Results 561-580 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Radio Broadcasting (20 Oct 2015)

Alex White: RTE is an independent national public service broadcaster whose remit and obligations are set out in Section 114 of the Broadcasting Act 2009. Section 98 provides that the company shall be independent in the pursuance of these objects, subject to the requirements of the Act and as such, I, as Minister, have no function in the management of RTÉ’s day to day affairs including...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (20 Oct 2015)

Alex White: I understand that in August 2014 Ofgem, the electricity regulator in Great Britain (GB), established an assessment process for applications from promoters of electricity interconnectors for access to GB’s Cap and Floor regime, which is the regulatory support mechanism for interconnector development. Subsequently, Element Power Ltd submitted an application to Ofgem for access to the Cap...

Financial Resolutions 2016 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (14 Oct 2015)

Alex White: He used to ask me whether we were only going to do this up to the age of age six because if that was the case, he was not with us. He told me that he needed me to tell him that it was not just a measure up to age six and that we should go up to 12 and onwards. I used to tell him that was our intention. Here we are being true to the commitment we gave, and the commitment I gave to Deputy...

Financial Resolutions 2016 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (14 Oct 2015)

Alex White: Where is the money for energy efficiency schemes? There is nothing. It is all talk and cliché. Sinn Féin has run out of road.

Financial Resolutions 2016 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (14 Oct 2015)

Alex White: Tired old cliches like "helping the well heeled" and "small minority at the top" are no substitute for analysis. The Deputies opposite are capable of much more than the cliches they have served up in the last 20 minutes or so. Listening to the Opposition speakers and particularly to Sinn Féin on this occasion, although the same applied to some of the Fianna Fáil speakers earlier...

Financial Resolutions 2016 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (14 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The notion that nothing is happening - Deputy Crowe's suggestion that it is an entire failure - demonstrates how devoid of credibility the Sinn Féin Party is. The only way to be credible is to base what one says on the facts, not to recycle speeches from last year and the year before. Some of the speakers from Fianna Fáil were doing the same. Deputy Michael McGrath, who led for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Fuel Prices (14 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The Irish oil sector is completely privatised, liberalised and deregulated. There is free entry into the market and it is Government policy to encourage price competition and consumer choice. As such, I have no function in the setting of fuel prices. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC, under the aegis of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation) has a role in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Mobile Telephony Services Provision (14 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The provision of mobile phone networks and services is undertaken by telecommunications service providers operating in a fully liberalised market under licences provided by the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg. ComReg apply terms and conditions on Mobile Network Operators which are attached to the licences. Decisions in relation to such terms and conditions, including...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (13 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The Government’s draft Intervention Strategy was published for public consultation on 15 July 2015. It sets out the key elements of the intervention - what services are proposed and how they will be delivered. It outlines various aspects of the proposed intervention including the type of network envisaged, the minimum speeds being demanded, the length of the contract for services, and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Building Regulations (13 Oct 2015)

Alex White: Planning policy is a matter for the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government. I therefore have no power to issue directions to Local Authorities on any aspect of planning and building rules and policies. My Department does, however, monitor issues which may act as barriers to the deployment of broadband services. In this regard, my Department has indicated to the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (13 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is a Government initiative which aims to deliver high speed broadband to every citizen and business in Ireland. This is being achieved through a combination of accelerated commercial investment by telecoms operators, and a proposed State intervention to provide high speed broadband to those parts of the country where the commercial sector will not invest....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Production (13 Oct 2015)

Alex White: In the context of the forthcoming energy policy paper, my Department is considering the optimal fuel mix, including the role of renewable energy, for Ireland. The Green Paper on Energy Policy, inter alia, sought feedback on the role that alternative technologies, such as solar, could play in delivering our renewable energy ambitions. Views received will be taken into consideration in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Bord na Móna (13 Oct 2015)

Alex White: Bord na Móna is a commercial State company operating under the Turf Development Acts 1946 to 1998. The matters raised by the Deputy are operational in nature and are not ones in which I, as Minister, have any function. Bord na Móna is facing significant business challenges in the context of the increasingly competitive and challenging environments across all its business areas....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Expenditure (13 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The proposed State intervention under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) represents a very significant capital investment project for the State. Section 7.5 of the draft intervention strategy which I published for public consultation on 15 July last deals in some detail with issues related to project costs. On 29 September last, the Government approved an allocation of €275m for the...

Topical Issue Debate: Rural Broadband Scheme (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin for raising this matter. The Government recognises that high-speed broadband network deployment is of strategic importance for growth and innovation in all sectors of Ireland's economy and society. On 29 September last, the Government approved an allocation of €275 million for the national broadband plan which will provide the initial stimulus...

Topical Issue Debate: Rural Broadband Scheme (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: I will complete the picture. Following the completion of a mapping exercise this time last year, I published an interactive map that allows any citizen or public representative to go online and see what areas of the country are to be covered by the private sector and what areas require State intervention. Areas in the latter category are depicted in an amber colour on the map, which can be...

Order of Business (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: In respect of the independent children's rapporteur, I will have to respond later to the Deputy. It is not a legislative matter but I will do what I can to try to ensure that the Deputy gets that information.

Order of Business (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: In relation to legislation, there was only one issue in the Deputy's intervention-----

Order of Business (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: -----and that was in relation to the bankruptcy Bill. The Taoiseach expressed enthusiasm and I support the Taoiseach's enthusiasm in that regard.

Sentencing Council Bill 2015: First Stage (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: No.