Results 101-120 of 510 for long speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Energy Regulation (11 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...dependent on gas imports. In that sense, we are price takers. To that extent, we import fossil fuels and are, therefore, vulnerable. The Deputy will acknowledge that for the first time in a very long time the most recent Bord Gáis Energy index shows that there has been a decrease this month, which is certainly welcome. However, I am advised that gas prices reached their highest...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Projects (11 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...market for peat and towards a more sustainable future for the company. The project, which is currently under construction, is supporting approximately 100 to 150 jobs. The project will support a further 12 long term jobs when the wind farm is in full commercial operation, which is expected to be in June 2014. Bord na Móna recently received approval for acceptance of the Mount...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Oireachtas Joint Committee Reports (11 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...a review of the fiscal terms would be appropriate. It was also very clear that any adjustment to the fiscal terms should not be retrospective. I am completely in agreement with this latter point. I am conscious that long-term investment decisions on exploration expenditure would benefit from the maximum degree of certainty on the stability of the fiscal regime. With that in mind, and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Radio Spectrum Management (11 Jun 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...of roll-back of coverage from current higher levels. While the four Liberalised Use Licences of the Mobile Network Operators commenced on 1 February 2013, the timing and extent of each of ‘4G’ (Long Term Evolution (LTE)) network rollout is, with the exception of the above coverage obligation, a matter for the operators themselves. I understand however that some operators...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Gas and Electricity Disconnections (30 May 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...a requirement that domestic customers in genuine financial hardship be provided payment options/plans that take the customer's ability to pay into account. A customer cannot be disconnected as long as they keep to a payment plan. Pay As You Go meters are also made available, free of charge, to those customers who would benefit from them most. A customer must be offered a Pay As You Go...

Report on Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration: Statements (14 May 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...stability and certainty to industry. This is especially true when we are competing with other countries to attract investment and in view of the fact that the nature of the business requires taking a long-term view. For this reason, I welcome the recommendation that no retrospective changes should be made to licensing terms. In regard to recommendations that I believe may already be...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electric Vehicle Grants (14 May 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...;1 million capital allocation has been made in my Department’s 2013 budget for grants towards the purchase of new electric vehicles and the Electric Vehicle Grant Scheme will continue this year as long as this funding remains available. To date in 2013, 14 grants totalling €67,600 have been allocated and there are 11 further grants awaiting payment. Since the scheme was...

Other Questions: Environmental Schemes (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...crops available. The role that energy crops will play in meeting renewable energy targets will depend to a large extent on the willingness of land owners to change land use, the availability of long-term markets and the revenue generated by energy crops compared to traditional farming on the same land. The REFIT3 scheme is designed to incentivise the addition of 310 MW of electricity...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Policy (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...country to acknowledge I cannot do anything about farmers who want to sign up to options with developers to use their land to erect a mobile telephone mast or build a wind turbine. There was a long history in the country of the fight for peasant proprietorship and my fellow county man, Michael Davitt, led that battle, even if that is not where he started out it is where he ended up. They...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: Deputy Fleming is right about this country being overly reliant on imports of fossil fuels. As an island and as the most isolated of the 27 EU member states, Ireland is vulnerable as long as 100% of its oil and 90% of its gas must be imported. Of course, gas is used to a large degree in the generation of electricity. It is not something which keeps the citizens of Ireland awake at night...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Official Engagements (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...sustainability. Commissioner Oettinger attended the Informal Meeting. He highlighted how any new framework should take into account current economic difficulties whilst remaining ambitious on the long-term low carbon objective. The Council of Energy Ministers also discussed the effects of unconventional oil and gas on energy supply, competitiveness and prices. In relation to the work...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Prices (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...announced details of a new initiative, the JobsPlus scheme, which will incentivise businesses to hire additional employees from the Live Register. This innovative job creation scheme is focused on the long-term unemployed, providing a cash-flow benefit to businesses which hire jobseekers who have been on the Live Register for 12 months or more.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Official Engagements (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...sustainability. Commissioner Oettinger attended the Informal Meeting. He highlighted how any new framework should take into account current economic difficulties whilst remaining ambitious on the long-term low carbon objective. The Council of Energy Ministers also discussed the effects of unconventional oil and gas on energy supply, competitiveness and prices. In relation to the work...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Exploration Licences Numbers (30 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...well on the Barryroe prospect in the Celtic Sea has shown encouraging results. More work will be required to determine if the discovery is actually commercial. It is not clear at this stage how long this process will take. While no new commercially viable deposits of minerals have been discovered recently, there have been some encouraging results, particularly in Counties Limerick and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: ESB Compensation Scheme (17 Apr 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...statute only in default of agreement between the parties. I understand that the payment of agreed compensation under non-statutory schemes, including that drawn up between the ESB and the IFA, is a long-standing practice that operates in ease of both parties.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Schemes (27 Mar 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...on the net amount leveraged under the Better Energy Programme over the last few years. My focus within my Department is on those elements of energy costs over which policy can exercise some control. I will continue to work towards long term policy responses for Ireland to combat vulnerability to high and volatile gas prices through promoting policy for increased use of renewables, better...

Topical Issue Debate: Miscanthus Industry (6 Mar 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...grants to farmers to grow energy crops such as miscanthus and willow for use in renewable energy production. It is, however, important to note that the bioenergy scheme was opened in 2007, long before a REFIT scheme for biomass was mooted. Equally, REFIT 3 does not preclude the use of miscanthus by electricity generators other than those co-firing with peat. Miscanthus and other energy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Social Media: Discussion (6 Mar 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...media have the power to be profoundly transformative – fundamentally disruptive to existing patterns of debate, existing political discourse and existing media. Democracy has always evolved and changed along with technology. These technologies have provided citizens with a new set of tools to engage with politics and vice versa. This is something to be welcomed and embraced, not...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (26 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...potentially be associated with ocean energy as it evolves into a fully commercially viable sector. Various studies carried out to date have illustrated that there is considerable potential to create a range of long term jobs and viable indigenous industry. Work is continuing in the development of the AMETS facilities off Belmullet and SEAI has been responsible for the co-ordination of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (12 Feb 2013)

Pat Rabbitte: ...Development Unit (OEDU) in the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is working to take forward Ireland’s ocean energy programme, in line with the Government’s commitment to realise the long term economic potential of Ireland’s wave and tidal energy resources. In that context SEAI is working closely with the Marine Institute and my Department as well as the...