Results 241-260 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Relations Contracts Data (8 Dec 2015)

Alex White: My Departmental remit includes complex policy areas, oversight of State regulation and service provision across key strategic services such as energy and public broadcasting, and regulation of sectors such as mining and hydrocarbon exploration. Given the technical complexity, economic significance and community interest in these areas, there is a requirement to disseminate information and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Relations Contracts Data (8 Dec 2015)

Alex White: My Department administers a very diverse, complex and technical brief across critical and strategic sectors of the Irish economy. While it has a total complement of around 250 full time equivalent staff of whom a number are technical personnel, the technical, commercial, legal complexity and evolving nature of sectors with which the Department deals requires access to external professional...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Ministerial Advisers Data (8 Dec 2015)

Alex White: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table: Year Minister No of Advisors Total Salary paid including employers PRSI (2011-2015 to date) 2011 Mr Eamonn Ryan TD(1/1/11-23/1/11) Mr Conor Lenihan TD(1/1/11-9/3/11) Mr Pat Rabbitte TD (10/3/11 -31/12/11) 2 1 2 28,682.30 28,363.52 131,547.10 2012 Mr Pat Rabbitte TD 2 200,181.22 2013 Mr Pat Rabbitte TD 2...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (8 Dec 2015)

Alex White: In the last 18 months, the Department has received enquiries from a variety of owners and operators of small, medium and large scale (existing and proposed) leisure and other facilities. The nature of the enquiries has focussed mainly on the likely impact of roll-out of the Intervention Strategy on specific areas in Ireland. Officials from the Department facilitated a meeting request from...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (8 Dec 2015)

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, in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Policy (8 Dec 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 Public Service Obligation (PSO) Levy, which is a charge on all electricity customers, is determined by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). Details of the levy in the CER PSO Decisions papers at This PSO levy has two very...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (8 Dec 2015)

Alex White: The 2014 Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) sets out Government policy in relation to the sustainable development of Ireland's abundant offshore renewable energy resource. The Strategic Environmental Assessment carried out for the OREDP found that 4,500 MW of offshore wind and 1,500 MW of wave and tidal generation could be sustainably developed in Irish waters, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Legal Costs (8 Dec 2015)

Alex White: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to my Department is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible. In relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department, this is an operational matter for each body. My Department will ask the bodies in question to supply the information directly to the Deputy.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: It is an administrative transfer.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: Yes, that is correct.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: We are dealing with better energy communities there.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: Yes.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: It arises from the fact that we had revenue from extra data sales and the exploration licensing programme. We are in a position to reinvest these moneys.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: There are some savings with metropolitan area networks, MANs, which gave rise to the €2.5 million underspend. In regard to MANs phase 1, this allocation is required to provide for any possible additional claim arising from a dispute from between Sligo County Council and the works contractor. There were no further developments in 2015 and the dispute is ongoing. The moneys will be...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: I cannot give the Deputy an exact indication. However, it is a good and valuable project on which I hope to see good progress in the early part of next year.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: The undertakings were given and announced by private operators in the commercial sector. I agree with the Deputy that when undertakings are given and plans laid out, it is unsatisfactory if they are not completed within the timescale indicated. As he is aware, what we have done is map the country between the commercial sector and where there has been State intervention and the test in the...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: It will happen some time next year. As the Deputy indicated, there has been an delay in that regard, which is the reason the moneys have not been spent in 2015. I hope we will see good progress early in 2016 as it is a great project.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Energy Policy: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: I thank the Chairman and the members of the joint committee for inviting me here to discuss Ireland's energy policy. I acknowledge that at its meeting on Tuesday, 24 November, the joint committee focused on the topics that were to be addressed at the EU Council of Energy Ministers meeting later that week. The main topic of that meeting was energy union. I welcome the opportunity today to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Energy Policy: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: I thank Deputy Moynhihan. With regard to wind, as I said in my opening statement onshore wind has demonstrated its value and cost-effectiveness. That is clear and the information and data are available to prove that. We have installed wind generation capacity of just under 2,400 MW. The provisional 2014 figure indicates that 18.2% of electricity demand was met by wind generation. Almost...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Energy Policy: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (3 Dec 2015)

Alex White: There were reductions last winter and it is not true to say the gap is a year. I had a close engagement with the suppliers last winter and, indeed, with the regulator and it was explained to me that because of the manner in which supplies of oil and gas are acquired, the companies use a hedging mechanism. In fact, gas is the more relevant to our discussion. They buy ahead at a price they...