Results 7,621-7,640 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Irish Water Staff (25 Nov 2014)

Alex White: I refer to Question No 242 of 13 November 2014 regarding employment terms and conditions of Ervia employees. As previously advised, the employment terms of Ervia employees, are an operational matter for the company. While this is not a matter in which I, as Minister, have a statutory role, my officials have examined the relevant records and I am advised that Ervia, or Bord Gáis at the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postcode Implementation (25 Nov 2014)

Alex White: Eircodes have been designed to manage challenges around finding addresses in Ireland, specifically the fact that more than 35% of addresses are non-unique. This is why the solution adopted will assign a unique seven digit alpha numeric identifier to each address. Using this approach to assigning codes does not support sequencing of individual codes as such a system is not future proofed in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Legislative Measures (25 Nov 2014)

Alex White: Available evidence to date shows that introducing measures such as outlined in the Deputy's question may not have any material impact in terms of preventing illegal activity. A proposal to register all customers of mobile phone services was considered previously by my Department. It was concluded at the time that such a proposal would be unlikely to solve the illegal and inappropriate use...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (25 Nov 2014)

Alex White: While this is a matter in which I, as Minister, have no statutory function, I am aware that Electric Ireland has been offering a micro generation feed-in tariff since February 2009. I understand Electric Ireland will continue to offer the tariff to their existing customers until the end of 2015. To date, no other electricity supplier has chosen to provide such a tariff, to either domestic or...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postcode Implementation (25 Nov 2014)

Alex White: The Eircode is designed to help find relevant location and routing information and integrate with GPS devices and smartphones. It will also be mappable onto defined national boundary sets such as counties, electoral districts and small areas.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Expenditure (25 Nov 2014)

Alex White: Following an open tender process, enet was appointed Concessionaire in July, 2004 for a 15 year term to manage, market, maintain and operate the Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) constructed under Phase I of the MANs Programme on behalf of the State. In July 2009, following an open tender process, enet was awarded a separate 15 year contract to manage the MANs constructed under Phase II of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Prices (25 Nov 2014)

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

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (25 Nov 2014)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 555 to 558, inclusive, together. The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State-led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Contracts (25 Nov 2014)

Alex White: My Department has no record of any contracts awarded to the company referred to in the Question in the period referred to by the Deputy, or in any of the years preceding that period for which records are available. Information relating to this issue in respect of bodies and agencies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for those organisations and my Department does not have the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (25 Nov 2014)

Alex White: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State-led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided. Yesterday, I launched a public consultation on a national high speed...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Irish Water Funding (25 Nov 2014)

Alex White: I am advised that Ervia’s current credit ratings are BBB+ (S&P) and Baa1 (Moody’s). I understand that Ervia issued a five year €500m Eurobond in November 2012 at a competitive coupon of 3.625%. The transaction received total orders of more than €6.5bn, demonstrating strong demand for Ervia debt issuance. No public bonds were issued by Ervia in 2013 or 2014....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Meetings (26 Nov 2014)

Alex White: My department’s Management Advisory Committee (MAC) comprises of the Secretary General, four Assistant Secretaries, Finance Officer and Personnel Officer. The Private Secretary to the Secretary General acts as Secretary to the Committee. The Committee generally meets on a weekly basis. Dates of these meetings for the period covered by the Question are set out in the following table: ...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014: Financial Resolution (2 Dec 2014)

Alex White: I move:THAT Section 125A of the Stamp Duties Consolidation Act 1999 (No. 31 of 1999) be amended to provide for the specified rate of stamp duty in respect of an insured person in respect of relevant contracts renewed or entered into on or after 1 January 2015 and on or before 28 February 2015 and on or after 1 March 2015 in the manner and to the extent specified in the Act giving effect to...

Topical Issue Debate: Broadcasting Sector Regulation (2 Dec 2014)

Alex White: I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this issue. The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland is an independent statutory body which has as one of its functions under section 26 the Broadcasting Act 2009 the preparation of broadcasting codes or rules. Accordingly, I, as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, have no function in this matter and my Department has no role in the...

Topical Issue Debate: Broadcasting Sector Regulation (2 Dec 2014)

Alex White: I have no wish to trespass on the particular issue, but where there is a difference in point of view there is likely to be a controversy. The fact that we have a particular viewpoint on an issue and others have a different view would seem to point to the existence of a controversy. The fact results from people disagreeing with a particular decision. I am at pains to emphasise that I am not...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (2 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The Independent Expert Panel, established in January to examine the Grid West and Grid Link projects, has met on several occasions since then to consider and approve the terms of reference for comprehensive, route-specific studies and reports of fully undergrounded and overhead options for each of the Grid West and Grid Link projects. The studies and reports are required to include...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (2 Dec 2014)

Alex White: EirGrid’s public consultation process in relation to Grid Link is a matter for the company and not one in which I, as Minister, have a role or function. However, I have been advised by EirGrid that submissions for the third round of public consultation for the Grid Link project closed on January 7, 2014. Over 38,000 submissions were received, and each one has been considered...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (2 Dec 2014)

Alex White: As Minister for Energy, I am responsible for the formulation and implementation of energy policy. The data to which the Deputy refers in this question is operational in nature. Therefore, I have no function with regard to its collection or application. However, I can advise the Deputy that, where such data is required by either the Transmission System Operator, EirGrid, or the Distribution...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Sector Regulation (2 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is the independent Regulator responsible for the oversight of the broadcasting sector. Section 25 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides that the BAI and its statutory committees, in performing their functions, shall endeavour to ensure that the number and categories of broadcasting services made available in the State best serve the needs of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (2 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State-led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided.On the 24 November last, I launched a public consultation on the National...