Results 201-220 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (15 Dec 2015)

Alex White: My Department has been working with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, EirGrid and the Commission for Energy Regulation, to assess the costs and value of choosing the path towards 40% renewable electricity generation in 2020. Quantifying the costs and benefits of reaching our renewable energy obligations is a complex task involving the examination of many interrelated variables....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Post Office Network (15 Dec 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: Broadband Service Speeds (15 Dec 2015)

Alex White: The 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. Measuring speeds based on user experience, is challenging. Different...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Projects (15 Dec 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: Wind Energy Guidelines (15 Dec 2015)

Alex White: In December 2013, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government began a review of the existing Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The review focused on the specific issues of noise, proximity, and shadow flicker. It is set against the backdrop of the need to tackle global warming, reduce Ireland's reliance on fossil fuels, and meet our legally binding EU and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (15 Dec 2015)

Alex White: Under the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) Ireland set a target of improving energy efficiency by 20% by 2020. At the same time a more challenging target was set for the public sector of 33%. Significant progress is being made on energy efficiency in the public sector. The Annual Report on Public Sector Energy Efficiency Performance, which will be published by the Sustainable...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Efficiency (15 Dec 2015)

Alex White: One of the central themes in the Green Paper on Energy Policy, published in May 2014, is citizen empowerment. Since its publication, the Department undertook a public consultation process which included analysis of over 1,200 written submissions and thirteen stakeholder seminars on the various priority areas highlighted in the Green Paper. A recurring message coming from both the written...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (15 Dec 2015)

Alex White: Ireland has one refinery in Whitegate, Cork. While oil has been virtually eliminated from the electricity sector, Ireland is almost completely dependent on oil for fuel in the transport sector and is heavily reliant on oil for heating. All oil consumed in Ireland is imported (either as already refined product or as crude oil that is refined at Whitegate). The refinery supplies 30- 40% of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (15 Dec 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 Intervention...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Corrib Gas Field (15 Dec 2015)

Alex White: On 18 August, 2015, Shell E&P Ireland Limited submitted an application to my Department for consent to operate the Corrib Gas Pipeline pursuant to section 40 of the Gas Act, 1976, as amended. This application, which was supported by an Environmental Impact Statement and a Natura Impact Screening Statement, was the subject of a four week public consultation process. The views of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (15 Dec 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. Thereafter the future of the refinery is a commercial decision for the owners. The Government views the continued operation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (15 Dec 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: Electric Vehicle Grants (15 Dec 2015)

Alex White: The Electric Vehicle Grant Scheme supports and incentivises, through grants of up to €5,000, the deployment of electric vehicles in Ireland. These grants are in addition to the Vehicle Registration Tax reliefs of up to €5,000 which apply to electric vehicles. In addition, where technically feasible, customers who qualify for the grant also qualify for a free domestic charge...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Agencies (15 Dec 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 594 and 595 together. The Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA) was established in 2003 under the Digital Hub Development Agency Act 2003 to support digital entrepreneurship through the creation of a cluster of enterprises focussed on digital content and technology. The Digital Hub campus comprises a nine-acre site. Its property portfolio consists of a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (15 Dec 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Rural Broadband Scheme (15 Dec 2015)

Alex White: Ireland’s telecommunications market has been liberalised since 1999 and has developed into a well-regulated market, supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. The State is not a service provider and can only intervene, subject to EU competition rules, to ensure access to broadband services in areas where the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (15 Dec 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: Broadband Service Speeds (15 Dec 2015)

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 to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (15 Dec 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 that target, Ireland is committed to 40% of electricity demand from renewable sources. In 2014 8.6% of our energy consumption came from renewables, and renewables accounted for 22.7% of our electricity consumption. In...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (15 Dec 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 601 to 606, inclusive, together. 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...