Results 101-120 of 2,867 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: There is a very simple answer to the question of whether I support the EnergyCloud system that takes energy that otherwise would have been thrown away and gives it to them to heat their water at night. Yes, I absolutely do. It has been a very successful experiment and I want to see it continuing. If we are going to continue with this kind of system, people need somewhere to store the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The North-South Interconnector is an essential infrastructure project that will link the electricity transmission networks of Ireland and Northern Ireland, leading to a more secure, affordable and sustainable supply of electricity across the island. As a transmission project, the North-South Interconnector is being undertaken by EirGrid, which is independent of the Minister, with EirGrid...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The most recent.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Sorry, that is the information I have to hand. It only relates to the most recent meeting. I am not aware of whether there were other meetings or briefings before that. If the Deputy has a specific period in mind, as the project has been going on for decades at this stage, I will come back with a better answer.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Electricity Generation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I think the first part of the question was about delivery. It was about how much the Government has installed of new capacity. We have seen more than 2 GW of capacity installed over the course of the past four years. The fact there is now 1 GW of solar on the grid is incredible. I expect another 1.5 GW will be added this year and another 1.5 GW next year. Looking towards an 8 GW target...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Corporate Governance (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: A national deposit return scheme, DRS, has been introduced to encourage more people to recycle bottles and cans and to ensure we meet our ambitious EU targets for the recycling of those materials under EU single-use plastics and packaging legislation. The Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations, SI 599 of 2021, makes it the responsibility of beverage producers to establish...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Corporate Governance (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy. I take her point that she did not find sufficient information on Re-Turn's website. As I said, I speak to it regularly and indeed receive information from it daily. I will ask it to update its website and add more information, certainly to the level that is on any other. I did not check. The members of the board, for confirmation, are Tony Keohane, who is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Corporate Governance (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I will explain the financial structure of the company, very briefly. Yes, I expect that eventually, when the scheme is mature, it will only be returning 92% of cans and bottles, that is, 8% where a deposit is paid and not returned. The money from that pays to run the scheme, in co-operation with a payment by the producers that will be of a similar quantity. The amount of money from...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The climate action plan recognises that a range of cross-government policies are needed to transform our electricity system so that it can become more flexible and successfully accommodate an ever-increasing volume of renewable energy sources that are widely distributed across our island. The dispatch down of renewable energy refers to renewable energy that is available to the grid but...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Conservation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: So far, 16,600 heat pumps have been installed in existing homes. The target for 2025, which is the next target date, is 45,000, so we have to get from 16,600 to 45,000 in two years to meet the 2025 target. The next target after that, which is much more demanding, is 400,000 heat pumps by 2030. The structure of these targets is set so the vast majority are in the second half of the decade...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Conservation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: In order to install a heat pump, people need to ensure their home is suitable for heat pump installation, certainly in terms of whether it is insulated sufficiently to be ready to have the heat pump installed. Installation of a heat pump is a skilled activity and requires an understanding of connecting the heat pump with the plumbing system, for example, so it does take certain skills. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Electricity Generation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The climate action plan sets challenging targets for installed generation capacity in 2030. This includes 9 GW of onshore wind, 8 GW of solar and at least 2 GW of additional gas-fired generation capacity. Ireland now has over 6 GW of renewable electricity generation capacity, with 46% of electricity generated in Ireland in 2023 being renewable. I am informed by ESB Networks that the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Electricity Generation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Government acknowledges the Climate Change Advisory Council report and agrees that we must move at greater speed and scale to achieve our electricity targets. Ireland has achieved an unprecedented decrease in energy-related emissions. We had a 7% annual reduction last year and a 21% decrease in electricity-related emissions. This is despite a large increase in our population and a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Conservation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy for the question. The national retrofit plan set targets to carry out 185,000 energy upgrades and install 45,000 heat pumps in existing homes by 2025 and the equivalent of 500,000 B2 upgrades and 400,000 heat pumps by 2030. Between 2019 and the first quarter of 2024, almost 150,000 energy upgrades were supported by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I am aware of Abbeyshrule and the improvements that were made there through the community employment scheme. It is well known around the country. I appreciate the benefits of community employment schemes. I will take the specific issues the Deputy raised to the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, to see whether he has any specific knowledge of them. He may engage directly with the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy for his questions. I listened carefully to the points he made. I will now read the formal response from the Minister for Social Protection before discussing the matter further. It is important to acknowledge the excellent work that is done on the full range of work schemes, including community employment, Tús, the rural social scheme, RSS and the job initiative...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dublin City Task Force (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: On behalf of the Minister for Justice, I thank Deputy Gannon for raising this matter today. Dublin city and its surroundings are a hive of business and tourism, particularly at this time of year. Equally, there is a strong community created by local residents. We want the city to be a safe place for people to live in, work in and visit. The Deputy will be aware that today the Taoiseach...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dublin City Task Force (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I presume a safe injection facility falls under the Minister for Health and I will ask him to reply to the Deputy directly on that.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dublin City Task Force (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Deputy will be aware that the new approach to community safety policing via local community safety partnerships is being piloted in three locations, including the north inner city of Dublin. This approach brings together local communities and local service providers under an independent chair to develop a community safety plan for their local area, and more important, to work in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Commercial Rates (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator for asking this question, which the Minister for housing has asked me to answer on his behalf. Tailte Éireann is the State agency formed on 1 March 2023 following the merger of Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Property Registration Authority and the Valuation Office. All the functions previously carried by those bodies are now being performed by Tailte Éireann....