Results 7,821-7,840 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Post Office Network (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 182 together. It is Government policy that An Post remains 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. The post office network faces significant challenges given the impact of the economic downturn over the last few years,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Communication Services (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: The provision of electronic communications and postal services occur within fully liberalised markets, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) which is independent in the exercise of its functions. ComReg has imposed universal services obligations on eircom and An Post to ensure universal public access to basic electronic communications and postal services at...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electric Vehicles (29 Jan 2015)

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: Alternative Energy Projects (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. 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: Ministerial Appointments (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: No such representations have been made to my Department on behalf of individuals seeking appointment to State Boards. I and my predecessor have outlined a number of times to this House the important changes in relation to appointments to State Boards which this government made from the outset to widen the opportunity to participate at State Board level by seeking revised expressions of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Inland Fisheries Stocks (3 Feb 2015)

Alex White: I have been advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that the return of log books by anglers and the process of recording individual catch returns on the database for rivers around the country is ongoing, as is normal at this time each year. Consequently the information sought is not currently available. IFI expect to finalise this process in the next four to five weeks and I have requested...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Policy (3 Feb 2015)

Alex White: I refer to the reply to Question No 7 of 29 January 2014. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (3 Feb 2015)

Alex White: I am aware of the report to which the Deputy refers regarding renewable energy in Scotland. Ireland also has ambitious renewable energy targets. Our 2020 target is to have 16% of our energy from renewable sources through meeting 40% of electricity demand, 10% of our transport and 12% of our heat from renewable sources. In 2013, 7.8% of Ireland’s overall energy requirement was met by...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Sector Regulation (3 Feb 2015)

Alex White: Part 7 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides for public service broadcasting in Ireland and the provisions relating to the public service broadcasting corporations, RTÉ and TG4, including their principal objects. These objects provide the companies’ statutory mandates and encapsulate national policy in terms of public service broadcasting. They include the specific objective of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Television Licence Fee Collection (3 Feb 2015)

Alex White: As per Section 145 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, An Post is empowered to issue, on payment of the appropriate fee, licences for television sets. The day to day administration of licence issuing and inspection is a matter for An Post. I have asked An Post to follow up directly with the Deputy in relation to the matters raised.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Contracts Data (3 Feb 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 596 and 597 together. My Department was established in its current configuration in June 2007. The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the period June 2007 to end-2010 is set out in the following table. The additional information requested by the Deputy is not available in my Department. Company Date Cost Totals - - - - Maxwell Photography...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Relations Contracts Data (3 Feb 2015)

Alex White: My Departmental remit includes complex policy areas, oversight of State regulation and service provision across key strategic services such as energy and public broadcasting, and regulation of sectors such as mining and hydrocarbon exploration. Given the technical complexity, economic significance and community interest in these areas, there is a requirement to disseminate information and to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (3 Feb 2015)

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: North-South Interconnector (3 Feb 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 600 and 601 together. One of the key concerns arising from public consultation processes on EirGrid’s Grid25 Strategy has been the extent to which undergrounding options have been explored, so as to allow ready comparison with overhead line solutions, for individual projects, including the North South (N/S) transmission line project.In January 2014,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: North-South Interconnector (3 Feb 2015)

Alex White: An Independent Expert Panel (IEP) was established in January 2014 to oversee the integrity of the process being undertaken by EirGrid to report on comprehensive, route-specific studies of overhead and underground options for both the Grid Link (GL) and Grid West (GW) projects. On 2 May 2014, the IEP finalised the Terms of Reference for the studies and published the Terms of Reference on 7...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (3 Feb 2015)

Alex White: Biogas, which is produced by anaerobic digestion, can be utilised to generate electricity, heat or as a transport fuel. In addition, biomethane, produced by removing impurities from biogas, can be used as a substitute for natural gas and can be injected directly into the gas grid. Electricity and combined heat and power produced from biogas is already supported under the REFIT schemes and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Commission for Energy Regulation (3 Feb 2015)

Alex White: The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is Ireland’s independent energy regulator. The CER was established in 1999 and has a wide range of economic, customer protection and safety responsibilities in the energy sector. The CER is also Ireland's economic regulator of the public water and wastewater sector.While the CER is entirely independent in the execution of its statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Regulation (3 Feb 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. As the Irish oil sector is completely privatised, liberalised and deregulated, the CER has no role...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (3 Feb 2015)

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 national high-speed coverage map published on the 24th November last...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Prices (3 Feb 2015)

Alex White: My Department has an economic unit which is responsible for the provision of economic analysis across the Department. Electricity price statistics for Ireland and EU Member States are publicly available. SEAI publishes biannual reports on electricity and gas prices in Ireland. The reports analyse electricity and natural gas price data, as published by Eurostat and collected for Ireland and...