Results 9,001-9,020 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Regulation (25 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The regulation of the electricity market is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) and I have no function in the matter. The CER has oversight of the process for connecting generators, both renewable and non-renewable, to the national grid. This is generally referred to as the Group Process Approach (GPA) which has been implemented to date through a series of gates i.e. Gate...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (25 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The Whitegate refinery was privatised as a result of its sale by the State in 2001. Under the terms of the sale, the owners are obliged to continue to operate the refinery for a minimum of fifteen years, a commitment which remains in place until July 2016. That commitment is not affected by the planned sale. The owners of the refinery, Phillips 66, advised my Department in October that they...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff Scheme Eligibility (25 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The Renewable Electricity Feed-in-Tariff (REFIT) schemes are the principal means of supporting renewable electricity generators for renewable energy exported to the grid. These schemes support electricity generated from a range of renewable sources including small scale hydro. Small scale renewable generation is eligible to apply for support under the REFIT schemes. Further information is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Company Data (26 Nov 2015)

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

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (26 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The owners of the refinery, Phillips 66, advised my Department in October that they were putting the Whitegate refinery up for sale. A refinery sale would be a commercial matter between Phillips 66 and a potential purchaser. As this process is underway Whitegate will continue to be operated on a business as usual basis. The Government views the continued operation of the Whitegate refinery...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (26 Nov 2015)

Alex White: On 31 July last, my Department launched a consultation on a new support scheme for renewable electricity. 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 any new scheme. The consultations will be informative regarding the technologies that will assist in meeting our future renewable...

Report on the Regulation and Inspection of Gas Installers: Motion (27 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I am pleased to accept this opportunity to respond to the Chairman of the joint committee on its report dated July 2015 regarding the regulation and inspection of gas installers operating in Ireland. I welcome this report which makes a valuable contribution to the debate on gas safety and its regulation and I thank the Chairman of the committee, Deputy O'Mahony, and the members of the...

Report on the Regulation and Inspection of Gas Installers: Motion (27 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I thank the Deputies for the very helpful contributions they made in the debate and I am pleased to have an opportunity to respond. As I said in my opening remarks, this is an issue of national importance which is recognised by the committee in the work it has done to bring the report forward. The safety of domestic natural gas consumers and the public in general is of paramount importance...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (1 Dec 2015)

Alex White: The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set Member States individual targets for renewable energy in order to attain an overall renewable energy share of 20% by 2020 across the entire European Union. In this regard, Ireland was assigned a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our overall energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. In addition, Member States must ensure that at...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (1 Dec 2015)

Alex White: The telecommunications market in Ireland has been fully liberalised since 1999. Decisions by commercial operators to invest in particular technologies, including fixed line network technologies are taken purely on commercial grounds, having regard to the cost of service provision and the anticipated revenue returns from any such investment. Neither my Department nor the Commission for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (1 Dec 2015)

Alex White: Approximately 96% of gas consumed in Ireland is imported, with approximately 45% of our electricity being generated using gas. EirGrid, together with ESB Networks and Gas Networks Ireland, have respective emergency plans in place to deal with any unexpected short-term disruption to gas supplies. The security of Ireland’s gas supplies will be significantly strengthened by the coming...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Legal Cases Data (1 Dec 2015)

Alex White: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to my Department is being compiled and will be forwarded as soon as possible. The information sought by the Deputy regarding the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for each agency. I will request that they reply directly to the Deputy with the information requested.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Staff Data (1 Dec 2015)

Alex White: My Department does not have any employees on Contracts of Indefinite Duration.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Alex White: Today we are dealing with the Supplementary Estimate for Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor, referred to this sub-committee by order of the Dáil on 19 November 2015. Pursuant to Standing Orders, we must report back to the Dáil no later than 9 December 2015. I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of an Taoiseach, Deputy Paul Kehoe and his officials and invite...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Alex White: I would like to add to the Deputy's point before the Minister of State responds. We are at fault in that regard to some degree because debates have been going on in this House for the last decade or more about a no-fault compensation system and annual rather than lump sum payments. The problem is that annual payments are seen as income whereas lump sum payments are not taxable. We should...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Alex White: I thank the Minister of State and his officials for assisting this committee in its consideration of this Supplementary Estimate.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach: Message to Dáil (2 Dec 2015)

Alex White: In accordance with Standing Order 87, the following message will be sent to the Dáil:The Select Sub-Committee on the Department of the Taoiseach has completed its consideration of the following Supplementary Estimate for public services for the year ending 31 December 2015: Vote 6 - Office of Chief State Solicitor.

Leaders' Questions (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: I recognise the Deputy’s opening remarks about the importance of the discussions and negotiations taking place in Paris at the Conference of Parties, COP 21 conference.

Leaders' Questions (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: The challenge to all of the world-----

Leaders' Questions (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: -----not just to the people in this Chamber, rural or urban Ireland, is to reach an agreement to ensure that the planet we live on and the physical environment in which we live, and future generations we hope will live, will be protected from the growing adverse impact of global warming. I am sorry, however, to note that Deputy Troy quickly abandoned the aspirational remarks in the first...