Results 781-800 of 5,760 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Sector Regulation (26 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I refer to the reply to Question No. 403 [49271/13] of 19 November 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (26 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. Ireland is currently heavily reliant on imported fossil fuels to meet our energy needs. While it is acknowledged that fossil fuels will remain part of the energy mix for some time to come, progress is being made towards increasing the share...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (26 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Under the EU Renewable Energy Directive, Ireland is required to increase the share of renewable energy in total energy demand from 3.1% in 2005 to 16% by 2020. To reach the 16% target, Ireland is committed to achieving 40% of electricity, 12% of heating and 10% of transport power from renewable resources by 2020. Wind generally displaces marginal generation plant, which are either gas or...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (26 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The objective of the national mapping exercise under the National Broadband Plan is to identify and map current and planned broadband services, both basic and next generation access (NGA). The process for participating in the mapping exercise has been published on my Department’s website () and notified to all undertakings authorised by ComReg. Information has been sought from...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electric Vehicle Grants (26 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: In April 2011, I opened the Electric Vehicles Grant Scheme, which is run by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, to incentivise the purchase of new electric vehicles. Only passenger or light commercial vehicles, categories M1 or N1, which have achieved European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval, qualify for aid under the scheme. 276 of the electric vehicles registered over the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (21 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The primary support mechanisms for renewables, including wind farms, are the Alternative Energy Requirement (AER) schemes and the Renewable Energy Feed-In-Tariff (REFIT) schemes. These schemes were introduced to incentivise the development of renewable electricity generation capacity necessary to allow Ireland to meet its target of meeting 40% of electricity demand from renewable generation...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (21 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020 and it is expected that this will be met by achieving 40% renewable electricity, 12% renewable heating and 10% renewable transport. The Directive also requires that Member States set out in a National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) their...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (21 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland’s telecommunications market has been fully liberalised since 1999 in accordance with the requirements of binding EU Directives. The market has since developed into a well-regulated market, supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. Details of broadband services available in each County, including County...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Appointments to State Boards (21 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: This Government has made changes in relation to appointments to State Boards and bodies with new arrangements involving advertisement of vacancies for applications from suitably qualified candidates and, in accordance with the government Decision of 12 April 2011, I have, each year, on my Department's website, invited Expressions of Interest from persons wishing to be considered for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Offshore Exploration (20 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Whilst there has been some welcome upturn in the level of interest in exploration off our coast in recent years, the reality is that the only commercial discoveries of hydrocarbons made in the Irish offshore to date are the three producing gas fields in the Kinsale area and the Corrib gas field. There have been no commercial discoveries of oil to date.Despite the low level of commercial...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (20 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland’s telecommunications market has been fully liberalised since 1999 in accordance with the requirements of binding EU Directives. The market has since developed into a well-regulated market, supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. Details of broadband services available in each County, including County...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Bodies Data (20 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Departmental remit includes complex policy areas and oversight of State regulation and provision of key strategic services such as energy and public broadcasting. In this context, the number of Commercial State Bodies and Non-Commercial State Bodies, including Regulators, currently under the aegis of my Department, is 18. In the case of public bodies established by Statute, the maximum,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Prospecting Licences (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 387, 396 to 398, inclusive, 400 and 401 together. The three companies referred to in the Questions were awarded onshore Licensing Options in February 2011 for a period of two years from 1 March 2011 to 28 February 2013. While applications for Petroleum Prospecting Licences were submitted by the three companies, no such authorisations were granted due to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Post Office Network (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 388 to 392, inclusive, together. Operational matters and the role of developing commercial strategies for the post office network are a matter for the management and Board of An Post and one in which I have no statutory function. As shareholder, however, I have a strong concern in relation to the ongoing commercial position of the Company and I regularly...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Semi-State Bodies Issues (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: This is a matter for Bórd na Mona and one in which I, as Minister, have no function.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Broadcasting Charge Introduction (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I refer to the reply to Question No. 6 of 17 July 2013

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 and 404 together. Ireland’s telecommunications market has been fully liberalised since 1999 in accordance with the requirements of binding EU Directives. The market has since developed into a well-regulated market, supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. Details of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Inland Fisheries Ireland Issues (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department, working closely with Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), is finalising a wide-ranging and comprehensive review of the 1959 Fisheries Act with a view to introducing Heads of a new Inland Fisheries Bill as soon as possible. The aim is to ensure that the sector, valued at €755m annually to the national economy and supporting 10,000 jobs in rural and peripheral areas, is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland’s telecommunications market has been fully liberalised since 1999 in accordance with the requirements of binding EU Directives. The market has since developed into a well-regulated market, supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. Details of broadband services available in each County, including County...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Sector Regulation (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: This is not a matter in which I, as Minister, have a function. In accordance with section 42 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, all commercial communications by broadcasters are subject to codes established by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI). In particular, the BAI General Commercial Communications Code sets out the rules in respect of sponsorship of news and current affairs...