Results 261-280 of 2,867 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Recycling Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: As regards the number of cans and bottles that have been brought back, it is 1.8 million plastic bottles and 2 million cans. That is double what it was a few days ago, which shows the rate of increase. The Deputy asked how it works for people who are already putting bottles and cans into the recycle bin in their kitchen and the objective of the whole plan. The problem is that although...

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...

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

Ossian Smyth: I absolutely agree with the Deputy. I feel angry and ashamed when I see rubbish that has been dumped, often commercially for profit. We cannot reach those people through awareness campaigns. They know they are doing the wrong thing. The only way we can reach them is through gathering evidence that is admissible in court to obtain prosecution. We could not do that in the past because the...

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

Ossian Smyth: As the Deputy is aware, a licence from the national waste collection permit office in County Offaly is required in order to collect waste. If the terms of that licence are breached, steps can be taken. I will find out whether a vehicle can be seized and revert to the Deputy with that information. In the case of Castlegar, I urge people in the area to ask the local authority to put in CCTV-----

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

Ossian Smyth: -----to catch those carrying out illegal dumping. In the case of commercial dumping, there are stronger powers for local authorities, in that they can use drones and bodycams. Many of those involved in this activity are dangerous criminals and it is difficult for local authority staff to approach them directly or gather the evidence. The dumping may be going on behind high fences. That is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Recycling Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Formal monitoring and reporting arrangements are in place to ensure that regular reports, both financial and performance, are received from Re-Turn, the scheme operator for Ireland's Deposit Return Scheme, DRS. DRS is a national infrastructure project which operates primarily on a return-to-retail model. Under the DRS regulations, retailers are required to charge customers a deposit for...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Recycling Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Those are all very reasonable questions. We are in the changeover period for this scheme. The changeover period is four months long. The reason there is a changeover period is so that the old stock on the shelves of the supermarkets can be sold off and at the same time the new stock which has the logos and the new bar codes is coming in. We could not change over overnight because that...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Infrastructure (7 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: As telecoms technologies advance and evolve at pace, there is a need for guidelines and regulations to be regularly updated to reflect this. This is of particular importance in relation to innovative technologies like 5G, which requires infrastructure that is vastly different to what preceding technologies required and consequent different legislative treatment in some cases. The Digital...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (7 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: In December 2022, my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets, including that: all Irish households and businesses, including schools, will be covered by a gigabit network no later than 2028 all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030, and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (5 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: In December 2022, my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets, including that:all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030, anddigital connectivity will be...

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

Ossian Smyth: A national Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has been introduced to encourage more people to recycle plastic bottles and cans and to deliver on our ambitious EU targets for the recycling of those products. Under the DRS Regulations, retailers are required to charge consumers a deposit for every drink sold, to take-back empty containers (unless displaying a take-back exemption) and to refund the...

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

Ossian Smyth: The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy (WAPCE) includes several measures to tackle packaging waste, a number of which have already been delivered, including the ending of self-compliance for packaging producers, the introduction of deposit and return scheme, and the introduction of eco-modulation and net necessary cost in Extended Producer Responsibility scheme producer fees. Since...

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

Ossian Smyth: In December 2022, my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets, including that:all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030, anddigital connectivity will be...

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

Ossian Smyth: In December 2022, my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets, including that: all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028 all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030, and digital connectivity...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (28 Feb 2024)

Ossian Smyth: As stated in my response to Parliamentary Question No. 158 of 13 February 2024, the tethered cap requirement is coming into effect across the EU on 3rd July 2024 and, from that date, only plastic beverage containers where the cap/lid remains firmly attached to the product during use can be placed on the market. The tethered cap requirement was introduced through the Single Use Plastics...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator. I am interested to hear her proposal because I did not know what it was grounded on when I looked at it. I will consider it more now. The Senator said she is worried there will be an expectation that profit should be the sole motive of Gas Networks Ireland and that would be brought about because the Minister for Finance is concerned with money. I did not foresee the...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2024)

Ossian Smyth: To confirm, are we debating amendment No. 2 at the same time as No. 1?

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2024)

Ossian Smyth: On amendment No. 1, it is not the case that Gas Networks Ireland would be legally allowed to focus solely on profit. It is subject to the climate Act. It is a named body so it must achieve the objectives set out in that Act, including the reduction in emissions and so on. It cannot solely focus on money. Under the new EU gas package, there is a new directive to be implemented and, as a...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I can say I am very unlikely to be able to get copies of letters of expectation for the Senator or to publish them. The code of practice for the governance of State bodies provides, in the case of commercial State bodies, for a shareholder letter of expectation that outlines the terms of the relationship with the parent Department. The shareholder letter of expectation contains commercially...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I will request that information. I will see whether I can find out from the CRU or my Department how many data centres are seeking direct connection to the gas grid. It is a fair question. The approval I have from the Government for this legislation is simply for the integration of the current activities of Ervia into GNI. It does not provide for the board to engage in any new function or...