Results 1,261-1,280 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Hydraulic Fracturing (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: I would like to clarify in the first instance that the multi-agency trans-boundary programme of research on the potential impacts on the environment and human health from Unconventional Gas Exploration & Extraction projects/operations has been commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Programme is managed by the EPA and co-funded by the EPA, my Department and the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020, to be achieved through 40% renewables in electricity, 12% in heat and 10% in transport. In 2013, 7.8% of Ireland’s overall energy requirement was met by renewable energy with 5.7% of heat demand being met from renewable sources. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: One of the central themes in the Green Paper on Energy Policy, published in May 2014, is citizen empowerment. Since its publication my Department undertook a public consultation process which included: (i) analysis of over 1200 written submissions and (ii) a series of stakeholder seminars on the various priority areas in the Green Paper. The seminars covered various topics including...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: The recent appointments to the Compliance Committee, a statutory Committee of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, were made by the Government in accordance with Section 8 of the Broadcasting Act 2009. The appointment of members to the Compliance Committee does not come within the new arrangements on Appointments to State Boards.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Prices (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: The European Commission recently published the Energy Union Package, A Framework Strategy for a Resilient Energy Union with a Forward-Looking Climate Change Package. The package andaccompanying suite of documents are published at . These documents set out the European Union policy to achieve secure, sustainable competitive and affordable energy for all EU energy customers, household and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Policy (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: Ireland’s energy policies recognise the importance of waste as an energy resource and both the Alternative Energy Requirement and Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff schemes support electricity generated from anaerobic digestion, landfill gas and the biodegradable element of municipal solid waste. The process of identifying the renewable energy technologies to be supported considered the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Better Energy Communities Programme (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: The Better Energy Communities Programme, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) offers grant support for projects that deliver efficiency improvements to a combination of homes, community facilities and businesses in a local community. Partnerships are sought between the public and private sectors, domestic and non-domestic sectors, including commercial and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Post Office Network (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: I note the recent publication of the 6-point plan by the Irish Postmasters’ Union. It aligns with this Government’s consistent message that a strong, modern and commercially viable post office network, that is responsive to changing consumer choices, is essential for urban and rural communities alike. Taking account of changes in technology and general retail behaviour,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff Scheme Eligiblity (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: The Renewable Electricity Feed-in Tariff (REFIT) schemes are the principal means of supporting renewable electricity generators for renewable energy exported to the grid. The schemes operate by guaranteeing a minimum price for renewable energy generation over a 15 year period. The technologies supported include onshore wind, hydro, landfill gas, waste-to-energy and biomass technologies,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (28 Apr 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: National Broadband Plan Implementation (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 451 and 452 together. Through the National Broadband Plan, the Government 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....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Post Office Network (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: Matters relating to the post office network, including the closure of post offices, are an operational matter for the Board and management of An Post and one in which I have no statutory function.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Trading Online Voucher Scheme (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: The Trading Online Voucher Scheme, which was launched nationally on 1 July 2014, is a key initiative under the Government’s National Digital Strategy and the Action Plan for Jobs. Funding was made available in my Department's Vote in 2014 and again in 2015 to meet commitments arising under the Scheme. Drawdown of expenditure is made by Enterprise Ireland on behalf of the 31 Local...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Postal Codes (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: The General Scheme of the Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Amendment Bill 2015 was approved by Government in February. The Bill is currently being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. It is my intention to bring the Bill to Government for approval to publish when the drafting process has been completed. The dissemination phase of the project will commence in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (28 Apr 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: Energy Prices (28 Apr 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. The Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy has been in place since 2001 and is the overall support mechanism for generation designed for security of supply purposes, including peat generation, and for the development of renewable electricity....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Job Losses (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: While the matter raised by the Deputy is an operational one for the management team at Bord na Móna, and not one in which I, as Minister, have any function, it is a matter of concern to me, my Department has raised the issue in relation peat production with the management team at Bord na Móna and I am advised that the temporary cessation of peat briquette production is confined to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (28 Apr 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: Telecommunications Services Provision (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: Ireland's telecommunications market has been fully liberalised since 1999. It has since developed into a well-regulated market, supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. A report on the “State of Broadband” published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Generation (28 Apr 2015)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 462 and 463 together. The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. A well balanced fuel mix that provides reliable energy, minimises costs and protects against supply disruptions and price volatility, is essential to Irish consumers. Provisional...