Results 1,481-1,500 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Communications (18 Feb 2015)

Alex White: My Department has been pro-active in promoting the use of plain language to improve engagement and communications with customers (citizens and businesses), as part of the process to improve customer service delivery advocated under the Public Service Reform Plan. Training was provided by the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) to Department staff in May 2013. NALA has developed a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (18 Feb 2015)

Alex White: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) provides a range of business supports to both large industry and SMEs. Companies wishing to develop renewable energy projects can avail of grant support for investment in renewable energy installations, including microgeneration, under the Better Energy Communities schemes. In addition small scale renewable generation is eligible to apply...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Postcode System Implementation (18 Feb 2015)

Alex White: I am aware of the concerns of the organisation in question regarding the development of the National Postcode System, such concerns primarily relating to the Eircode design. The design of the Eircode followed a public procurement process. During that process a range of options for the postcode structure were evaluated. That evaluation process, together with stakeholder engagement which...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (18 Feb 2015)

Alex White: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (17 Feb 2015)

Alex White: Grid25 comprises over 100 projects ranging from large projects such as Grid West, Grid Link and the North South Transmission Line, to smaller projects, station works and upgrades of existing transmission lines around Ireland. EirGrid reviews all projects at regular intervals. The overall Grid25 Strategy was forecast to cost up to €4 billion at its launch in 2007. In the 2010 review...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (17 Feb 2015)

Alex White: In January 2014, my predecessor established an Independent Expert Panel to oversee preparation by EirGrid of the comprehensive, route specific studies and reports of fully undergrounded and overhead options for the Grid West and Grid Link projects. The studies and reports are to include assessments of potential environmental impacts, technical efficacy and cost factors. In due course, the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (17 Feb 2015)

Alex White: My Department does not monitor the productivity or output of wind farms as this is not a matter in which I, as Minister, have a role or function. EirGrid, in its role as electricity Transmission System Operator, monitors the output of windfarms on a continuous basis. EirGrid’s website provides historic information on the total electrical output of all wind farms on the system at 15...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (17 Feb 2015)

Alex White: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (17 Feb 2015)

Alex White: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Warmer Homes Scheme Eligibility (17 Feb 2015)

Alex White: I have read the correspondence provided by the Deputy and have set out below the means available to my Department to provide support in the very difficult circumstances outlined. There may be additional supports available through the Department of Social Protection, the HSE and the local authorities that the Deputy may wish to pursue. The Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme, funded by my...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Postcode System Expenditure (17 Feb 2015)

Alex White: As my Department does not have extensive customer databases, it is expected that the work to be carried out and associated costs will not be significant and that Eircode enablement will be done as part of day to day software upgrades.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Mental Health Awareness (12 Feb 2015)

Alex White: My Department is fully supportive of the promotion of positive mental health. However this Department currently confines itself to flying the National and EU flags in line with current protocols. Any change to this protocol from the Protocol and General Division of the Department of the Taoiseach will be followed by my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Tax Reliefs Availability (12 Feb 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.There have been two REFIT schemes that provide support to onshore wind: the REFIT 1 scheme for which state aid...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Mining Industry (12 Feb 2015)

Alex White: As the term “natural resources” covers a wide range of activity, the question is too broad in scope to allow a complete response from me. I propose therefore to reply only in relation to hydrocarbons and mining which are in my remit. Profits from Ireland’s three producing gas fields are taxed at a corporation rate of 25% (double the standard rate of corporation tax for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Better Energy Homes Scheme Data (12 Feb 2015)

Alex White: The Better Energy Homes Scheme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) under the Better Energy Programme.The table below details the number of homes that received energy efficiency measures under the scheme from 2012 to 2014 and the amount of Exchequer funding disbursed on grants to the homeowners. - - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 Programme Homes Grant Aided Spend Homes...

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

Alex White: The Biofuels Obligation Scheme was introduced in July 2010 as the primary means to meet the target of at least 10% renewable energy in transport by 2020, which was mandated by the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive. The scheme works by obligating road transport fuel suppliers to bring a certain amount of biofuel, currently 6% by volume of total transport fuel sales, to the market. This has...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (11 Feb 2015)

Alex White: No, Chairman, I am happy to proceed.

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (11 Feb 2015)

Alex White: I thank Deputy Moynihan for his insights and his questions. To reference the Estimates I remind colleagues that the 2014 allocation had allowed for an end of contract provision of €9.058 million for the NBS service-provider and an allocation of €6.2 million for schools broadband, as well as additional moneys for the separate issue of postcodes. To deal with the national...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (11 Feb 2015)

Alex White: Under state aid rules, we must maintain neutrality. The European Union does not allow us to nominate a technology. Having said that, anybody who reads the literature and has an understanding of broadband knows that the technology of choice in delivering high quality broadband is fibre. I am certainly very conscious of this and the thinking generally on what is best technically to deliver...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Revised) (11 Feb 2015)

Alex White: That is a very fair question. I agree with the Deputy in placing the emphasis on the timelines involved. We have imposed on ourselves very exacting month-by-month timelines. I will ensure the Deputy and colleagues will receive a monthly report on where we are in the various stages we need to go through. The answer to the Deputy's question on state aid is that once the application is made,...