Results 9,361-9,380 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (20 Apr 2016)

Alex White: The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive sets Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020.  Ireland is committed to achieving this target through meeting 40% of electricity demand, 12% of heat and 10% of transport from renewable sources of energy. Figures provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) show that...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Regulation (20 Apr 2016)

Alex White: I have no function in this matter. Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity market is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) which is an independent regulator. The CER was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity sector following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999 and subsequent legislation. It is therefore a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (21 Apr 2016)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 146 together. 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 is being achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Better Energy Homes Scheme (26 Apr 2016)

Alex White: Since 2009 the Better Energy scheme has provided over €400 million for energy efficiency upgrades in almost 300,000 homes, supporting an average of 2,300 jobs per annum in the construction sector. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) maintains a register of contractors who are authorised to undertake works under the Better Energy scheme. Each contractor on the register is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (26 Apr 2016)

Alex White: The operation and detail of any community benefit schemes operated by Semi-State companies is a matter for the companies themselves and I have no function in relation to such. The development of the recently published Energy White Paper 'Ireland's Transition to a Low Carbon Energy Future 2015-2030', revealed a wide citizen and community desire to be consulted on, and participate...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (26 Apr 2016)

Alex White: I understand that the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) wind atlas was developed as an information tool for Local Authorities to identify areas suitable for renewable energy in their County Development Plans and for developing their wind energy strategies. The SEAI wind atlas is available at . The wind atlas provides information on wind speeds in various areas around Ireland. It...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Incentives (26 Apr 2016)

Alex White: The White Paper on Energy Policy, published in December 2015, identifies the potential for solar technology in Ireland, including the development of Solar Photovoltaic (PV). It is widely recognised that Solar PV technology has become more cost competitive for electricity generation, not only compared with other renewables but also compared with conventional forms of generation. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan (26 Apr 2016)

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. On 29 September 2015, the Government agreed and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Speeds (26 Apr 2016)

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. The Broadband Intervention strategy for Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (26 Apr 2016)

Alex White: The provision of electronic communications infrastructure, including the significant investment required to make high speed telecommunication services publicly available, occurs within a fully liberalised market. It is a matter for the competing networks providers to decide those areas which can be served on a commercial basis, in the first instance. Intervention by the State is limited...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electric Vehicles (26 Apr 2016)

Alex White: The ESB, through its ecars programme, is continuing to roll out both publicly accessible charging infrastructure and domestic charge points. I am advised that 910 public charge-points have now been installed nationally. These include 78 DC fast chargers, most of which have been installed on major roads. The location of these charge-points is available on the ESB’s website at...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Internet Safety (26 Apr 2016)

Alex White: The Report of the Internet Content Governance Advisory Group was presented to Government in June 2014. A number of the recommendations in the report have been implemented or will be implemented having regard to evolving policy at EU level and across Government.  These include a number of the Report's recommendations that were administrative or general in nature, and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Prices (26 Apr 2016)

Alex White: The gas market is commercial, liberalised, competitive and it operates within national and European regulatory and legislative regimes. I have no statutory function in the setting or review of gas prices.  Responsibility for the regulation of the gas market is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is an independent statutory body,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Schemes (26 Apr 2016)

Alex White: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) operates a number of schemes on behalf of my Department to support energy efficiency improvements to homes. The Better Energy Homes scheme makes a range of grants available to home-owners who wish to improve the energy efficiency of their home, the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme offers free energy efficiency upgrades to those in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Industrial Disputes (27 Apr 2016)

Alex White: BT was awarded a contract in 2009 to operate the Emergency Call Answering Service (ECAS) following a public procurement process. I understand that BT has a contractual arrangement with Conduit Global Ltd. to assist in the delivery of the service.  The issues in question are a matter for Conduit Global in the first instance and it would not be appropriate for me to comment...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Communications Market Regulation (28 Apr 2016)

Alex White: The Commission for Communications Regulations (ComReg), the independent market regulator, has imposed a universal service obligation (USO) on eircom Limited (trading as “eir”) to provide a connection to its network, which is  capable of providing basic telephony services, including voice, fax and basic data access, if requested, at any fixed address in Ireland. Any...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Efficiency (4 May 2016)

Alex White: Provision and maintenance of public lighting is the responsibility of each individual local authority and in the case of motorways Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). In my role as Energy Minister, I have an interest in ensuring that the significant potential of public lighting to deliver energy efficiency is realised in pursuit of the 33% energy efficiency target for all public...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Efficiency (4 May 2016)

Alex White: Since 2009 the Better Energy programme, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department, has provided over €400 million for energy efficiency upgrades in almost 300,000 homes, supporting an average of 2,300 jobs per annum in the construction sector. The aim of the programme is to improve the energy efficiency of homes built prior to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Infrastructure (4 May 2016)

Alex White: The provision of fixed line electronic communications networks connections is undertaken on a commercial basis by competing networks providers. The Commission for Communications Regulations (ComReg), the independent market regulator, has imposed a universal service obligation (USO) on eircom Limited (trading as “eir”) to provide fixed line telephone services at...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan (4 May 2016)

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. The Broadband Intervention strategy for Ireland,...