Results 801-820 of 5,760 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Cross-Border Projects (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Loughs Agency of Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission (FCILC) is jointly funded by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland (DARD) and my Department. The total funding provided by both Departments for the years in question is set out in the following table. Annual State Grants Provided to the Loughs Agency of the FCILC. Year Grant £ Grant...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: At my request, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland undertook an Expressions of Interest process in 2011 in order to identify parties interested in providing new services on the SAORVIEW DTT network. Following completion of this process and subsequent engagement between my Department and the BAI, I wrote to the Authority in 2012 confirming my acceptance of its recommendations in regard to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Ministerial Meetings (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department received an invitation from UTV Media for my attendance at a meeting with some of the company's representatives in order to discuss the proposed new television service which it plans to launch in 2015. I accepted the invitation as it afforded me a good opportunity to hear from its television management representatives on their plans for the introduction of the service in this...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Section 103 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides that a corporation requires my consent for new services and variations in channels. I have received a submission from RTÉ in respect of the proposal to which the Deputy refers and it is currently being examined by my Department in order to consider its public value. My Department has also consulted with the Broadcasting Authority of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Community media is an important and distinct third strand of Irish broadcasting, sitting alongside commercial and public service broadcasting. Community television and radio stations provide a social benefit to the communities they serve, allowing for community access and participation. They are uniquely situated so that the output of each station reflects the special interests and needs of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Broadcasting Charge Introduction (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I assume the Deputy is referring to the public consultation on the introduction of a Public Service Broadcasting Charge which I launched on 26th August and which closed on 8th October. 385 submissions including 59 from stakeholders were received during this process and my Department is currently reviewing their contents. Once I have considered the outcome of the consultation process I will...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Sector Regulation (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: RTÉ 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 its day-to-day operations including in relation to RTÉ's pricing of its advertising rates. Furthermore, neither I or my Department has any role or responsibility in the provision of subsidies for health...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: SEAI Wind Atlas (19 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: On 25 August 2011 the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) advertised a Request for Tenders on the Government eTenders website for Provision of Services to Update the Wind Atlas for Ireland. Arising from this process, UK Met Office Consulting Services were selected to carry out the work and issued with a contract in May 2012. To support the execution of the contract, SEAI...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (19 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 speeds of 2.3Mbps...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (14 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. Details of broadband services available in each County can be found on ComReg's...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Road Safety (14 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I have no function regarding use of satellite navigation devices. Questions regarding the regulation of such devices for road safety purposes or for tourism development are appropriate to my colleague the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

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...

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...

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...