Results 1-20 of 117 for waste management speaker:Ossian Smyth

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: ...specific area of expertise, but I will do my best to answer all of the questions from members. If I cannot, I will revert to them with answers. One of my Department’s functions in respect of waste management is to set the policy and legislative framework for the extended producer responsibility, EPR, model in Ireland across the various waste streams. Ireland uses the EPR model...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: If the Senator likes I will go through some of it. The scheme is currently achieving a 95% collection rate. It is estimated that between 3,000 tonnes and 4,000 tonnes of farm plastic waste is not collected by the scheme annually. This includes an estimate for unlevied product placed on the market. In terms of what happens to this waste, IFFPG can only speculate that a portion of it is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: ...oversight of the body is to make sure it is sending product to recycling centres. I understand nearly half of the product is recycled within Ireland and the rest is exported for recycling. The management of recycling waste is monitored and enforced by local authorities. There are strict rules on what can be done with waste and that applies in many other sectors as well. If the Senator...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: ...of the circular economy following on from the signing into law of the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act in 2022. In line with the evolution of EU and UN environmental policy, the waste action plan for a circular economy was published in September 2020. The first circular economy strategy and the circular economy programme were published in November 2021. In July 2022,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: ...and did my own first large-scale recycling after keeping a couple of bags in the kitchen. Along the way, I picked up three cans. That was on a short walk. The whole mindset around this type of waste, which relates to single-use drinks containers, is going to change and is changing. Deputy O'Sullivan asked about the issues we are facing and how do we make things better. We are in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Legislative Measures (20 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: In June 2023, I launched a public consultation to help inform Ireland’s environmental response to disposable vaping devices. Disposable vaping devices present several challenges to our current waste collection and recycling system, and they can and should be recycled in a responsible manner. Over 3,000 submissions were made by individuals and organisations, including retailers, and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illegal Dumping (7 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: While the primary responsibility for management and enforcement responses to illegal dumping, including any decision to deploy CCTV and other technologies, lies with local authorities, my Department continues to provide extensive policy, financial and legislative support to the local authority sector to support its efforts. Almost €18 million has been provided to local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (5 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: ...to charge consumers a deposit for every drink sold, to take-back empty containers (unless displaying a take-back exemption) and to refund the deposit to customers. In recognition of the stock management challenges faced by producers, distributors and retailers around the introduction of DRS and to avoid unnecessary waste, a short transition period is in place to manage the selling off of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Waste Management (13 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...but exited the household market because, in most cases, they could not compete with the prices charged by private entrants. The obligations on local authorities in relation to collecting household waste are set out in the Waste Management Act 1996, as amended, and, in summary, provide that, "Each local authority shall collect, or arrange for the collection of, household waste within its...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...Ireland’s ambitious 2030 renewable electricity targets as well as providing additional security of electricity supply and contributing to decarbonising non-domestic electricity use. Investing in solar PV offers businesses an enduring solution to manage the impact of high and volatile electricity prices while also reducing their own emissions and supporting the local electricity...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...talk to people about it, the more enthusiastic they are about it. There is a general acceptance that this is the right thing to do and efficiency is a good thing, particularly in the area of food waste, as the Deputy mentioned. Supermarkets are interested in that. There is much innovation going on in this space. I was at Dogpatch the other day and there were many start-ups focused on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: The Circular Economy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...the progress that has been made in the last year and to discuss the priority areas where we now need to focus our attention. I think we are all agreed that the linear economic model of take-make-waste is environmentally and economically unsustainable. The transition to a circular economy offers an alternative. In a circular economy, waste and resource use is minimised, and the value...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: The Circular Economy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...He is a former Minister with responsibility for this area and he has ongoing interest in this area. Deputy Bruton said he thinks that while targets and strategies are being set we are not actually managing to meet them in practice and that we are not likely to meet our targets. We are meeting our recycling targets at present. We are in compliance. The question is whether we will meet...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: The Circular Economy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...I am doing and generally help to write the procurement rules. The Deputy mentioned companies that are supplying food to supermarkets on a sale or return basis, which is creating excess food waste. I meet supermarkets regularly on a range of issues. I will take that up with those large multiples and discuss it with them. On fly-tipping enforcement, the Local Government Management...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: The Circular Economy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...Park and actually damaging their tourism product. The businesses involved are saving hundreds of thousands of euro per year on cups, and generally this is going very well for them. They have not managed to get the large coffee multiples or the petrol stations to join in. They are the outliers but otherwise the project is working very well. As soon as I can implement the levy, I will do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: The Circular Economy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...to see the proposals around it. If we can reduce their use, it will save money for suppliers, shops and customers. The Senator asked whether plastics are exported or to what extent they are managed in Ireland. There is very little reprocessing capacity in Ireland. There is a lot of segregation. When the green bin is taken away, there are lots of machines and conveyor belts that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (28 Sep 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...practice, we are focusing on larger-scale projects, supplying heat to a range of buildings that can include public, commercial and residential across an entire district, for example using the heat from the waste to energy plant in Poolbeg in the docklands and beyond. Given the reliance on gas in communal schemes, the cost to households increased significantly last year. To support...

Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Second Stage (21 Sep 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...of Utilities, CRU, the independent energy regulator, is designated as the competent authority in the Bill. It will administer the market cap with the assistance of EirGrid, which will be the collection agent and will manage the collection of proceeds. Before outlining the provisions of the Bill, I would like to speak on a number of key points relating to the development of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Illegal Dumping (27 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Local authorities are responsible for municipal waste collection and waste management planning within their functional areas. The obligations on local authorities relating to collecting household waste are set out in section 33 of the Waste Management Act 1996, as amended. In summary, it provides that each local authority shall collect, or arrange for the collection of, household waste...