Results 9,501-9,520 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: Details of consultancies awarded by my Department to Deloitte & Touche since 1 July 1997 are outlined in the following table: Communications Year Purpose Cost 2000-2001 Project Manager/Facilitator for Digital Audio Broadcasting Forum â'¬36,103 2005 An analytical review of the costs of operating Eircom's emergency call handling service â'¬50,000 (not paid...

Offshore Exploration. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: I may have been guilty of unparliamentary language towards Deputy Broughan earlier when I suggested he might shut up and let me answer the question. If so, I apologise to the Deputy. I presume the review to which the Deputy refers is the health and safety review of the Corrib onshore upstream gas pipeline. On 25 August I appointed Advantica consultants to conduct that review, which will...

Offshore Exploration. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: No, I would not. This project went through a series of consents, licences and so on — planning foreshore Acts, continental shelf Acts and a variety of others. It was judged under all those headings and got the necessary consents and licences in accordance with law. Accordingly I do not agree that the entire project should be reviewed and revised and that we should go back to square one. I...

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: The changes in the energy landscape in terms of our increasing dependence on imported fossil fuels, world movements in fuel prices, the move to liberalised markets and carbon constraints from our Kyoto obligations make it necessary to consider carefully how we will meet the energy needs of the economy and wider society in a sustainable and affordable way for the future. I have therefore...

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: It is my intention that nuclear power will be mentioned in the energy policy document but only to reiterate the consistent position of the Government and of the Irish people. We made the decision a long time ago. That is not to say that we should not review decisions but I strongly believe that the potential environmental consequences of moving to nuclear energy far outweigh the environmental...

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: No, that is the electricity sector review, which is separate. The energy policy review was put in place when oil was approximately $35 per barrel. With regard to the security of gas supply, there is a tightness of supply which will probably get worse from 2006 to 2008. There are capacity constraints in the UK. The CER has warned about this. I have not yet received advice from the CER that it...

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: In response to Deputy Durkan's question, the regulator did not make a decision along those lines but he made a strong statement——

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: He made a strong statement and I hope the Deputy accepts that I made a strong statement afterwards.

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: That might be called selective hearing. I made a strong statement afterwards. I also made an active statement on the issue when introducing the latest feed-in tariffs, which are a help mainly to wind energy although not only to wind energy. With regard to Deputy Ryan's question about what would limit this, currently there are physical limitations on the grid. ESB Networks is working on this....

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: If that is the case, I will take it up with the ESB.

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: At a meeting in November 2004, Mr. Barry Gardiner MP, the then Northern Ireland Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment and I endorsed plans put forward by the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, and the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation for the construction of a second north-south electricity interconnector. Planning for the construction of the interconnector is...

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: I will do everything I possibly can to speed up the process but it is not entirely within our control. I am awaiting the report from CER which is investigating the matters I outlined earlier. Once that report is published, a decision has to be made on the ownership of the interconnector. More importantly, however, we must get agreement on both sides of the Irish Sea on the putting in place of...

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: CER is the body with responsibility for security of supply and capacity issues. It works very closely with the transmission operators and the generators of electricity. There are back-up plans in place. There are extra generators available that are not currently in use and a system is in place that allows for a shut-down in particular areas. There is a contingency plan in the event of some...

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: I would be very supportive of the concept put forward by the Deputy for an alternative European energy grid. Very often when we have discussions in this country about energy and make comparisons with countries in Europe, we forget that most of the grid system in Europe is connected. Denmark has a fantastic record in regard to wind energy. It is connected into a European grid system whereby it...

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: The problem is that if we need it in the short term, no one will be available to pump out the gas on a whim. It is not how decisions are made. I do not agree that we should not exploit that gas source. There may be a time in the future, long after all of us here are gone, when we will have sufficient supplies to be able to decide to let them remain under the earth, but we are not yet at that...

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: I was hoping it would take about ten minutes.

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: It is becoming clear that increased concerns regarding global security of energy supply puts the challenge of finding sustainable alternatives top of the energy policy agenda. With regard to promoting the production of clean energy, in April this year we launched a scheme for mineral oil tax relief for biofuels. Under the scheme eight projects were awarded excise relief valued at €6 million...

Energy Resources. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: In regard to the Deputy's last question there has been no change to mineral developments and the specific regime of licences for on land and offshore. The reason the scheme is designed to be attractive is because of the particular conditions and so on for prospectivity off the Irish coast. The scheme has been revised three times since 1975, the reason on each occasion being that the numbers...

Energy Prices. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: I have no function in the matter. Electricity and gas tariff increases are the statutory responsibility of the Commission for Energy Regulation, the independent regulator for electricity and gas, as provided for under the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and as amended by the Gas (Interim)(Regulation) Act 2002. I have given no directions to the Commission for Energy Regulation in this regard...

Energy Prices. (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Dempsey: The Deputy is very dramatic but I do not have responsibility for that and no amount of bluster from him——