Results 7,641-7,660 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (2 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The rollout of the fibre based broadband services by the recently-established joint venture company formed by ESB and Vodafone is an operational matter for the companies concerned and I have no statutory function in relation to decisions around the timing and location of investment decisions. I understand however that the European Commission has recently approved the creation of the joint...

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

Alex White: The Irish oil industry is fully privatised, liberalised and deregulated and there is free entry to the market. There is no price control in the oil sector and it is Government policy to encourage price competition and consumer choice. I have no statutory function in the setting of oil, petrol or diesel prices. Previous surveys have shown that prices charged by Irish retailers for oil products...

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

Alex White: The Government's National Broadband Plan 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 a...

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. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Appointments to State Boards (2 Dec 2014)

Alex White: As I have outlined in a number of replies to Parliamentary Questions, this Government almost immediately on establishment, made important changes in relation to appointments to State Boards with new arrangements widening the opportunity to participate on such Boards by extending a wide invitation for people to submit expressions of interest to serve on the boards of public bodies. In...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (3 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. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (4 Dec 2014)

Alex White: As the Deputy is aware, wave and tidal energy is still at the research, development and demonstration stage globally. While promising experimental devices have been developed, much research, development and demonstration is required to bring wave energy technology to commercial viability. As I outlined in response to the Parliamentary Questions on this matter on 23 October, policy action...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Cyber Security Policy (9 Dec 2014)

Alex White: Government, businesses and private individuals depend increasingly on information and communications technologies in day-to-day social and business transactions. It is important therefore that Government takes steps to minimise risks to infrastructure and services. My Department has been active in building systems and competence in the cyber security area over the past number of years....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (9 Dec 2014)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 453 and 454 together. The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. While it is acknowledged that fossil fuels will remain part of the energy mix for some time to come, progress is being made towards increasing the share of renewable energy in our...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (9 Dec 2014)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 455, 456 and 457 together. 455, 456 and 457 together. I recently published a Draft Bioenergy Plan which is available on my Department’s website (). The draft Plan will undergo Strategic Environmental and Appropriate Assessments, including public consultation and consultation with interested industry stakeholders, which will inform the content of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (9 Dec 2014)

Alex White: I recently published a Draft Bioenergy Plan which is available on my Department’s website. The draft Plan will undergo Strategic Environmental and Appropriate Assessments, including public consultation, which will inform the content of the finalised Plan. These assessment processes will commence shortly. The draft Plan recognises that, although Ireland will remain a net importer of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Policy (9 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The written consultation process on the Green Paper on Energy Policy in Ireland concluded on 31 July 2014. Over 1,240 submissions were received. The process of developing a definitive Energy Policy is continuing. Further engagement at stakeholder events at various Dublin and regional locations has been taking place over recent months. My Department is focussed on identifying all issues...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Properties (9 Dec 2014)

Alex White: While Mountjoy House lies within the main campus of buildings and facilities of Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI) in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, the building is part of the property portfolio of the Office of Public Works and OSI is not responsible for its maintenance or refurbishment. For the information of the Deputy, I understand that remedial works are currently being undertaken by the Office...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (9 Dec 2014)

Alex White: While the matter raised by the Deputy in not one in which I, as Minister, have any statutory function, I am aware that Electric Ireland recently decided to close its scheme which had offered a micro-generation feed-in tariff since February 2009. No other electricity supplier had chosen to provide such a tariff, to either domestic or commercial customers, though they had been invited to do so...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (9 Dec 2014)

Alex White: Wind generation will continue to play a critical role in meeting our commitment to achieve 40% of our electricity needs from renewable sources by 2020, as part of our overall EU obligation to meet 16% of our total energy demand from renewables. There is currently approximately 2,200 MW of wind generation capacity connected to the grid. It is estimated that a total of between 3,500 and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Workplace Relations Services (9 Dec 2014)

Alex White: My predecessor previously enquired into concerns raised in relation to workplace matters in Bórd na Mona. He was assured earlier this year by the Board of Bord na Móna that there are appropriate systems in place to deal with such issues. In the absence of specific details in the Deputy's Question, I am not in a position to comment further. However, if the Deputy provides me with...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postal Services (9 Dec 2014)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 464 and 465 together. In common with Irish euro coins, the Seal of the President of Ireland, and a range of national symbols, Éire is used as the only name of the Irish state on postage stamps. This is partly a reflection of the very limited space that a postage stamp affords to display an appropriate design, the national designation (Éire) and a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: An Fhoireann Rannach (9 Dec 2014)

Alex White: Is féidir liom a dheimhniú go bhfuil sé tugtha le fios ag 13 ball foirne i mo Roinn go bhfuil scileanna Gaeilge acu. Is ionann sin agus 5% de líon iomlán na foirne. Ní féidir liom figiúirí a thabhairt do na blianta sular cruthaíodh an Roinn Cumarsáide, Fuinnimh agus Acmhainní Nádúrtha sa bhliain 2007.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electric Vehicle Grants (9 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The 2009 Renewable Energy Directive sets all Member States a binding target that at least 10% of the energy used in the transport sector must come from renewable sources by 2020. Ireland aims to meet this target mainly through the use of sustainable biofuels with electric vehicles also making a smaller contribution. There are already a number of supports in place for the deployment of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Enterprise Support Schemes (10 Dec 2014)

Alex White: Digital adoption by businesses is a priority for Government. It is estimated that Irish consumers spend more than €6bn online annually and this figure is set to almost double by 2020. With up to 70% of Ireland's annual online spend currently going overseas, targeting Irish businesses for online trading is a key jobs and economic imperative. In Ireland today, however, less than 1 in 4...