Results 1,581-1,600 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Other Questions: Energy Policy (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: That is the point of the consultation process in which we are engaged. That is the point of our having debate and discussions in this House and elsewhere on what we need to do in terms of addressing these huge challenges for the future. I do not disagree with much of what has been said regarding the huge potential of renewable energy production. The Deputy is absolutely right in that...

Other Questions: Energy Policy (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: The Deputy cannot seriously say that the private sector will not have a significant role, particularly in an area such as offshore energy. The amount of money that is required - and I ask the Deputy to take this from me on trust - in terms of the investment base needed for these offshore projects is not in the millions; it is in the billions. I do not disagree with what the Deputy says at...

Other Questions: Electricity Transmission Network (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: Grid25 comprises more than 100 projects, ranging from large projects such as Grid West, Grid Link and the North-South interconnector to smaller projects such as station works or upgrades of existing transmission lines around Ireland. EirGrid reviews all projects at regular intervals and is currently undertaking such a review. The overall Grid25 strategy was forecast to cost up to €4...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Postcode System (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: Off the top of my head, I cannot tell the Deputy when it was commissioned, but I can tell him that it was brought to me and I saw it, to the best of my recollection, some time in the autumn. I am guessing - I would have to get the Deputy the exact dates and I have no difficulty in doing that - I had that report presented to me about three or four months ago.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Postcode System (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: Yes, something of that order.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: The question was to ask me my input to this Bill. It is under the remit of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and not mine, but my Department participates fully in the whole of Government approach to addressing the challenges of climate change and the transition to a low carbon energy system and, in this regard, had an input to the climate action and low carbon...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: As the Deputy is aware, we have binding 2020 targets, which require us to act. My Department is critically involved with those targets. I have given information to the House before - in fact, earlier in my contribution this morning - on this. They are very exacting targets and they require an enormous amount of work. That work is continuing. It is not a question of there not being...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: Work can be done on the advisory council in the course of the passage of this legislation. I do not think the Deputy intended to do so, but I would not dismiss representatives of State agencies, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Teagasc and the ESRI. These bodies are all involved in energy policy. They have really excellent...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Projects (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: The Deputy has fairly raised the issue of resources and the extent to which we can find and devote more resources to these projects. It is a fair point. Resources have been scarce all around Government for reasons that are well known in the House. Anyway, I believe matters have improved. We have a budget for the support programmes that I referred to in my reply. I am keen to see us...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Projects (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I take on board all of those ideas. I assure the Deputy that the more resources I can get for this, the better. I will seek to obtain as much support as possible in respect of these initiatives and I believe the Government has been supportive. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland is the body that leads and directs in this area. I encourage Deputy Boyd Barrett to engage with the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Postcode System (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Privacy and data protection issues have been part of the debate on the postcode system, now branded as Eircode, since the establishment of a national postcodes board in 2005 to examine the introduction of postcodes in Ireland. There has been engagement by my Department with the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Data Protection...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Postcode System (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I hope to bring the draft legislation to Government shortly, within a period of weeks. The Deputy asked whether it is intended to have the legislation enacted before the roll-out of Eircode. It absolutely is.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Postcode System (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I gave the same answer any time I was asked. There has been ongoing contact with the Data Protection Commissioner. It is no secret that the Data Protection Commissioner raised certain concerns. The Department undertook a privacy impact assessment at the request of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. The purpose of that privacy impact assessment was to ensure that any...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Generation (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I am always happy to assist the Deputy. One reads newspaper reports and we have contacts with our colleagues in Northern Ireland through the North-South Ministerial Council, but if there is a specific incident in which the Deputy wishes me to take close interest, I will do that if he contacts me after this session.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (29 Jan 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. Security of energy supply is crucial to every society and economy. A well-balanced fuel mix that provides reliable energy, minimises costs and protects against supply disruptions and price volatility is essential to Irish consumers and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: The Deputy said he is heartened by my response and I am heartened by his support for the general direction of policy in respect of the mix of our energy sources which we need to have in this country. The fall in the price of oil on the international markets has been significant, but we know that when we plan our energy policy, we need to take a medium to long-term perspective. We all know...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I am willing to get for the Deputy the rationale for the application of VAT. I will not stray into other people's areas of responsibility but I am not sure that I completely agree with him that it is tantamount to VAT on VAT. However, I understand the point the Deputy is making. I will arrange for him a briefing note on it.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Projects (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: This is an interesting issue which the Deputy has raised before and I thank him for raising the matter and his interest in it. One of the central themes in the Green Paper on energy policy is citizen empowerment. In 2014, my Department began a public consultation process which included a series of stakeholder seminars on the various priority areas in the Green Paper, covering a number of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Generation (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I am advised that there was an incident at Tursillagh wind farm in County Kerry in which a blade became detached from a turbine. My Department has contacted the wind farm operator who has advised that the incident is being investigated. The operator has sought a report from the turbine manufacturer and has agreed to keep my officials informed of developments. My Department has also been...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Generation (29 Jan 2015)

Alex White: I was asked about a particular incident in the jurisdiction and I have addressed that. If there is any basis on which my Department or I needed to intervene or take an interest in the incident outside the jurisdiction as mentioned by the Deputy, that could certainly be considered. However, the matter I was asked to address was the one in County Kerry. I am aware of a small number - less...