Results 941-960 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Other Questions: Hydraulic Fracturing Policy (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: There is no prospect of there being any developments in this area for quite some considerable time. The Environmental Protection Agency commissioned study is under way. It will not report before the middle of 2016. I would have thought that at that stage we would require a significant period either for me or whoever has the honour of being in this position as Minister to review and...

Other Questions: Hydraulic Fracturing (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: We will have to part company on the science. Perhaps I am naive, but I think the science stands on its own. Scientific evidence is important to policy making. As a policy maker, the Minister of the day will make a decision based on the best available advice and evidence and will come to the House to account for it. It will be at least another year before the EPA's findings emerge. We...

Other Questions: Hydraulic Fracturing (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: The Deputy has noted that CDM Smith Ireland Limited and its sub-consultants signed a conflict of interest declaration as part of the tender documentation. The declaration stated it had no conflict that would impair its ability to meet the requirements as specified, whether through personal interest, current or prospective contractual obligations or any other activity or association.

Other Questions: Energy Conservation (16 Jun 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. My Department is working on a new energy policy White Paper which will set out Ireland’s energy policy up to 2030. I aim to publish the White Paper in October. In regard to its energy efficiency aspects, eliminating waste and the...

Other Questions: Hydraulic Fracturing (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: I do not know who said that. It was not me.

Other Questions: Hydraulic Fracturing (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: While I understand what the Deputy is saying, I respectfully disagree with him when he says there is no need to have the matter researched. We should have it researched here and have expert scientific evidence available to us in this jurisdiction. That is why the EPA has commissioned the study. The science is critical and there is a consortium of parties involved - I read out the list -...

Other Questions: Wind Energy Guidelines (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: Work and analysis are ongoing in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in conjunction with my Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland on the review of wind energy guidelines. No firm decisions have yet been taken, but it is hoped to finalise the review in the very near future. I understand the concerns the Deputy has raised about the perceived...

Other Questions: Wind Energy Guidelines (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: I do not wish to mislead the Deputy or anybody in the House, nor would I, in suggesting it is days or weeks, but the matter is being actively considered by the two Departments with a view to publication of the guidelines by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. That will give the Deputy an understanding of the issue.

Other Questions: Hydraulic Fracturing (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: I thank the Deputy for his question which relates to a motion passed by Leitrim County Council. While I have received communication from the county council, as outlined in the Deputy's question, I would comment as follows on the appointment of CDM Smith and the involvement of that company in the multi-agency trans-boundary programme of research commissioned by the EPA on the potential...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Post Office Network (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: That is exactly one of the things we need to do and it is uppermost in our minds. The shift towards electronic payments, as recognised by the IPU, needs to be made to enable the post office network to compete with the banks and in order that the post office network can be as good in transacting this business as any other outlet. The Deputy is right in that regard. This illustrates the...

Other Questions: Wind Energy Guidelines (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: The wind energy development guidelines provide guidance for planning authorities on planning for wind energy projects by ensuring consistency of approach in the identification of suitable locations for wind energy developments and the treatment of planning applications throughout the country for such developments and assisting developers and the wider public in considering wind energy...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: Is the Deputy referring to this particular project?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: No, it would not.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Post Office Network (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: Postal services play an important communications role, serving the needs of domestic and business customers alike. However, the postal sector is undergoing systemic change with migration towards electronic communications, resulting in significant core mail volume decline year-on-year. It is Government policy that An Post remain a strong and viable company, in a position to provide a high...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Post Office Network (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: I understand that the Department of Social Protection recently amended its old age pension application forms to reorder the list of payment options available to new beneficiaries, putting EFT payment first and relegating payment via the post office second. This is because electronic payment is often more convenient for recipients, as well as being cheaper for the Department to process. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: Any of the timeline indications I have given to the House have so far been maintained. The Deputy is right in saying that the big hard stops will be the procurement process late in the year, in November and December. The next stage is to bring the intervention strategy to Cabinet, I hope in July, the pre-notification process to DG Competition and then to get on to the procurement...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: That is my intention. I can say in good faith to the Deputy that nothing has changed since the last time we had this engagement in the House that would make me believe there would be any issue with November-December. In other words, what I know now, I knew the last time we had this conversation here. We are on course to get to procurement by the end of the year, November-December, as I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Telecommunications Infrastructure (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: There are constraints on State intervention and in funding or subsidising activity other than in circumstances where there is clear market failure, as the Deputy is well aware. That said, he raises an interesting issue about infrastructure that is already in place and asks if it is being used in the way intended for which funding was provided. I take his point. As I said in my introductory...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: The national broadband plan aims to ensure every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. In tandem with commercial developments, intensive work is under way in my Department to progress a State-led investment to secure the country-wide introduction of next generation broadband access. On 24 November last, a public consultation...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Energy Policy (16 Jun 2015)

Alex White: I take the point. As we migrate to a decarbonised economy here and elsewhere in Europe, we must always remember that there is a cost associated with these changes. Those costs must be discharged, regardless of whether it is directly from the Exchequer or from the consumer, industry or business. The cost must land somewhere in the system and the economy. The Deputy makes a fair point that...