars programme, is continuing to roll...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Better Energy Homes Scheme Data (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) operates a number of schemes on behalf of my Department that promote the retrofitting of homes. The Better Energy Homes scheme provides support to homeowners towards the installation of attic and wall insulation, and heating system upgrades, including solar thermal, with the works being undertaken by privately appointed contractors....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Funding (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: Under the National Rollout of 100Mbp/s High Speed Broadband to Post Primary Schools, all second level schools (26) in County Mayo were connected to the high speed network during 2012. The total cost to date of this programme is approximately €15.8m and it is not possible to definitively break down costs on a per County basis.Basic broadband services under the National Broadband Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Television Licence Fee Payments (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: In accordance with Section 142 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, any premises at which a television is located requires a TV Licence regardless of its use. Therefore, owners and controlling management companies of all holiday home accommodation premises, which include a television set, are required to purchase a separate TV Licence for each accommodation unit.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Bodies (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: EirGrid plc is a state-owned commercial company which was created in July 2006, providing transmission and market services for electricity consumers. The shareholders of the company are the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. As one of a number of corporate entities operating under the remit of the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 324 and 335 together. On 28 January last, I announced that I had appointed an Independent Expert Panel, chaired by Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness, to decide terms of reference for comprehensive, route-specific studies of overhead and underground options for both Grid Link and Grid West. The outputs from those studies, which will be required to be...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 and 326 together. Since market liberalisation in 1999, broadband services are delivered in the first instance by private sector operators who operate in a fully liberalised market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). Details of broadband services available in each County, including County Clare, can be found on a number...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Infrastructure Issues (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The matters which the Deputy raises are day to day operational matters for the relevant energy and communication providers and not matters in which I, as Minister, have a role or function. The Deputy may wish to pursue the matter directly with those providers.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (1 Apr 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I refer to the reply to Question No. 106 of 5 February 2014. The position is unchanged.