Results 8,421-8,440 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (16 Jun 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 commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Inland Fisheries (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: The current principal statute governing inland fisheries is the Inland Fisheries Act 1959. It is “of its time” and also itself a consolidation of legislation dating back to the 1800s. While the Government are committed to modernising and updating this code, it must address a range of complex issues including improving access to fisheries, aquatic alien invasive species (plants...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Media Mergers (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: Retrospective actions were not provided for in the relevant legislation. The regime is designed in the 2014 legislation to give the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the responsibility for assessing proposed media mergers, and to empower the Minister to block any merger that is deemed likely to be contrary to the public interest in maintaining the plurality of media in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Ministerial Meetings (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: I have not had any engagements or meetings, whether public or private, official or unofficial with the individual named. Apart from a brief exchange with another senior executive from the media companies in question at a public event, I have not had any engagements or meetings, in public or private, official or unofficial, with any executives within the media companies concerned.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Service Obligation Levy (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: The Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy supports electricity generation which was constructed for security of supply purposes, including peat generation. It also supports the development of renewable electricity which is important for both security of supply and for reducing carbon emissions from electricity generation. The levy is designed to compensate electricity suppliers for the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Infrastructure (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: Delivering on the energy and telecommunications infrastructure needs of a 21st century society is a key priority for Government and my Department and we are making demonstrable progress in both areas. The National Broadband Plan is delivering high speed telecommunications access to every home and business in Ireland regardless of its location through a combination of commercial investments...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (16 Jun 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. Last November I published a national high speed coverage map for 2016. The map...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: As part of the NBP, operators will be asked to bid in a procurement process to select a provider or providers for the roll-out of high speed broadband in the areas where commercial services will not be provided. The re-use of existing infrastructure like poles, ducts, sites and masts, will minimise the cost of the State intervention by avoiding unnecessary new build. It is also consistent...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Generation (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: The combination of systems, infrastructure, policies and technologies that enables the traditional model of electricity supply to move towards a model where energy supply is optimised with demand for energy services, and maximises our use of indigenous renewable electricity, can be collectively called smart grid. A Smart Grid Working Group comprising representation from my Department,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Bord na Móna (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: While the matter raised by the Deputy is an operational one for the management team at Bord na Móna and not one in which I, as Minister, have any function, it is a matter of concern for me. My Department has raised the issue with the management team of Bord na Móna and I am advised that there has been no development on this situation since their appearance before the Joint...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (16 Jun 2015)

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. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (16 Jun 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 commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Environmental Policy (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: The Earth Statement referred to by the Deputy outlines what the Earth League, an alliance of scientists, sees as essential elements to be achieved as part of the international climate agreement in Paris in December (COP21). Issues around climate change are primarily a matter for my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. As regards energy, it is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Staff Career Breaks (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table: Career Break period 0 - 6 Months 6 - 12 months 1 - 2 years 2-3 years 4 - 5 years 5 years plus Number of staff 1 2 4 2 0 0

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table and covers the period March 2011 to June 2015: Photography Costs Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources March 2011 - June 2015 Company Event Date Event Cost Maxwell Photography 13/06/2011 Government convenes Next Generation Broadband Taskforce 340.92 Maxwell Photography 27/07/2011 Age...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jun 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Consultancy Contracts Data (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 827 and 830 together. My Department has not incurred any expenditure on external IT consultants since March 2011. My Department does, however, have contracts with several companies for the provision of ICT personnel, who are classed as contractors rather than consultants. All contracts entered into follow Public Procurement guidelines and, when completed, are...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Parliamentary Questions (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 828 and 829 together. Parliamentary Questions submitted to my department are dealt with in full compliance with the relevant Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Appointments to State Boards (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: There have been 161 appointments made to State Boards under the aegis of my Department in the period March 2011 to date and 27 of these (17%) were from amongst those individuals who submitted Expressions of Interest. It should be noted that some 40% of the appointments made to Boards under the aegis of my Department are either ex-officio appointments, reappointments, the appointment of worker...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Freedom of Information Requests (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tables. Number of FOI Requests 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 1 Received 52 55 54 70 39 74 62 2 Refused 9 11 4 22 9 20 18 3 Granted 22 17 9 16 2 8 12 4 Part-Granted 12 22 21 23 13 26 18 Number of Internal Reviews 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 1 Received 6 5 2 3 0 5 4 2 Affirmed Original Decision 6 2 1 2...