Results 421-440 of 5,768 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: While the Government will continue to develop policies and actions aimed at increasing our security of supply, addressing our dependence on imported fossil fuels and achieving a more secure energy mix, while capitalising on indigenous renewable energy sources, it would not be realistic to expect that Ireland would become totally energy self-sufficient in the foreseeable future. A...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Appointments to State Boards (11 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: This Government adopted a significant innovation in 2011 to widen access for appointment to State Boards by providing that expressions of interest be sought publicly from all those that might be interested in serving on such Boards. Each year, I have invited expressions of Interest from people willing and interested in serving on the Boards of Bodies under the aegis of my Department and to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Biofuel Availability (6 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The Biofuel Obligation Scheme was introduced in July 2010 as the primary means to meet the target of at least 10% renewable energy in transport by 2020, which was mandated by the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive. The scheme works by obligating road transport fuel suppliers to bring a certain amount of biofuel, currently 6% by volume of total transport fuel sales, to the market. This has seen...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Online Business Voucher Scheme (6 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The trading online voucher scheme which I announced in the context of the National Digital Strategy is currently in pilot phase, as planned. The scheme will provide individual qualifying businesses with a voucher of up to €2,500 to be used with the company’s own matching funding for the implementation of a trading online component to their business. The scheme is targeted at...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Better Energy Homes Scheme Administration (6 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The Better Energy Programme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). As of February 27 2014, more than 155,000 homes have received a grant under the Better Energy Homes Scheme, with the total grants provided reaching €162 million. A further 105,000 homes have to date received a free energy efficiency upgrade under the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Post Office Network (6 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I refer to the reply to Question No. [9846/14] of 26th February 2014. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Natural Gas Grid (5 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is the statutory independent body charged with the assessment and licensing of prospective operators seeking to develop and operate a gas distribution system within the State. In 2006, the CER approved a new network connections policy which enabled assessment of the feasibility of connecting certain towns to the gas network. In order for any town to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Irish Language Issues (5 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: Expenditure from the administrative subheads of my Department’s Vote relating to the provision of services through Irish in each of the past three years is detailed in the table below: Year Amount (€) 2011 5,514.33 2012 12,400.75 2013 23,189.19 These amounts relate to translation services only and relate to, inter alia, the translation of legislation, directives and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Television Reception (5 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: In accordance with the Broadcasting Act 2009, RTÉ, through its subsidiary company 2RN, is responsible for the roll-out, coverage and operation of the SAORVIEW digital terrestrial television (DTT) network and I, as Minister, have no function in this matter. Specifically, the Act requires RTÉ to provide digital coverage to the same extent as provided over the previous analogue...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Bodies (4 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The Sustainable Authority of Ireland (SEAI), was established under the Sustainable Energy Act 2002 and appointments to its Board are made in accordance with that Act. As a State body, SEAI must comply with the revised Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies published by the Department of Finance in 2009. On an annual basis, the Board reviews its compliance with the Code. Arising...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (4 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: On 28 January last, in response to EirGrid’s recent public consultation process, I announced that I had appointed an Independent Panel of Experts, to be chaired by Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness, to decide the terms of reference for, and to oversee the integrity of a process to be undertaken by EirGrid to report on, comprehensive, route-specific studies of overhead and underground...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (4 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The €240m Grid West project, which is part of EirGrid’s Grid25 plan to upgrade the national transmission system between now and 2025, is a new high-capacity power line linking the Bellacorick area in County Mayo to a strong point on the transmission grid at Flagford in County Roscommon. Grid West is needed to connect the electricity generated by the region’s huge...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (4 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: A full cost benefit analysis is on-going to determine if it is mutually beneficial for Ireland and the United Kingdom to enter an Inter-Governmental Agreement to facilitate trade in renewable energy. The amount of energy that might be procured by the UK and the mechanisms for sharing the resultant economic benefits, including an appropriate return to the Exchequer, are among the matters under...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (4 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 221 and 222 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Usage (4 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The Energy in Ireland Report for 2012, published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and available on its website, shows a total heat demand in 2012 in the domestic, public, commercial and industrial sectors of 4,267 kilotonnes of oil equivalent (ktoe). Of this, 2,017 ktoe was in the residential sector, 1,464 ktoe was in industry, 430 ktoe was in the commercial services sector and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (4 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 224, 225 and 228 together. The large hydro resources available in Ireland have been largely exploited and, together with all smaller developments, now comprise a total installed capacity of around 213 MW. This figure excludes Turlough Hill which is a pumped storage system. A resource study titled "The Small-Scale Hydro-electric Potential of Ireland" was...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Fisheries Protection (4 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The development of hydro generation requires planning permission from the relevant planning authority in accordance with the provisions of the Planning Acts, having due regard to other relevant legal frameworks and guidelines. The principal legislation governing the protection of fish in the development of hydro generation is set out in Part 8, Chapter 5 of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan Implementation (4 Mar 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 227 and 229 together. The potential of the offshore renewable energy sector to be a source of sustainable employment and growth in the green economy has been consistently identified by Government and by the European Commission in its recent Communication on 'Blue Energy'. Currently, there are no tidal electricity generation facilities connected to the Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (4 Mar 2014)

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 from renewable sources. While it is acknowledged that fossil fuels will remain part of the energy mix for some time to come, progress is being made towards...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Charges (4 Mar 2014)

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. Under the terms of the contract which my Department has in place with "3", the NBS service provider, the NBS mobile wireless service currently offers minimum download and upload speeds of 2.3Mbps and 1.4Mbps respectively,...