Results 621-640 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: Legislation may not be necessary to address the issue of procurement. It may well be possible to deliver these modular homes without having to change the legislation.

Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The Deputy simply wants to throw around the idea of having emergency legislation so that he can utter the word "emergency" as often as he possibly can in the course of this question. What we are doing is actually addressing the problem. We are delivering solutions. The Deputies opposite have no solutions and no proposals other than attack.

Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: As the Deputy acknowledged at the outset, announcements have been made in respect of the restoration of those important buildings on Moore Street. I think the announcements that the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and the Government have made will do justice to the historical importance of the buildings and the site for the people of Dublin and Ireland. That is the way we should proceed in...

Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: First of all, it is not acceptable that in Ireland in 2015 we have families living in emergency accommodation. It is not acceptable to the Government, the Oireachtas or the people.

Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: That is a shared perspective on the fact that we have a serious problem here.

Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: As the Deputy well knows, many of the problems stem from a chronic lack of supply of housing, which is causing knock-on problems across the property market and the wider society, including renters, first-time buyers and low-income households. What we have to do is take action to resolve it, as the Deputy is calling for. That is what this Government is doing. As the House will be aware, the...

Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: This issue is an extremely challenging problem for the Government and nobody is making light of that for one moment. However, it has to be addressed through practical, systematic measures taken by the Government and the Minister, Deputy Kelly, in particular, to ensure that we address this difficult and challenging problem.

Leaders' Questions (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: The Government is doing that and we will deliver the answers that are required in terms of bringing these issues to a conclusion.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Prices (8 Oct 2015)

Alex White: Responsibility for the regulation of the gas market is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) which is the independent energy regulator. CER's regulation of the gas market is legally underpinned by the Gas (Interim) (Regulation) Act 2002, as amended. Prices are set competitively by suppliers and the CER carries out its statutory market monitoring functions under S.I. No. 463...

Seanad: Broadcasting and Media in Ireland: Statements (7 Oct 2015)

Alex White: I thank the Seanad for the invitation to address the House. Public service broadcasting is provided for in Part 7 of the Broadcasting Act 2009. The Act sets out the principal objects of the public service broadcasting corporations, RTE and TG4. These objects provide the companies' statutory mandates and reflect national policy on public service broadcasting. They include the specific...

Seanad: Broadcasting and Media in Ireland: Statements (7 Oct 2015)

Alex White: In the time left.

Seanad: Broadcasting and Media in Ireland: Statements (7 Oct 2015)

Alex White: An bhfuil TG4 nó Raidió na Gaeltachta i gceist ag an Seanadóir?

Seanad: Broadcasting and Media in Ireland: Statements (7 Oct 2015)

Alex White: I have listened carefully to what my colleagues have said. There have been some extremely interesting insights which will be very helpful to me in terms of surveying the legislative environment that exists and considering what type of changes it would be appropriate to make. In the first instance, there is a philosophical debate about public service broadcasting. Although all of the...

Seanad: Broadcasting and Media in Ireland: Statements (7 Oct 2015)

Alex White: So I understand, but it is not a proposition that has really featured.

Seanad: Broadcasting and Media in Ireland: Statements (7 Oct 2015)

Alex White: Personally, I believe it would be a huge pity if we decided to alter the perspective that all parties and people who are not members of any parties have always had on public service broadcasting. They have always recognised the importance of having, as Senator Whelan described it, the public service broadcaster - and, of course, it is not peculiar to it - stand up for high standards, strong...

Seanad: Broadcasting and Media in Ireland: Statements (7 Oct 2015)

Alex White: That is very good. People have put that on the agenda and as far as I am concerned it is very much on the agenda. That is the idea for, as it were, seeing if there are ways the overhead could be reduced. The other option is whether there are ways of channelling more money to the commercial broadcasters. This is where we get to the proposal or argument that more of the licence fee should...

Seanad: Broadcasting and Media in Ireland: Statements (7 Oct 2015)

Alex White: I can take it there is consensus on there being no interest in the licence fee increasing. That being the case, therefore, the pot of funding is a limited one, until such time as we manage to enhance compliance and bring in more money.

Seanad: Broadcasting and Media in Ireland: Statements (7 Oct 2015)

Alex White: Indeed.

Seanad: Broadcasting and Media in Ireland: Statements (7 Oct 2015)

Alex White: That is right. In fairness to Senator Mulcahy, and in the spirit of debating the matter with him, I do not wish to sound like I am being remotely dismissive of any of the issues being raised but a temporary reduction in funding means a temporary reduction in services. It affects staff, jobs, programmes and services, what goes and for how long it should go. It means all of those things. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Estimates for Public Services 2015: Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (7 Oct 2015)

Alex White: I thank the Chairman for the opportunity to appear before it this morning. I can confirm that my Department welcomes the guidelines. With my colleagues, I have had an opportunity to consider the guidelines of which we are aware, the so-called New Zealand guidelines. They are welcome in terms of having a baseline for setting output based performance targets. I know it is the committee's...