Results 341-360 of 2,867 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The amount of money involved is €50 million. It is 2 million households and €25 per year was the addition to the average household electricity bill.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: No, it was €25 per year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I think it was from 2010 to 2022, which makes it 12 years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Do I agree it was the right decision to move €300 of costs from an average electricity-paying household over a decade to-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I can understand why the decision was made in 2009. It was a period of financial crisis when people were worried about keeping their jobs. I understand that and the motivation for making that decision in 2009. It probably should have been reviewed more carefully during the period since then. The CRU regularly comes to this committee and members, including possibly previous members,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I am happy to come here and answer questions on the matter. If someone is facing losing their job and not having enough money to bring home to heat their home, feed their family and so on, I think they would be more concerned about that than a monthly levy on their electricity bill of about €2.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Governments obviously cannot make decisions that bind future governments very easily. The decision memo for the Government at the time stated that it was a permanent decision. I think the word "permanent" was used. Of course, it is ultimately, legally and technically a decision for the regulator. The Government wanted it to happen and it collaborated with the regulator, saying that it was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Do I think it was a mistake to make it-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: In general, it is better to put sunset clauses on crisis decisions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The regulator is independent and does not work for the Minister. Technically, within the law, the Minister can make a ministerial order to the regulator. I am not sure if that has ever happened. The CRU can tell the Deputy if it has ever happened. A Minister can certainly ask the regulator to do things. As the Deputy knows, there is a difference between requesting and instructing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: That is why we have an independent regulator. It is separate from Government.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: It is a request.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: It was a request that was made in collaboration and in the full knowledge that there had been a long, detailed discussion between the Government and the regulator about what could be done to protect jobs and what was a feasible move and what was a legal move. The regulator would have discussed this with the Government and agreed whether this was a reasonable thing to do. The Government made...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: That is correct.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Nobody has lobbied me on it. I have just asked my officials and they are not aware of any lobbying to the Department on it. I speak to the industry all the time and it has never mentioned it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator. It is good to talk about this. The economy has changed massively since 2009. In that year, we did not have €20 billion or €25 billion of income coming in from multinationals, their data centres and so on. At that time, large energy users were not data centres. Now, large energy use has become a synonym for data centres. In 2009, of the 65 top large...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Senator described data centres as having a privileged position in regard to fossil fuels. They do not and should not have such a position. Data centres, although they are necessary for the economy, must comply with climate legislation. They also have to support our security of supply, which means they should be providing backup power. The 2020 guidelines on data centres are essential...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Vaccination Programme (14 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I will refer briefly to the timeline in this regard. It is hoped the results of the HTA will provide important clarity on this matter and will assist in determining the most appropriate course of action. It is expected that the key components of the HTA will be completed by the second half of next year. It is important that parents are vigilant of their children's symptoms, that they...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Weather Events (14 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I believe the Minister for Transport visited east Cork and perhaps Midleton as well at the time of the event. It was not for a photo op but to discuss directly with people how this was affecting them because as the Deputy knows himself, that is the only way to understand what the problem is and how to address it. As I said, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the county council and the...