Results 7,661-7,680 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (11 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure that 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, the Minister launched a public...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Prices (11 Dec 2014)

Alex White: Responsibility for the regulation of the retail electricity market is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is an independent statutory body. Prices in the electricity and gas retail markets are fully deregulated. Customers can avail of competitive offerings from electricity and gas suppliers. Prices are set by suppliers and are commercial and operational matters for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (11 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The 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.The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Television Licences Data (11 Dec 2014)

Alex White: Prosecutions for non-payment of TV Licence are a matter for the Courts Service and, therefore, I have no role in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Infrastructure (11 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The provision of 100Mbps connectivity in all post-primary schools, following a public procurement competition, is delivered on existing telecommunications networks, owned and operated by licensed service providers. As such, this project did not require any new infrastructure to be constructed by the State for the purposes of delivering this broadband connectivity. Under the Metropolitan...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Expenditure (11 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The proposed State intervention under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) represents a very significant capital investment project for the State. I have undertaken to complete a detailed intervention strategy that will be submitted to Government in mid-2015.This process is complex and will include close examination of issues such as: - The appropriate ownership model for the infrastructure; -...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Issues (11 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. Ireland is currently heavily reliant on imported fossil fuels to meet our energy needs. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Post Office Network (11 Dec 2014)

Alex White: It is Government policy that An Post should remain a strong and viable company, in a position to provide a high-quality postal service and maintain a nationwide customer-focused network of post offices in the community. Currently, there is a whole-of-government review under the auspices of the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy exploring the scope for providing additional public services...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Speeds (11 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The 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. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Policy (11 Dec 2014)

Alex White: Through its membership of the International Energy Agency, Ireland has regular contact with all of the leading countries who are actively promoting electric vehicles and we receive regular updates on technological progress and policies to promote electric vehicles (EVs). Technology advances will continue in the sector, with the biggest developments expected to take place in the areas of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (11 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. Whilst acknowledging 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 energy mix. Ireland has a legally binding target of meeting 16%...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (11 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every citizen, business and public service provider, 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. Telecommunications networks operators are investing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (11 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The 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. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (16 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure, sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. As a State we have ambitious targets for 16% of our energy from renewable sources by 2020 through meeting 40% of electricity demand from renewable sources, with 10% renewables in transport and 12% in heat. The National Competitiveness Council...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Ministerial Meetings (16 Dec 2014)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 624 to 626, inclusive, together. The Question posed by the Deputy which was the subject of a reply on 26 November 2014 related to meetings of the Department’s Management Advisory Committee (MAC), which is chaired by the Secretary General of the Department, and the reply dealt with that matter accordingly. The reply also stated that there are monthly...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (16 Dec 2014)

Alex White: 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. Policy action to develop the wave energy sector in Ireland, and realise the potential of this abundant indigenous resource, is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Ministerial Travel (16 Dec 2014)

Alex White: Neither I or the Minister of State have confirmed official travel dates for 2015 as of yet. As a matter of course and where appropriate, we both take the opportunties presented by foreign trips to promote Ireland as a good place for investment and for doing business.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: An Fhoireann Rannach (16 Dec 2014)

Alex White: Tar éis an cheist a athbhreithniú, ní ba luaithe i mbliana chuir an Roinn seo in iúl don Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe nach bhfuil aon phost faoi láthair i mo Roinn inar gá duine atá inniúil sa Bhéarla agus sa Ghaeilge araon. Tá an scéal seo á choinneáil faoi athbhreithniú, áfach, i bhfianaise...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Prices (16 Dec 2014)

Alex White: I and my Department are acutely aware of the financial challenges faced by families and businesses from high electricity prices. However, it is important to note that the electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised, and competitive and that they operate within national and European regulatory regimes. I have no statutory function in the setting or review of electricity prices....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (16 Dec 2014)

Alex White: The proposal referenced by the Deputy is for a project with wind turbines physically located in Ireland but connecting to the electricity grid in Northern Ireland. The objective of the REFIT 2 scheme in Ireland is to incentivise the development of renewable electricity generation for connection to the electricity grid in Ireland. Projects that are supported by REFIT 2 are funded through the...