Results 1,101-1,120 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (14 May 2015)

Alex White: The Deputy will be aware that the Independent Expert Panel established in January 2014 is overseeing the integrity of the process being undertaken by EirGrid to report on the Grid West and Grid Link projects. The EirGrid reports are required to be comprehensive, route-specific studies of overhead and underground options for the projects. They must also be complete, comparable (overhead line...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Gas Grid (14 May 2015)

Alex White: On 27 March 2015 Eirgrid published, for public comment, a discussion paper on Ireland's grid development strategy - "Your Grid, Your Views, Your Tomorrow.". The paper, which reviews, inter alia, the Grid Link, Grid West, and North South Transmission Line projects, confirms that Ireland’s energy transmission needs may be met with reduced new infrastructure because of technological...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postal Codes (14 May 2015)

Alex White: The up-to-date position in relation to the eircodes project is set out in reply to Question No. 210 of 7 May 2015. The correspondence to my Department referred to in the Question was dated 17 April and 30 April 2015. A reply issued from my Department on 8 May.

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

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 202 together. The ESB General Employees' Superannuation Defined Benefit Scheme is a contributory pension scheme through which pensions for the majority of employees in the electricity business are funded. The fund is vested in trustees nominated by ESB and its members for the sole benefit of employees, former employees and their dependents. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (12 May 2015)

Alex White: The National Broadband Plan is delivering high speed broadband to every home and business in Ireland regardless of its location. This is being achieved through a partnership between Government and commercial telecommunications companies.The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services with approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Projects (12 May 2015)

Alex White: The EU's 2020 targets for emissions reduction, renewable energy and energy efficiency form a cornerstone of EU energy policy. The EU aims to deliver a 20% improvement in energy efficiency, a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions and 20% of our energy coming from renewable sources by 2020. The Government’s 2020 strategy is set firmly in the global and European contexts. Our objectives...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Bodies (12 May 2015)

Alex White: The Government, on completion of a wide ranging review of State Bodies, published its decision on the rationalisation of such Bodies in November 2012. In relation to my Department, the Ordnance Survey of Ireland (OSI) will be merged with the Property Registration Authority and the Valuation Office which will, this year, see it transfer to the Department of Justice and Equality, who are...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (12 May 2015)

Alex White: I refer to the reply to Question No. 579 of 6 May. As I outlined in that reply, the map available at my Department’s website shows the areas that will have access to high speed broadband by commercial operators and the target areas for the proposed State Intervention. The reply also indicated that, in addition, the website provides detailed information on over 50,000 townlands in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Vacancies on State Boards (12 May 2015)

Alex White: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the attached table. In line with the Government's new arrangements for appointments to State Boards, all appointments are advertised through stateboards.ie,except where other processes are in place as specified in Section 9 of the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards (November 2014). Suitable candidates are identified following an...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (12 May 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 612 and 613 together. The National Broadband Plan is delivering high speed broadband to every home and business in Ireland regardless of its location. This is being achieved through a partnership between Government and commercial telecommunications companies. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Policy (12 May 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. A new Energy Policy Paper which will set out Ireland’s energy policy up to 2030 is being developed. To facilitate the development of the new Policy Paper, a Green Paper on Energy Policy in Ireland was published in May 2014 commencing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (12 May 2015)

Alex White: The National Broadband Plan is delivering high speed broadband to every home and business in Ireland regardless of its location. This is being achieved through a partnership between Government and commercial telecommunications companies. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services with...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (12 May 2015)

Alex White: The National Broadband Plan is delivering high speed broadband to every home and business in Ireland regardless of its location. This is being achieved through a partnership between Government and commercial telecommunications companies. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services with...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (12 May 2015)

Alex White: The National Broadband Plan is delivering high speed broadband to every home and business in Ireland regardless of its location. This is being achieved through a partnership between Government and commercial telecommunications companies. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services with...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (12 May 2015)

Alex White: As part of the detailed planning phase of the National Broadband Plan, my officials continue to engage with a wide range of industry and stakeholder groups.This engagement process also included a recent meeting with a representative of the company referred to in the Deputy's question. The meeting afforded my officials an opportunity to outline the scope and detail behind the proposed State...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Cyberbullying Issues (7 May 2015)

Alex White: I thank Senator Lorraine Higgins for raising this matter. The pervasive use of social media together with the rise of connected mobile devices has created a new and unique set of challenges for individuals and Government. The issues are complex. The Internet is difficult to regulate and a balance must be struck between preserving freedom of expression online and protecting all our citizens...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Cyberbullying Issues (7 May 2015)

Alex White: I do not disagree with the Senator. We need to find the most appropriate instruments, which requires consideration and care as to how we proceed. I can always understand frustration over the time it can take for decisions to be made. I again draw the Senator's attention to the extensive recommendations in the ICGAG report, which is a very strong report in many respects. It requires me to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Sector Pensions (7 May 2015)

Alex White: The ESB General Employees’ Superannuation Scheme is the scheme through which pensions for the majority of employees in the electricity business are funded. The fund is vested in trustees nominated by ESB and its members for the sole benefit of employees and their dependents. The Scheme is a defined benefit scheme and is registered as such with the Pensions Authority (formerly the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (7 May 2015)

Alex White: Last November I published a national high speed coverage map for 2016 as part of the National Broadband Plan. This map is available at . The areas marked BLUE represent those areas that will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end of 2016 and represents 70% of the premises in Ireland. The AMBER areas show the target areas for the State intervention and represents 30%...