Results 61-80 of 118 for waste management speaker:Ossian Smyth

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Plastic is a valuable material in modern society however when it is not properly managed, it can have serious negative effects on the environment and human health. In 2017, the impact of plastics rose to a new level of prominence following David Attenborough’s “Blue Planet” series. Since then, there have been significant developments in plastics policy both in Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: In Ireland, the management and treatment of waste is carried out in accordance with national and European legislation, and in line with policy frameworks such as the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, 2020. These policies and laws set out a hierarchy for the management and treatment of waste generated within the country.  The preferred treatment option for residual municipal...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (22 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Waste Management Act states that a person may not:- Cause or facilitate the abandonment, dumping or unauthorised management or treatment of waste, or - Hold, transport, recover or dispose of waste, or treat waste, in a manner that causes or is likely to cause environmental pollution. The enforcement of waste legislation is a statutory function of local authorities.  Under section...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (22 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...re-usable alternative is, or could be made, readily available. These measures will be introduced by means of secondary legislation. The Bill will also provide for the inclusion of targets related to reuse and repair in Waste Management Plans, with the aim of saving resources, reducing emissions and preventing waste.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (22 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, published in September 2020, which is being delivered on a phased basis over the 5 year lifetime of the Plan, includes measures to improve household food waste management. Measures include: - Making the provision of an organic waste bin mandatory as part of a waste collection service for all households; - Through changes to waste...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (9 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: While regulation of the scrap metal industry is not a matter within the remit of my Department, the regulation of waste activities is relevant to the industry. In order to improve traceability of waste received and to counter the trade in stolen metal, an amendment to the Waste Management (Facility Permit and Registration) Regulations was introduced in 2014 to require the following at all...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (9 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 46 together. Under the Waste Management (Prohibition of Waste Disposal by Burning) Regulations 2009, the burning of household, garden, commercial or industrial waste is not permitted. Previously, an exemption under the legislation had been provided for the burning of green waste generated by agricultural purposes. The burning of green waste is a matter...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (8 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...funding will be available when the scheme becomes operational. Programme C, circular economy development, supports the transition to a circular economy, protecting and restoring our environment through sustainable resource use. Some €98 million is being allocated to the programme in 2022 to tackle environmental damage, manage waste, safeguard our natural resources and support...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (8 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Deputy is asking about the doubling of the waste management fund under subhead C6 and where that money is being allocated to. It is the most disappointing answer. It is an accounting reallocation from three other subheads from last year, those being landfill remediation, petroleum services and waste management. They have been combined. I guess the matter Deputy Whitmore was just...

Seanad: Local Government (Surveillance Powers in Relation to Certain Offences) Bill 2022: Second Stage (26 Jan 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...have referenced, people get up early in the morning and clean up their town or village voluntarily in their Tidy Towns groups. In the privacy of their homes, people conscientiously segregate their waste into the correct colour bin and think about the environment. At the same time, there are people going up to beautiful scenic areas with kitchen appliances they plan to throw into a field,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (19 Jan 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, published in September 2020, contains some 200 measures.  To date significant progress has been made on a number of measures, including:- The publication of a first Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy; - The expansion of the national standardised list of materials acceptable in the mixed dry recyclable bin to include all soft...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waste Management (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I was very happy to manage to secure additional funding in the budget for next year for anti-dumping initiatives, for exactly the reasons I was talking about in response to the previous question. Public information works for most people but not for that small cohort of society who are recidivist, shameful, furtive dumpers. The annual anti-dumping initiative, ADI, was introduced in 2017 to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waste Management (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: ...whereby there are yellow bins, which are not to everybody's visual liking, in the city centre that can be used for recyclable items, and I welcome that kind of initiative. The idea for bulky waste the Deputy mentioned is good. I had not heard of it but it could be something we would promote through other local authorities. The Tidy Towns groups really came to the fore during the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The EPA’s National Waste Statistics Summary Report for 2019 highlights the scale of the challenges we face in waste reduction in Ireland, while also confirming some of the dramatic improvements in waste management over recent years such as the reduction in the use of landfill to deal with municipal waste down from 80% in 2001 to 15% in 2019. The report also indicates that Ireland met...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Illegal Dumping (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Litter Pollution Act and the Waste Management Act provide the statutory framework to combat littering and illegal dumping respectively. Under the Acts, the primary responsibility for litter, waste management and enforcement activity lies with the Local Authorities and the Office of Environmental Enforcement within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is a matter for each...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Environment, Climate and Communications - Vote 29 (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: ...through other Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, residential and community energy efficiency schemes. A sum of €24.5 million is being allocated from the communications programme for the environment and waste management programme to provide additional funding in 2021 for climate financing, litter initiatives and additional carbon credit purchases. Ireland is committed...

Seanad: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Statements (30 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: ...PWC report commissioned to investigate cost overruns in the national children’s hospital highlighted shortcomings in the process and procedures that were in place in the planning, procurement and contract management of that project. Two of the 11 recommendations were also the responsibility of my Department in order to provide a more rigorous assessment of risk and governance prior...

Climate Action Plan 2021: Statements (23 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: ...and processes are in place to deliver our national, EU and international climate goals and obligations in the near and long term. Against this background, strategies must be devised to reduce and manage climate change risks through a combination of mitigation and adaptation responses. It is crucial that while we prepare our carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings, delivery of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (18 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, published in September 2020, contains some 200 measures which will be delivered on a phased basis over the 5 year lifetime of the Plan, including a number of specific measures to address the need to improve our waste segregation and recycling practices, such as standardising the colour coding of bins across...