Results 8,961-8,980 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (17 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The North South Transmission Link project is part of EirGrid’s plans to upgrade the national electricity transmission system. It is a strategically urgent project that will remove restrictions limiting cross-border power flows between Ireland and Northern Ireland thus strengthening security of electricity supply throughout the island of Ireland. On 27 March 2015 EirGrid published...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Better Energy Homes Scheme (19 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The Better Energy Homes Scheme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) under the Better Energy Programme. Better Energy Homes provides grant aid to private homeowners who wish to improve the energy performance of their homes. Fixed grants are provided towards the cost of a range of measures including attic insulation, wall insulation, heating systems upgrades,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (19 Nov 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 Provision (19 Nov 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: Data Protection (19 Nov 2015)

Alex White: Capita Business Support Services Ireland Limited were awarded a 10 year contract in December 2013 to develop and implement the National Postcode System, on behalf of the State. The contract covers the design of the Eircode, encoding public sector databases, accessing the GeoDirectory database, the launch and implementation of Eircode and the on-going management of the system for the licence...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Data Protection (19 Nov 2015)

Alex White: My Department has not enacted any legislation which amends the Data Protection Acts. Any legislation introduced complies with the provisions of the Data Protection Acts, where appropriate. For example, in relation to Eircodes, the recently enacted Communications Regulation Postal Services Amendment Act 2015 did not amend the Data Protection Acts but rather the legislation was drafted in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: State Bodies (19 Nov 2015)

Alex White: There have been no new State Bodies established by my Department since February 2011, nor do I plan to establish any new bodies at this time.

Topical Issue Debate: National Broadband Plan Implementation (24 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I agree with him on the importance of broadband infrastructure. He was correct in that, when we traditionally spoke about infrastructure, we meant physical infrastructure like roads and other big-ticket infrastructure that was important to a modern economy. Now, though, we must speak of the digital infrastructure. Broadband is at the...

Topical Issue Debate: National Broadband Plan Implementation (24 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I thank the Deputy for his support for what we are doing. His assessment of what we are doing and his analysis of what is necessary is spot on. We are rigorously assessing new and existing industry investment commitments in order to ensure it delivers the services that have been promised. The Deputy laid some emphasis on speed of delivery. That is a factor that we must all be conscious...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Local Authority Functions (24 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I understand that proposals, prospective funding and project time lines for a Salmon Life Centre in Ballina are a matter for Mayo County Council.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electric Vehicles (24 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 563 and 568 together. 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 electricity demand, 12% of heating and 10% of transport power from renewable sources. Ireland aims to meet its...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electric Vehicles (24 Nov 2015)

Alex White: On the issue of the charging infrastructure, I have no function in this matter. Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is an independent regulator. Ahead of the introduction of the Electric Vehicles Scheme in 2011, a cost benefit analysis was undertaken in relation to electric vehicles...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Financial Services Sector (24 Nov 2015)

Alex White: An Post has the largest retail network in the country and was fully computerised some years ago. As a result, the post office network can fill a vital role in the nationwide provision of over-the-counter services to the public, state services and other financial and commercial transactions. An Post currently carry out a range of transaction services on behalf of the AIB and the Ulster Bank...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Bord na Móna (24 Nov 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 matters for the company and are not ones in which I, as Minister, have any function. However, I have asked the company to revert directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (24 Nov 2015)

Alex White: My Department has passed this query to ESB Networks and have requested them to contact the Deputy directly.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Corrib Gas Field (24 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The economic benefits to Ireland of the Corrib gas field include the significant economic activity generated from the development stage of the project, a strengthening of Ireland’s security of energy supply and the direct return to the Exchequer through the 25% corporation tax on profits. The operation of the taxation system and the receipt of taxation are matters for the Revenue...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Forthcoming Energy Council: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (24 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I thank the Acting Chairman and the committee for affording me an opportunity to brief them in advance of the meeting of the EU Council of Energy Ministers in Brussels on Thursday. This week the Energy Council takes place against the backdrop of the horror that has been recently visited on the people of Paris and France. The meeting also takes place against a backdrop of virtually...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Forthcoming Energy Council: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (24 Nov 2015)

Alex White: We could deal with the energy efficiency in two senses. We may have an opportunity to return to the topic next week. We can certainly talk a bit about Ireland if colleagues wish to do so but here it relates to an EU regulation in the context of energy union and a revised regime for energy efficiency labelling of products, including washing machines, fridges and other such products. We are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Forthcoming Energy Council: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (24 Nov 2015)

Alex White: All countries are working together. It has been my experience at these meetings that there is a high level of co-operation and interest in each other's conditions and circumstances. There is a very good level of debate. One learns a lot at these meetings about what is happening and best practice in other countries. One also learns about the views of other countries as to the advances we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Forthcoming Energy Council: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (24 Nov 2015)

Alex White: While it is not a specific agenda item on Thursday, it is ever-present because it is an energy policy for the citizens of Europe, not just for the governments. The extent to which the citizens of the EU, including Ireland, feel alienated from energy policy, do not understand why certain decisions are made, disagree with some of the decisions that are made or do not feel they have an...