Results 1,561-1,580 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Seanad: Electricity Transmission Network: Motion (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: However, I note that cost data can change and cost estimates are always uncertain, which emphasises the need for the project-specific solutions I referred to earlier. While the case for proceeding urgently with energy infrastructure is critical to the national interest, many are concerned about the impact that new transmission lines and other energy infrastructure can have on the landscape,...

Seanad: Electricity Transmission Network: Motion (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: No doubt they herald their fears genuinely, but we will have to put it overground or underground, or else we are going back to the cave. People ought to make up their minds on that. I take this opportunity to underline again the need for early and ongoing engagement and consultation with local communities. This is essential for building public confidence. The consultation process, as...

Seanad: Electricity Transmission Network: Motion (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I will do my best to get over the hurdles in that time. I wish to set out the reasons we and the economy need EirGrid's Grid25 infrastructure programme and the steps that are being taken to engage local communities in the roll-out of the programme. I am more than anxious to learn from the contributions of parliamentary colleagues how best to guarantee the country a safe, secure and...

Seanad: Electricity Transmission Network: Motion (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I might just need it.

Seanad: Electricity Transmission Network: Motion (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I agree with Senator Quinn that we need more debate on this issue. As Senator Mullen said, the genesis of this plan by EirGrid to deliver a safe and secure energy supply to the country goes back to 2008. This is the first time that I have been involved in debating the issue in the Oireachtas. I was in the House a couple of weeks ago to take an Adjournment debate that was prompted by...

Seanad: Electricity Transmission Network: Motion (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I would still risk it.

Seanad: Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: We had the principal debate on whether to sell the energy business of Bord Gáis on Second Stage. I thank those Members of the House who contributed to the processing of the Bill which clears the way for the sale of the energy business. Contrary to the commentary people may have read in the public press, the intention is to proceed with the sale. By this I do not mean proceeding with...

Seanad: Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Senator has raised an important point in this amendment. The bottom line, however, is that in order to deliver on our troika commitments, to which I referred earlier, and, more important, in order to fund our programme for jobs and economic recovery, we must proceed with the sale of Bord Gáis's energy business. I cannot, therefore, accept an amendment which seeks to delete the...

Seanad: Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I can only repeat the categoric assurance I have already given. We are not setting up a commercial State company to run water services on the basis that we are going to privatise them. Similar to the gas networks, our water assets are critical national infrastructure. Irish Water has therefore been established as a fully State-owned subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann and there is no...

Seanad: Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: These are minor drafting amendments. There is no point in trying to present them as substantive.

Seanad: Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: This group of amendments seeks to perfect the legislation. It does no more than correct an omission in the earlier legislation where, instead of referring to Bord Gáis Éireann, it ought to have referred to Bord Gáis Éireann and its subsidiaries. The amendments are technical and are proposed in order to provide greater clarity regarding the assets, licences, rights,...

Seanad: Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I understand the status quo obtains. There is no change as regards doing business with Bord Gáis Éireann. The energy business, whatever it is called, will be a private company governed by the same rules applying to any private company. I am sorry if the Senator was told by my Department that nobody in Bord Gáis was competent to discharge the issue raised as Gaeilge. I do...

Seanad: Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The new company?

Seanad: Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: There is a dual company as before.

Seanad: Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: We thrashed out the principle of this on Second Stage. I do not want to be obliged to willingly dispose of State assets and certainly not before each individual asset is subjected to scrutiny. In the context of any broad disposal of State assets, I would rather we were not in this position. However, on Second Stage I explained at some length why we find ourselves at this current pass....

Seanad: Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Senator Ó Clochartaigh is wrong in all three of the points he made. In the first instance, this is not a budgetary matter. We are not discussing the budget. I read Sinn Féin's pre-budget submission. We might discuss the latter at another time, perhaps over a pint in the Dáil bar. What we are discussing here is the contract that was entered into at the time of the bailout...

Seanad: Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Senator Ó Clochartaigh will have the opportunity to make his substantive point about the decision to dispose of the energy business of Bord Gáis. This is probably not the place to do so. This is purely to enable the subsidiary company, Irish Water, to establish a pension scheme for its staff and deal with the pension issues of its workers as it thinks fit. Section 46 refers to...

Seanad: Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I regret that I cannot accept this amendment, and Senator Daly will understand why, for the same reason I outlined in the Dáil, that information on the retail energy market is already well reported on and published on an ongoing basis by the Commission for Energy Regulation. As Minister I am regularly updated by the regulator on developments and the state of competition in the market....

Seanad: Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: This amendment is considered necessary because there is no provision in primary legislation to provide for ministerial approval for the making of a pension scheme by Irish Water. The amendment is not really connected to the issue of the disposal of the energy business of Bord Gáis. Rather, it is an enabling amendment to allow the company’s subsidiary, Irish Water, to get on with...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Better Energy Homes Scheme Expenditure (13 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 101 together. The Better Energy Homes and the Better Energy Warmer Homes Schemes are administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) under the Better Energy Programme. The Better Energy Homes Scheme provides support to homeowners towards the installation of attic and wall insulation, and heating system upgrades including solar...