Results 8,441-8,460 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

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

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 833 and 834 together. There have been two Bills initiated by my Department since September 2013, the details of which are set out in the following table. Title of Bill Date Bill Published Status ESB (Electronic Communications Network) Bill 2013 19/12/2013 The Bill was enacted on 18 March 2014 as the ESB (Electronic Communications Network) Act 2014 -...

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

Alex White: The total amount paid out in respect of staff subsistence and staff taxi payments for each of the years from 2011 to date is set out in the table below. My Department has not been subject to a tax compliance audit for these payments. Payments made to staff in respect of travel and subsistence are in accordance with the relevant Department of Public Expenditure and Reform rules and guidelines....

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

Alex White: My Department administers a very diverse, complex and technical brief across critical and strategic sectors of the Irish economy. While it has a total complement of around 250 full time equivalent staff of whom a number are technical personnel, the technical, commercial, legal complexity and evolving nature of sectors with which the Department deals requires access to external professional...

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

Alex White: The Government recognises that access to high quality, high speed broadband is important for businesses and households throughout Ireland and is critically aware of the issues raised by IBEC in the North West and elsewhere in Ireland.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....

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

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 839, 840 and 841 together. 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...

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

Alex White: The electronic communications market is a fully liberalised competitive market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulations (ComReg), which is independent in the exercise of its functions. ComReg gathers data from the competing electronic communications networks and services providers and publishes quarterly market data reports. The most recently published report, up to...

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 partnership between Government and commercial telecommunications companies.The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades and...

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

Alex White: The over-arching objective of Ireland's energy policy is to deliver secure, competitive and sustainable supplies of energy to all consumers. Energy efficiency has a central role to play in meeting this objective. Improving the efficiency with which we use energy is already delivering real environmental, social and economic benefits for Ireland. This is why energy efficiency will be a key...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Policy (16 Jun 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. A new Energy Policy White Paper, which will set out Ireland’s energy policy up to 2030, will be published in October. A very significant public consultation process has just been concluded, the outputs from which will guide the...

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: Broadband Service Speeds (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 partnership between Government and commercial telecommunications companies. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades and...

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

Alex White: The EU's 2020 targets for emissions reductions, renewable energy and energy efficiency form a cornerstone of EU energy policy. The EU aims to deliver a 20% improvement in energy efficiency, a 20% reduction in Green House Gas emissions and 20% of energy from renewable sources by 2020. The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy...

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

Alex White: Given the breadth of my Department's remit, no overall audit has been conducted on the availability of natural resources. However, at a sectorial level a substantive amount of research has been undertaken to establish technical and economic potential with a view to enhancing economic development. The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Corrib Gas Field (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: Completion of the Corrib gas field development works, by the developer, together with obtaining all of the necessary consents, are the principal factors that will determine the date for first gas. Construction and testing of the infrastructure is on-going with first gas anticipated later this year. I understand that the bulk of the gas produced from the Corrib field will be supplied to the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Post Office Network (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: I refer to the reply to Question No. [22935/15] on today's Order Paper.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Generation (16 Jun 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. A well balanced fuel mix that provides reliable energy, minimises costs and protects against supply disruptions and price volatility, is essential to Irish consumers. Provisional figures provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority of...

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

Alex White: The European Commission recently published the Energy Union Package, A Framework Strategy for a Resilient Energy Union with a Forward-Looking Climate Change Package. The package and accompanying suite of documents are available at . These documents set out the European Union policy to achieve secure, sustainable, competitive and affordable energy for all EU energy customers, be they...

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: Electric Vehicles (16 Jun 2015)

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 contribution. The Electric Vehicle Grant Scheme supports, through grants of up to €5,000,...

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

Alex White: Statutory Instrument (S.I.) No. 426 of 2014 (European Union (Energy Efficiency) Regulations, 2014), transposed the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU). The key objective of the Directive is to achieve energy efficiency gains for the EU of 20% by 2020. The S.I. sets out the legal basis for measures required to ensure Ireland will improve its energy efficiency by 2020. Ireland, like...