Results 7,761-7,780 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Seanad: Broadband, Post Office Network and Energy White Paper: Statements (27 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I am pleased to accept this opportunity to address the House on aspects of my brief as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. It is a very broad brief and I have been asked to focus on three specific issues: the development of energy policy; the future of the post office network and the roll-out of our plan to bring high-speed broadband to every home, school and business...

Seanad: Broadband, Post Office Network and Energy White Paper: Statements (27 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I thank Senators for their very interesting contributions, most of which I will not have an opportunity to respond to in the time available. However, my officials and I have taken careful note of everything that has been said and I hope to continue our engagement on these important issues. This Government's commitment to rural Ireland is manifest in a number of ways, notably in the national...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Incentives (28 Jan 2015)

Alex White: In October last year, I 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. The analysis underpinning the draft Plan is that an additional bioenergy focussed measure in the heat sector would...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Commission for Energy Regulation (28 Jan 2015)

Alex White: The Commission for Energy Regulation's (CER) primary economic responsibilities in energy are to regulate the Irish electricity and natural gas sectors. There is free entry to the Irish oil market, no price control and it is Government policy to encourage price competition and consumer choice. It is important to note that the Irish oil sector is completely privatised, liberalised and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (28 Jan 2015)

Alex White: The Governemnt has acknowledged the unreliable quality of broadband connectivity in many rural parts of the country including County Kerry. The NBP will deal conclusively with rural connectivity issues so that current and future generations will have a guaranteed access to high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Job Creation (28 Jan 2015)

Alex White: Since 2002, the regulation of the gas market has been the responsibility of the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is independent in the performance of its functions. I have no direct statutory function in relation to liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, including specific projects such as the Shannon LNG project. Both I and Government colleagues have consistently been...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Generation (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I am advised that there was an incident at Tursillagh wind farm in County Kerry in which a blade became detached from a turbine. My Department has contacted the wind farm operator who has advised that the incident is being investigated. The operator has sought a report from the turbine manufacturer and has agreed to keep my officials informed of developments. My Department has also been...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Generation (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I was asked about a particular incident in the jurisdiction and I have addressed that. If there is any basis on which my Department or I needed to intervene or take an interest in the incident outside the jurisdiction as mentioned by the Deputy, that could certainly be considered. However, the matter I was asked to address was the one in County Kerry. I am aware of a small number - less...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Generation (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I am always happy to assist the Deputy. One reads newspaper reports and we have contacts with our colleagues in Northern Ireland through the North-South Ministerial Council, but if there is a specific incident in which the Deputy wishes me to take close interest, I will do that if he contacts me after this session.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (29 Jan 2015)

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. Security of energy supply is crucial to every society and economy. A well-balanced fuel mix that provides reliable energy, minimises costs and protects against supply disruptions and price volatility is essential to Irish consumers and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: The Deputy said he is heartened by my response and I am heartened by his support for the general direction of policy in respect of the mix of our energy sources which we need to have in this country. The fall in the price of oil on the international markets has been significant, but we know that when we plan our energy policy, we need to take a medium to long-term perspective. We all know...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I am willing to get for the Deputy the rationale for the application of VAT. I will not stray into other people's areas of responsibility but I am not sure that I completely agree with him that it is tantamount to VAT on VAT. However, I understand the point the Deputy is making. I will arrange for him a briefing note on it.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Projects (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: This is an interesting issue which the Deputy has raised before and I thank him for raising the matter and his interest in it. One of the central themes in the Green Paper on energy policy is citizen empowerment. In 2014, my Department began a public consultation process which included a series of stakeholder seminars on the various priority areas in the Green Paper, covering a number of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Projects (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: The Deputy has fairly raised the issue of resources and the extent to which we can find and devote more resources to these projects. It is a fair point. Resources have been scarce all around Government for reasons that are well known in the House. Anyway, I believe matters have improved. We have a budget for the support programmes that I referred to in my reply. I am keen to see us...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Projects (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I take on board all of those ideas. I assure the Deputy that the more resources I can get for this, the better. I will seek to obtain as much support as possible in respect of these initiatives and I believe the Government has been supportive. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland is the body that leads and directs in this area. I encourage Deputy Boyd Barrett to engage with the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Postcode System (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Privacy and data protection issues have been part of the debate on the postcode system, now branded as Eircode, since the establishment of a national postcodes board in 2005 to examine the introduction of postcodes in Ireland. There has been engagement by my Department with the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Data Protection...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Postcode System (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I hope to bring the draft legislation to Government shortly, within a period of weeks. The Deputy asked whether it is intended to have the legislation enacted before the roll-out of Eircode. It absolutely is.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Postcode System (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I gave the same answer any time I was asked. There has been ongoing contact with the Data Protection Commissioner. It is no secret that the Data Protection Commissioner raised certain concerns. The Department undertook a privacy impact assessment at the request of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. The purpose of that privacy impact assessment was to ensure that any...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Postcode System (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: Off the top of my head, I cannot tell the Deputy when it was commissioned, but I can tell him that it was brought to me and I saw it, to the best of my recollection, some time in the autumn. I am guessing - I would have to get the Deputy the exact dates and I have no difficulty in doing that - I had that report presented to me about three or four months ago.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Postcode System (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: Yes, something of that order.