Results 641-660 of 5,766 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Issues (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 452 and 453 together. There are two types of solar energy technologies in use in Ireland, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) produces an annual report detailing Ireland’s Energy Balance. Solar thermal energy is reported in Ireland’s Energy Balance 2012 as accounting for 10.22 kilo-tonnes...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (15 Jan 2014)

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. The combination of private investment and State interventions such as the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: RTE is an independent national public service broadcaster whose remit and obligations are set out in the Broadcasting Act 2009, and as such, I, as Minister have no role in it day-to-day operations, including in relation to issues concerning access to content on the RTE Player. That said, my Department has been in contact with RTE regarding this issue and it has advised that the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: Currently there is over 2,100 MW of renewable electricity generation connected to the grid. This is made up of wind, hydro, bioenergy, renewable combined heat and power (CHP) and solar. On 17 December 2013 a record output for wind alone of 1,769 MW was achieved. This demonstrates the increasing capacity of the grid to utilise high amounts of electricity from renewable generation sources. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: Decisions regarding the construction of the electricity transmission infrastructure are operational matters for EirGrid. Apart from the tariff charged by BGE to its residential gas customers, the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) no longer regulates final retail prices in either electricity or gas. The CER does regulate the network component to be charged within retail electricity and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 460 to 462, inclusive, 468 and 475 together. While several of the issues raised in the Question are matters for EirGrid, and not ones in which I, as Minister, have a statutory role or function, I do wish to 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: There is no storage capacity within the electricity grid. Electricity cannot effectively be stored in the form of electricity; it has to be transformed into another form of energy, such as chemical or potential energy, before it can be stored. There is energy storage external to the grid that can be utilised to generate electricity at times when the grid is under stress; in particular in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Sector Pensions Issues (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: There were no cases between March 2011 and December 2013 where I signed off on the award of added years to public sector staff for pension purposes.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Appointments to State Boards (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: This Government has made changes in relation to appointments to State Boards and bodies with new arrangements involving advertisement of vacancies for applications from suitably qualified candidates and, in accordance with the government Decision of 12 April 2011, I have, each year, on my Department's website, invited Expressions of Interest from persons wishing to be considered for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Internship Scheme Data (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table: Year Number of JobBridge Interns taken on 2013 11

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos. 470, 473 and 474 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Services Provision (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) manages and administers the National Numbering Scheme which lists all numbers and codes that are available on public telecommunications networks. There is no obligation on companies providing services to the public to provide or display any particular type of telephonenumber. The access codes available to services providers to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Issues (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: In January of 2013 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, onshore...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Infrastructure (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The ownership of the telecommunications mast in this case and any legal issues therein are primarily matters for RTE and other parties to the case. Section 98 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides that RTE shall be independent in the pursuance of its objects and as such, I, as Minister, have no function in this matter. That said, I have instructed my officials to contact 2RN (formerly...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Infrastructure (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: The provision of electronic communications services, including the restoration of landline phone services occurs within a fully liberalised market regulated by the independent regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). In the case of Eircom, the restoration of its telephone lines is subject to a universal service obligation imposed by ComReg. As ComReg is independent...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department has been in contact with EirGrid and ESB Networks regarding the Deputy's question. I am advised that there are many reasons why wind turbines might come off line that are unrelated to their network connection. In particular, in high winds such as we would have had in recent weeks, turbines can shut down automatically. Damage to wind turbines is a matter for the project...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department’s expenditure on consultancy services and value for money and policy reviews was €3.606m for the period March 2011 to date. In procuring these specialised services, my Department always seeks to ensure value for money and the keeping of expenditure to the minimum necessary. The attached table outlines the projects which incurred consultancy expenditure. Given...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Consultancy Contracts (15 Jan 2014)

Pat Rabbitte: A full cost benefit analysis is under way to determine if it is mutually beneficial for Ireland and the United Kingdom to enter an Inter-Governmental Agreement in 2014 to facilitate trade in renewable energy. A key objective, from an Irish Government perspective, is to realise the potential for investment, jobs and growth. The cost benefit analysis is being carried out by my Department with...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Better Energy Homes Scheme Expenditure (19 Dec 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Better Energy Warmer Homes programme provides energy efficiency upgrades to low income households who are experiencing energy poverty. The elderly are prioritised under the eligibility criteria of the scheme, as they are recognised as being particularly vulnerable. The scheme is delivered through a combination of Community Based Organisations (CBOs), augmented by a panel of private...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Semi-State Bodies Funding (19 Dec 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The State has not assumed any liability on behalf of the ESB pension fund, nor will any such liability be reflected in the national accounts. The accounting treatment of the scheme is an operational matter for the company in accordance with the relevant accounting standards. I understand that this matter was the subject of discussion and agreement between the management and unions under the...