Results 1,581-1,600 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Services Provision (13 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. Commercial decisions by individual private operators in relation to its...

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

Pat Rabbitte: 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 a range of energy efficiency home improvements. Since the introduction of the Better Energy Homes Scheme in 2009, 4,083 homes in Co. Meath have...

Leaders' Questions (12 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Deputy Mattie McGrath's support for cannabis went down badly in Tipperary.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Service Obligation Levy Increase (12 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The PSO levy is charged to all electricity customers. It is designed to support the national policy objectives of security of energy supply, including through the use of indigenous fuels (i.e. peat), and the use of renewable energy sources in electricity generation. The proceeds of the levy are used to recoup the additional costs incurred by suppliers in sourcing a proportion of their...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Sector Regulation (12 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I refer to the reply to Question No. 159 of 21 March 2013

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Appointments to State Boards (12 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Members of the Board of EirGrid, and the Chairperson of the Board, are appointed by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Such appointments are made under Statutory Instrument No. 445 of 2000. This Government has made changes in relation to appointments to State Boards and bodies with new...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Semi-State Bodies Dividends (12 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Lead responsibility for NewERA is a matter for the Minister for Finance. However, the general strategy for State owned energy companies, including matters relating to dividend, is a matter for agreement between those companies and the shareholding Ministers, the larger shareholding interest of which is held by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (12 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: While several of the issues raised in the Question are matters for EirGrid, and not ones in which I, as Minister, have any role or function, I will respond to the issues that fall within the ambit of my Department and Government policy in this area. EirGrid's Grid25 Programme is a Government endorsed strategy to develop the transmission network to ensure nationwide safe, secure and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Wind Energy Strategy (12 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland has some of the best renewable energy resources in Europe, both onshore and offshore. Cost effective harnessing of the potential of the sector as a whole 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. The Government, as outlined in the Strategy for Renewable Energy 2012, is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Employee Shareholding Scheme (12 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The ESB Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP) is a tax efficient mechanism established in December 2001 as a trust, to acquire and hold a 5% stake in ESB on behalf of over 10,000 employees and former employees of ESB. I understand that in August 2013, it was decided by the Trustee and Chairman of the ESOP that given conditions following the first Internal Market in 2012 in respect of market...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: North-South Interconnector Issues (12 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: In April 2013 EirGrid completed a comprehensive re-evaluation of the proposed North South 400 kV Interconnector. That re-evaluation found that there remains an urgent strategic need for the project and recommended that the new interconnector would take the form of a single circuit 400kV alternating current overhead line. The re-evaluation process had regard for the Government Policy...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Work Placement Programme (12 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The administration of the TÚS community work placement scheme is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection. However, I am not aware of any criteria that would impede participants in the TÚS scheme from accessing the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme, as long as the eligibility criteria of the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme are met. The eligibility criteria of the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Expenditure (12 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 to 252, inclusive, together. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tables, which include payments made from the formation of my Department in June 2007 to date. The Department has a small cohort of permanent staff, some 250 full time equivalents at present.Its remit includes oversight of very complex policy areas and direct...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Combatting Cyber Bullying (12 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I met with the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) earlier this year to discuss inter alia measures which might be taken to protect children from some of the adverse consequences which can arise from going online, including bullying or harassment. In this context, I should point out that Governments cannot impose an obligation on ISPs, such as that suggested by the Deputy, to filter or block...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: International Agreements (12 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The question of Ireland’s signature and ratification of the Antarctic Treaty and related agreements comprising the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) has been examined by Government Departments and Offices, including my own, in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Antarctic Treaty System comprises the Antarctic Treaty, the Convention on the Conservation of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (12 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The broadband service contracted under National Broadband Scheme (NBS) is a basic, affordable, scalable product in keeping with EU State Aid clearance for the Scheme in September 2007. Under the terms of the contract which my Department has in place with Hutchison 3G Ireland Ltd (trading as “3”), the NBS mobile wireless service currently offers minimum download and upload...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (7 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Neither the Government nor I seek to direct the energy infrastructure developers to particular technologies, sites or routes as was made clear in the July 2012 Government Policy Statement on the Strategic Importance of Transmission and Other Energy Infrastructure. That statement emphasises that these are matters for the developers and for the forward planning process through regional and...

Retirement of Head Usher (6 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: On behalf of the Labour Party, I agree with all of the tributes paid by my colleagues to Tom McGrath, whom I knew before I came into this House and have known well since I came in. He has, indeed, taken great pride in the discharge of his duties. These exchanges have been useful in that they have established on the record that Deputy Micheál Martin cannot be blamed for the mistaken...

Retirement of Head Usher (6 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I would like to thank Tom McGrath for his service to the Oireachtas and to the people, and to thank him for his unfailing courtesy and professionalism down the years. I hope he enjoys his retirement.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (6 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. Commercial decisions by individual private operators in relation to its...