Results 821-840 of 5,764 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte in 'Written Answers'

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...

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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (6 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Energy Regulator for Great Britain, Ofgem, published its most recent annual Electricity Capacity Assessment on 27 June, 2013. The assessment analyses security of electricity supply in Great Britain over the forthcoming five winters. It shows that the buffer between peak electricity demand and supply could be lower than previously expected and proposed for consultation certain measures...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (6 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I refer to the reply to Question No. 628 [PQ 46801/13] of 5 November 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Service Obligation Levy Increase (5 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy has been in place since 2001 and is the overall support mechanism for peat generation, for certain conventional generation constructed for security of supply purposes, and for the development of renewable electricity. The levy is designed to compensate electricity suppliers for the additional costs they incur by purchasing electricity generated by...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (5 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Ireland operates a model where the State provides the opportunity and private industry bears the risk associated with investing in exploration activity. In addition to offering regular and attractive licensing initiatives and actively promoting the opportunity to invest in exploration in the Irish offshore, my Department works with a range of other State bodies to support the conduct of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (5 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I propose to take Questions Nos 609 to 611, inclusive, together. The "Government Policy Statement on the Strategic Importance of Transmission and Other Energy Infrastructure" (July 2012), made it clear that the Government does not seek to direct energy infrastructure developers to particular sites, routes or technologies. These are matters for the developers and for the forward planning...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Bord Gáis Privatisation (5 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Bord Gáis Éireann is in the process of selling its energy business, Bord Gáis Energy. Bord Gáis Éireann and its advisors, working with NewERa, who are advising the Government in relation to the sale, are curently assessing the latest bids received for Bord Gáis Energy. The Deputy will understand that, as the process is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for me to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Incentives (5 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department, are the main subsidies available for renewable energy. The Better Energy Programme, which principally provides funding for energy efficiency measures, also provides grants for the installation of solar panels. The Renewable Heat Deployment Programme (ReHeat), Greener Homes Scheme and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Guidelines (5 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: As part of our considerations of the mutual benefits from energy co-operation with the United Kingdom, an agreed programme of work, including a full technical and economic analysis, is underway with the aim of finalising an Inter-Governmental Agreement in early 2014. A key objective, from an Irish Government perspective, is to realise the potential for investment, jobs and growth. The amount...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Exports (5 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: I launched an initial period of public consultation on the renewable energy export policy and development framework in October, inviting all interested parties, including members of the public, to make written submissions or observations on the framework and to assist in the preparation and scoping of the associated Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report and the Habitats...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Ministerial Appointments (5 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: The information requested is set out in the following table: Name Position Current Salary / Salary Scale Simon Nugent Special Advisor to Minister €91,425 Finbarr O’Malley Special Advisor to Minister €75,647 - €87,258 Linda Brien Personal Assistant to Minister €43,715 - €56,060 Colm Lawless Personal Secretary to Minister €23,820 -...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (5 Nov 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: In late 2008, the Trustees of the ESB Superannuation Scheme brought forward the tri-annual valuation of the Scheme by one year. That valuation showed an ongoing valuation deficit of €1.9 billion and a Minimum Funding Standard deficit of €1.8 billion. Consequently, the ESB and the ESB Group of Unions formed a working group to assess how best to address the reported deficit and to...