Search Results for 'Minister for Communications'

Commitments made under the National Broadband Plan to provide rural Ireland with basic fibre speed broadband must be upheld, according to Dep Paul Connaughton.

In a response to recent revelations indicating that up to 400 rural post offices could be facing closure, Deputy Colm Keaveney has remarked that closing these local services could prove detrimental for social and environmental costs. "It is critical that in dealing with our current fiscal difficulties that we remember that the calculation of the cost of any reforms must include external factors such as social or environmental costs. In this case, rural post offices form a vital part in our rural communities and the calculation of the savings from any reform must take the social costs of the closure of post offices into account.”

Fine Gael TD for Mayo, Michelle Mulherin, has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, of the extension of the REFIT scheme designed to boost the development of wind farms, biomass, and other renewable energy resources providing green energy to the Irish National Electricity Grid. This will give investors until 2017 to assist in achieving renewable energy targets. The previous deadline had been 2015. REFIT is the primary scheme supporting Ireland’s legally binding energy commitments.

Mayo Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherin has told the Dáil that the poor electricity transmission network in Mayo is jeopardising a number major alternative energy projects in the county which are at an advanced stage of planning.

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister of State Michael Ring will be among the 19 Government emissaries representing the country abroad during the upcoming St Patrick’s Day celebrations. The Taoiseach will be travelling to the United States where he will have the traditional St Patrick’s Day meeting with President Barack Obama, he will also be meeting Vice President Joe Biden while in Washington DC, where he will also make a keynote address at George Washington University where he will receive the university’s Making Democracy Work Award.

Mayo Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony has welcomed the launch by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, of Delivering a Connected Society – A National Broadband Plan for Ireland, which will see every home and business in the State have access to high speed broadband at speeds much faster than what are generally available today.

EirGrid has announced the commencement of the second round of public consultation on the Grid West project and has also invited the public to attend an open day in their area. The two Mayo open days take place on Tuesday August 28 at Kiltane GAA Club, Bangor Erris, from 1pm to 8pm, and on Tuesday September 4 at the McWilliam Park Hotel, Claremorris, from 1pm to 8pm.

Galway’s secondary school should have 100 mbs broadband access by October, allowing pupils higher speed broadband internet access than before.

The magnitude of the earthquake off the north Mayo coast was far below the threshold for generation of a seismogenic tsunami or indeed to cause significant structural damage, Mayo Fine Gael TD, Michelle Mulherin has been told by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.

Mayo Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony has announced that An Post is to start discussions with interested parties in Knockmore with a view to providing a post office agency in the parish.