Results 8,901-8,920 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Other Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I would not dream of accusing the Deputy of naivety. The Deputy has been a supporter and has understood realistically what such a huge State investment entails. I thank him for that. 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...

Other Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The Deputy is right, in that the issue of ultimate ownership is one of those that requires to be determined. This relates to many of the other questions that have required to be addressed in recent months during the time when the Deputies opposite seem to believe that nothing was happening. There are issues of ownership of the network, the financing structure for the public investment, the...

Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Nov 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. The 2009 EU renewable energy directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. In order to do that, Ireland is committed to meeting 40% of electricity demand from...

Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: Undoubtedly, there is potential in solar technology. On a number of occasions, I discussed these issues with energy Ministers in Europe. In more than one country in Europe, a regime of subsidies was put in place for solar energy that is now regretted. It is not that the regimes are regretted because of the authorities not believing solar technology is good but because it now turns out it...

Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I have no responsibility in determining where any particular structures are located. I, and ultimately the Government, have responsibility for the energy policy of the country. It is my job to ensure we press on to achieve our renewable energy targets and climate change targets generally by 2020 in so far as they affect energy. With regard to solar power, I have already made the point...

Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I have raised the issue as to whether there would be a risk of an adverse effect on the renewable energy policy of the country if there were to be a significant change to the setback distances. I make no bones about having done that and about having said to this House that I have done so. We are having good discussions and I hope for a result in early course.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Building Energy Rating Compliance (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The Building Energy Rating (BER) scheme was established under the European Communities (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2006. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is designated as the issuing authority with responsibility for registering BER assessors, logging BER assessments and managing the BER scheme. Since 2007, all new buildings require a BER before...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Charge (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The Programme for Government committed to examining the role and collection of the TV licence fee in light of existing and projected convergence of technologies and to transforming the TV licence into a household based Public Service Broadcasting Charge to be applied to all eligible households and applicable businesses, regardless of the device used to access content or services. The primary...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: Globally, wave energy is still at the research, development and demonstration stage, and action across a range of areas is required to support developers in bringing ocean energy devices from prototype to full scale commercial deployment. In Ireland, this action is being taken in the context of the implementation of the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan 2014, which sets out...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Policy (10 Nov 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. The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. In order to meet this target, Ireland is committed to meeting 40% of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Television Licence Fee Yield (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: Licence fee revenues are distributed in accordance with Section 123 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 in the following prescribed manner. From gross TV Licence fee receipts, my Department firstly deducts commission payable to An Post in respect of its role as issuing agent for TV licences. TG4 also currently receives €9.245m from the gross receipts. Following these deductions, 7% of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: North-South Interconnector (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: As the Deputy will be aware, EirGrid made a formal application for the North South Transmission Link Project to An Bord Pleanála on 9 June 2015. I am constrained, therefore, in what I can say in relation to the project other than the provision of factual information. The North South Transmission Link project is part of EirGrid’s Grid25 plan to upgrade the national electricity...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postal Codes (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The Comptroller and Auditor General, in his Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2014, included a chapter on the Development of Eircode, the National Postcode System. The C&AG made a number of key recommendations to my Department based on his findings in carrying out the review. The recommendations are in the following areas: - improved governance structures on projects;...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Charge (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The Programme for Government committed to examining the role and collection of the TV licence fee in light of existing and projected convergence of technologies and to transforming the TV licence into a household based Public Service Broadcasting Charge to be applied to all eligible households and applicable businesses, regardless of the device used to access content or services. The primary...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postal Codes (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The cost of the contract with Capita, who were awarded a ten year licence to develop and maintain the postcode system, is €27m, excluding VAT (€33.2m including VAT). The total spend to date on the postcodes project amounts to €19.5m, including VAT. Of this, Capita have been paid €17.5m on foot of delivery of agreed milestones. The bulk of this figure,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Policy (10 Nov 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. The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. In order to meet this target, Ireland is committed to meeting 40% of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The Government’s 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. In July last I published a detailed draft...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Projects (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: Various community level energy initiatives are supported by my Department through the Better Energy Areas and Communities Programme which is administered on behalf of the Department by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). That programme allows community and locally based organisations to apply for funding on a competitive basis to support sustainable energy upgrades to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Metropolitan Area Networks Programme (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The State-owned Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) have played an important role in driving competition in the regions and attracting foreign direct investment to the cities and towns where they are located. The MANs have facilitated large and small retail service providers, operating in a fully liberalised market, in providing high speed broadband services without having to build their own...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020 and in order to reach this target, Ireland is committed to 40% of electricity demand from renewable sources, 12% renewables in the heating sector and 10% in transport. Ireland has made good progress with regard to renewable energy deployment. ...