Results 901-920 of 5,760 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electromagnetic Fields Studies (23 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department has no function in respect of any aspect of the matter of potential health effects of EMF. Responsibilities previously held by the then Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in relation to such effects of EMF became the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 1 May 2007, with a view to non-ionising radiation...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: ESB Pension Scheme Issues (23 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: In late 2008, the Trustees of the ESB Superannuation Scheme brought forward the Tri-Annual Valuation of the Scheme by one year to assess the financial health of the Scheme. The Actuarial Valuation to 31 December 2008 showed an ongoing valuation deficit of €1.9 billion and a Minimum Funding Standard deficit of €1.8 billion. As required by the Scheme rules, ESB and the ESB Group...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Guidelines (23 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, in conjunction with my Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, is undertaking a review of the Wind Energy Guidelines which will address the key issues of noise (including separation distance) and shadow flicker. Draft guidelines will be published for public consultation by end-November 2013 with a view to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Bioenergy Strategy Publication (23 Oct 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. In order to meet this target, Ireland is committed to meeting 40% of electricity demand, 12% of heating and 10% of transport power from renewable sources, with the transport target also being legally binding. There are already a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (22 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Under Section 123 of the Broadcasting Act, 2009, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources may, with the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, pay RTÉ in respect of each financial year an amount equal to the total television licence fee receipts in that year less (i) any expenses incurred in relation to the collection of those fees, and (ii) an...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Community Development Projects (22 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Community Support Scheme (CSS) was administered through 14 LEADER companies and Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann in respect of island communities and Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta Teoranta, in respect of the Gaeltacht areas. The closing date for receipt of applications was 31 March 2009 and final payments under the scheme were distributed by my Department to the Leader...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (22 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland has one of the best offshore renewable energy resources in Europe. Cost effective harnessing of the potential of this sector will be crucial to reducing our dependence on expensive fossil fuel imports, creating a low carbon energy system and delivering jobs in the green economy. My Department is currently finalising an Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP). Informed by...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Angling Sector Issues (22 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 334 to 336, inclusive, together. The most comprehensive study of the recreational angling sector ever undertaken was carried out by Tourism Development Ireland (TDI) on behalf of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI). I am advised that TDI is a renowned and widely respected professional consultancy company with a global presence. TDI have been commissioned...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Agencies Issues (22 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), established on 1 July 2010, is an agency of my Department, which appears before the Committee on Transport and Communications as required. At the invitation of the Joint Sub-Committee on Fisheries of the Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, IFI attended the sub-committee in March 2013. The details requested by the Deputy are set out in the table...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Agencies Issues (22 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 338 and 339 together. In accordance with Section 47 of the Inland Fisheries Act, 2010 Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is obliged to prepare and submit an annual report on its activities to the Minister who in turn is required to lay the Annual Report before each House of the Oireachtas. The 2011 IFI Annual Report, which reflected the first full year of IFI's...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Agencies Expenditure (22 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) was established on 1 July 2010 following the enactment of the Inland Fisheries Ireland Act 2010, with the merger of the seven Regional and the Central Fisheries Boards. Direct Exchequer funding for IFI was reduced by €2.582 million in 2010 compared to 2009 which is mainly attributable to savings arising from the restructuring of the inland fisheries...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Hydraulic Fracturing Policy (22 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Three onshore licensing options were granted in February 2011, by the previous Government, two over parts of the North West Carboniferous (Lough Allen) Basin and one over parts of County Clare. These licensing options conferred upon the holders the first right to apply for an exploration licence over the areas concerned. I can confirm that two of the three companies, (Tamboran Resources and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Services Provision (22 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 342 and 344 together. All citizens are entitled to reasonable access to basic telephone services at fixed locations in accordance with the universal service provisions contained in the European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Universal Service and User’s Rights) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 337/2011). It is a statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (22 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The 2014 Budget provided for a €2.5 billion adjustment in the Government's fiscal position. Expenditure cuts of €1.6 billion were central to this adjustment and difficult decisions were required across all Departmental budgets. By its very nature, this process involved detailed and ongoing consideration at Departmental and Ministerial level of the range of potential expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Expenditure (22 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The 2014 Expenditure Report estimate for voted expenditure for my Department is €401 million, consisting of €321 million in current expenditure and €80 million in capital expenditure. The full year reduction over the 2013 estimate amounts to €14.5 million with €9.5 million current savings and €5 million capital savings identified. Current...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Sale of State Assets (17 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: In February 2012 the Government agreed to sell the competitive energy business of Bord Gáis Éireann (BGE), namely Bord Gáis Energy. Bord Gáis Energy comprises the following businesses: - A leading energy supply business in Ireland, servicing over 700,000 customers in the gas and electricity markets, - A 445 MW gas fired power station at Whitegate in Co. Cork, - A large...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (17 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 146 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 broadband...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (17 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: In January of this year the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Mr. Ed Davey MP and I signed a Memorandum of Understanding on energy cooperation. That Memorandum sent a strong signal of our shared interest in developing the opportunity to export green electricity from Ireland to Britain and will result in completion of consideration of how Irish renewable energy resources,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Postcode System Implementation (17 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: On 8 October I announced the Government had approved, subject to contract, the launch of a national postcode system in 2015. Subject to contract, the preferred bidder will design and run the postcode under license for an initial ten year period extendable at the discretion of the Minister for Communications by a further five years. The new postcode system will provide a unique code to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff Scheme Expenditure (17 Oct 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The primary support mechanisms for renewable energy, 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 the renewable electricity generation capacity necessary to allow Ireland to meet its target of 40% of electricity demand from renewable...