Results 521-540 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (5 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: Broadband Service Provision (5 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 (5 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I understand that under the compensation arrangements which EirGrid has in place, landowners with a 110kV or 220kV line erected through their land are entitled to compensation. As each case is assessed on its own merits, there is no overall standard compensation rate that applies. I also understand that annual mast interference payments are issued to compensate farmers or landowners for the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (4 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: Broadband Service Provision (4 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 254, 257 and 258 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 commercial...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (4 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The 2009 Renewable Energy Directive sets all Member States a binding target that at least 10% of the energy used in the transport sector must come from renewable sources by 2020. Ireland aims to meet this target mainly through the use of sustainable biofuels with electric vehicles also making a contribution. The Biofuels Obligation Scheme was introduced in July 2010 as the primary means...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Bord na Móna (4 Nov 2015)

Alex White: Bord na Móna is a commercial State company operating under the Turf Development Acts 1946 to 1998. The matter raised by the Deputy is operational in nature and not one in which I, as Minister, have any function. I have noted the decision of the High Court in this matter. Separately, I understand that there are matters before An Bord Pleanála relevant to this issue. In the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (4 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The High Speed Broadband Map 2016, published on 24th November 2014 () was developed by my Department to establish the National Broadband Plan (NBP) Intervention Areas. This Map shows where access to high speed broadband services provided on a commercial basis are expected to be in place by the end of 2016 and where the Government may intervene to enable access to high speed broadband. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Staff Data (4 Nov 2015)

Alex White: Some 6% of staff in this Department have indicated that they possess Irish language skills. Supports are available should the Department need to improve the level of Irish available. The Department does not have significant direct engagement with the public and therefore, there is no requirement for the provision of other minority languages. If this changes, the requirement for minority...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Funding (4 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Fisheries Protection (4 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 to 264, inclusive, together. I am advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland as follows in relation to surveys. The Barrow and Suir Rivers and the Waterford Estuary were examined during a number of surveys in 2009 and 2011. Two locations on the Suir were surveyed in 2009, one upstream of the bridge in Waterford city and one downstream with a total catch of 1,888...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (3 Nov 2015)

Alex White: My Department is in regular contact with Phillips 66, the company operating the refinery at Whitegate, and officials have met recently with both management and union representatives. In the last year I have met with Irish and US executives of Phillips 66 and I visited the refinery in November 2014. My most recent engagement with union representatives was a fortnight ago. In 2013 Phillips...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Budgets (3 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I refer the Deputy to the tables hereunder which provide details broken down by sector of: 1. total estimated 2015 expenditure in my Department at the beginning of this year; 2. actual 2015 expenditure in my Department to the end of Q3 2015; and 3. total estimated 2016 expenditure It is not possible to provide the Deputy with a precise estimate of end year expenditure in 2015 at this point,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Lansdowne Road Agreement (3 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The 2016 allocation for my Department and its Agencies to meet the pay and pension increases from the Lansdowne Road Agreement is €72,000. In addition, appropriation-in-aid receipts for my Department will be reduced by €885,000 reflecting lower Pension Related (Pension Levy) deductions from salaries. The overall allocation for my Department in 2016 has increased by 4.2% compared...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Appointments to State Boards (3 Nov 2015)

Alex White: There have been 174 appointments to State Boards under the aegis of my Department in the period 7 March 2011 to date. 34 of these were from among individuals who submitted Expressions of Interest or who applied under the revised arrangements set out in the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards which were published in November 2014. It should be noted that some 48% of the appointments...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Biofuel Obligation Scheme (3 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1124 and 1126 together. The 2009 Renewable Energy Directive sets all Member States a binding target that at least 10% of the energy used in the transport sector must come from renewable sources by 2020. Ireland aims to meet this target mainly through the use of sustainable biofuels with electric vehicles also making a contribution. In this regard, biofuels...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postal Codes (3 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The most comprehensive address database available in the country is the postal address database, which is owned by GeoDirectory, a subsidiary company of An Post and Ordnance Survey Ireland. Eircode uses the addresses from this database in the Eircode finder and used the postal address to ensure delivery of the Eircode letter. Eircode does not have the right to change postal address data on...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Emergency Services Personnel (3 Nov 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1128 and 1129 together. BT Ireland has operated the Emergency Call Answering Service (ECAS) on behalf of my Department under a concession agreement since July 2010 and is responsible for the conditions and resourcing of the Service. BT employ a third party contractor, Conduit Ireland Ltd, to provide operators to answer calls. Operators at ECAS call answering...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Post Office Network (3 Nov 2015)

Alex White: The Post Office Network Business Development Group, whose remit is to examine the potential from existing and new Government and commercial business that could be transacted through the post office network, presented its initial report to me in May 2015. In summary, the initial report outlined that the future of the post office network would be best secured by seeking out opportunities in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Security of the Elderly (3 Nov 2015)

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 Regulation (ComReg) has intervened in the market and designated eir as a universal service provider of basic electronic communications connections at any fixed location, if requested. Eir is also obliged to provide...