Results 481-500 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Television Licence Fee Yield (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: Licence fee revenues are distributed in accordance with Section 123 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 in the following prescribed manner. From gross TV Licence fee receipts, my Department firstly deducts commission payable to An Post in respect of its role as issuing agent for TV licences. TG4 also currently receives €9.245m from the gross receipts. Following these deductions, 7% of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: North-South Interconnector (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: As the Deputy will be aware, EirGrid made a formal application for the North South Transmission Link Project to An Bord Pleanála on 9 June 2015. I am constrained, therefore, in what I can say in relation to the project other than the provision of factual information. The North South Transmission Link project is part of EirGrid’s Grid25 plan to upgrade the national electricity...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postal Codes (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The Comptroller and Auditor General, in his Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2014, included a chapter on the Development of Eircode, the National Postcode System. The C&AG made a number of key recommendations to my Department based on his findings in carrying out the review. The recommendations are in the following areas: - improved governance structures on projects;...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Charge (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The Programme for Government committed to examining the role and collection of the TV licence fee in light of existing and projected convergence of technologies and to transforming the TV licence into a household based Public Service Broadcasting Charge to be applied to all eligible households and applicable businesses, regardless of the device used to access content or services. The primary...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postal Codes (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The cost of the contract with Capita, who were awarded a ten year licence to develop and maintain the postcode system, is €27m, excluding VAT (€33.2m including VAT). The total spend to date on the postcodes project amounts to €19.5m, including VAT. Of this, Capita have been paid €17.5m on foot of delivery of agreed milestones. The bulk of this figure,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Policy (10 Nov 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 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (10 Nov 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: Renewable Energy Projects (10 Nov 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: Metropolitan Area Networks Programme (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The State-owned Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) have played an important role in driving competition in the regions and attracting foreign direct investment to the cities and towns where they are located. The MANs have facilitated large and small retail service providers, operating in a fully liberalised market, in providing high speed broadband services without having to build their own...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (10 Nov 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 this target, Ireland is committed to 40% of electricity demand from renewable sources, 12% renewables in the heating sector and 10% in transport. Ireland has made good progress with regard to renewable energy deployment. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The Independent Expert Panel considering EirGrid's Grid West and Grid Link projects was appointed on foot of a Government decision in January 2014. In line with the Government decision, the Panel was asked to oversee the integrity of a process to be undertaken by EirGrid to report on the Grid West and Grid Link projects. In May 2014 the Panel approved the Terms of Reference for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Biofuel Obligation Scheme (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I refer to the reply to Question No. 1124 of 3 November 2015. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Service Provision (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: Public service broadcasting is provided for in Part 7 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, which sets out the principal objects of the public service broadcasting corporations, RTÉ and TG4. These objects provide the companies' statutory mandates and reflect national policy on public service broadcasting. Principally, this includes the provision of national, free-to-air television and sound...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (10 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: Electricity Transmission Network (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The Independent Expert Panel considering EirGrid's Grid West and Grid Link projects was appointed on foot of a Government decision in January 2014. In line with the Government decision, the Panel was asked to oversee the integrity of a process to be undertaken by EirGrid to report on the Grid West and Grid Link projects. In May 2014 the Panel approved the Terms of Reference for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff Scheme Funding (10 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, biomass and wind. Small scale renewable generation is eligible to apply for support under the REFIT schemes....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Television Licence Fee Collection (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: Part 10 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 outlines the statutory basis for the Television Licence and the associated collection mechanisms. Section 145 of the Act designates An Post as the "issuing agent" of the Minister with regard to Television Licences and tasks them with collecting the licence fees. The Programme for Government committed to examining the role and collection of the TV licence...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Metropolitan Area Networks Programme (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) are State owned, open access, underground telecommunications networks, linking the main commercial and public buildings to “co-location centres” where service providers locate their telecommunications equipment and access the network. MANs are available to licensed telecoms providers to enable them offer high-speed broadband to their retail...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (10 Nov 2015)

Alex White: While I have no function in regard to the authorisation of wind farm developments, I can advise the Deputy that the construction of wind farms, as with any infrastructure project, is subject to national planning law and procedures and consultation as appropriate. It should be noted that the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, is fully compliant with the requirements of the Aarhus...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Nov 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...