Results 8,821-8,840 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Building Regulations (13 Oct 2015)

Alex White: Planning policy is a matter for the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government. I therefore have no power to issue directions to Local Authorities on any aspect of planning and building rules and policies. My Department does, however, monitor issues which may act as barriers to the deployment of broadband services. In this regard, my Department has indicated to the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (13 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is a Government initiative which aims to deliver high speed broadband to every citizen and business in Ireland. This is being achieved through a combination of accelerated commercial investment by telecoms operators, and a proposed State intervention to provide high speed broadband to those parts of the country where the commercial sector will not invest....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Production (13 Oct 2015)

Alex White: In the context of the forthcoming energy policy paper, my Department is considering the optimal fuel mix, including the role of renewable energy, for Ireland. The Green Paper on Energy Policy, inter alia, sought feedback on the role that alternative technologies, such as solar, could play in delivering our renewable energy ambitions. Views received will be taken into consideration in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Bord na Móna (13 Oct 2015)

Alex White: Bord na Móna is a commercial State company operating under the Turf Development Acts 1946 to 1998. The matters raised by the Deputy are operational in nature and are not ones in which I, as Minister, have any function. Bord na Móna is facing significant business challenges in the context of the increasingly competitive and challenging environments across all its business areas....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Expenditure (13 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The proposed State intervention under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) represents a very significant capital investment project for the State. Section 7.5 of the draft intervention strategy which I published for public consultation on 15 July last deals in some detail with issues related to project costs. On 29 September last, the Government approved an allocation of €275m for the...

Financial Resolutions 2016 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (14 Oct 2015)

Alex White: Tired old cliches like "helping the well heeled" and "small minority at the top" are no substitute for analysis. The Deputies opposite are capable of much more than the cliches they have served up in the last 20 minutes or so. Listening to the Opposition speakers and particularly to Sinn Féin on this occasion, although the same applied to some of the Fianna Fáil speakers earlier...

Financial Resolutions 2016 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (14 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The notion that nothing is happening - Deputy Crowe's suggestion that it is an entire failure - demonstrates how devoid of credibility the Sinn Féin Party is. The only way to be credible is to base what one says on the facts, not to recycle speeches from last year and the year before. Some of the speakers from Fianna Fáil were doing the same. Deputy Michael McGrath, who led for...

Financial Resolutions 2016 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (14 Oct 2015)

Alex White: He used to ask me whether we were only going to do this up to the age of age six because if that was the case, he was not with us. He told me that he needed me to tell him that it was not just a measure up to age six and that we should go up to 12 and onwards. I used to tell him that was our intention. Here we are being true to the commitment we gave, and the commitment I gave to Deputy...

Financial Resolutions 2016 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (14 Oct 2015)

Alex White: Where is the money for energy efficiency schemes? There is nothing. It is all talk and cliché. Sinn Féin has run out of road.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Fuel Prices (14 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The Irish oil sector is completely privatised, liberalised and deregulated. There is free entry into the market and it is Government policy to encourage price competition and consumer choice. As such, I have no function in the setting of fuel prices. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC, under the aegis of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation) has a role in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Mobile Telephony Services Provision (14 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The provision of mobile phone networks and services is undertaken by telecommunications service providers operating in a fully liberalised market under licences provided by the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg. ComReg apply terms and conditions on Mobile Network Operators which are attached to the licences. Decisions in relation to such terms and conditions, including...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Incentives (20 Oct 2015)

Alex White: On 31 July last, I launched a consultation on the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). While the initial phase of the consultation closed on 18 September 2015, there will be two further opportunities to contribute at key stages in the design of the scheme. The RHI scheme, once designed, will require State Aid approval from the European Commission and further Government approval. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Post Office Network (20 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The Post Office Network Business Development Group, whose remit is to examine the potential from existing and new Government and commercial business that could be transacted through the post office network, presented its initial report to me in May 2015. In summary, the initial report outlined that the future of the post office network would be best secured by seeking out opportunities in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postal Services (20 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The post office network plays an important role in serving the needs of business and domestic customers alike. However, the postal sector is undergoing systemic change, with migration towards electronic communications resulting in significant core mail volume decline year-on-year. In recognition of the changing commercial environment I established the Post Office Network Business...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Radio Broadcasting (20 Oct 2015)

Alex White: RTE is an independent national public service broadcaster whose remit and obligations are set out in Section 114 of the Broadcasting Act 2009. Section 98 provides that the company shall be independent in the pursuance of these objects, subject to the requirements of the Act and as such, I, as Minister, have no function in the management of RTÉ’s day to day affairs including...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (20 Oct 2015)

Alex White: I understand that in August 2014 Ofgem, the electricity regulator in Great Britain (GB), established an assessment process for applications from promoters of electricity interconnectors for access to GB’s Cap and Floor regime, which is the regulatory support mechanism for interconnector development. Subsequently, Element Power Ltd submitted an application to Ofgem for access to the Cap...

Topical Issue Debate: Post Office Network (21 Oct 2015)

Alex White: I welcome the opportunity to clarify for the Deputy the position regarding post offices in the Cabra area of Dublin 7. The operation of the post office network, including the opening or closing of post offices, is a day-to-day operational matter for the board and management of An Post and not one in which I have a function. I had inquiries made with An Post and I have been informed that the...

Topical Issue Debate: Post Office Network (21 Oct 2015)

Alex White: I do not have the detailed figures in front of me, but from memory the figures the Deputy quoted sound correct. We can clarify the specifics and confirm that for the Dáil record at some point, if the Deputy would like me to do so. I listened carefully to the points he raised and, as I mentioned, the closure or opening of post offices is a matter for An Post and not the Minister. I...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Freedom of Information Requests (21 Oct 2015)

Alex White: My Department has received 125 FOI requests to date in 2015, of which 59 have been answered within the statutory deadline. Of the remainder, 22 recent requests are still open, 25 were answered later than the 4 week period, 2 were transferred to other FOI bodies, 11 were withdrawn and 6 were closed following failures of requestors to respond to correspondence from the Department.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Service Obligation Levy Payments (22 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy, which has been in place since 2001, is determined by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) and is charged to all electricity customers. It is the overall support mechanism of the Irish Government and consists of various support schemes to contribute to national policy objectives related to generating plants covering renewable energy, indigenous...