Results 2,501-2,520 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Service Executive (14 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The Minister for Health has asked me to reply on his behalf and give an update to the House on this matter. As the Senator will be aware, a central objective of the programme for Government is to deliver increased levels of integrated healthcare with service delivery oriented towards general practice, primary care and community-based services to enable a home-first approach. Integral to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Service Executive (14 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: This building and project are exceptional. As the Senator knows, 172 primary healthcare centres have been set up by the HSE around the country. One of them is about to open in my constituency in Dún Laoghaire. Clearly, there has been a transformation in primary healthcare. Yet, this project is not going well and I think the Minister for Health and everybody involves accepts that...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Citizens' Assembly (14 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I have been asked by the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, to address this matter on her behalf and to update the House on the Department of Education's position as regards the citizens’ assembly on education. The programme for Government committed to establishing four citizens’ assemblies on the topics of biodiversity loss, the type of directly elected mayor and local...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Citizens' Assembly (14 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I understand the Senator’s frustration. The Government has set up and run three citizens’ assemblies, so the process is understood and not forgotten. I was involved in getting the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use up and running, so I understand that it involves the relevant Department putting together proposals and sending them to the Department of the Taoiseach....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Citizens' Assembly (14 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: It is an honour to be here.

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

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputy Stanton for raising this issue. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important topic with Members on behalf of the Minister for Transport. I understand that Deputy Stanton's questions relate to State funding provided to Cork County Council for emergency repairs of roads and bridges following Storm Babet, with a particular emphasis on the east Cork region. As...

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...

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

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputy Burke for raising this matter. Both Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, and the Chief Medical Officer share these concerns in relation to the high levels of RSV that are circulating in our community. To begin with, I can confirm that following receipt of NIAC advice on RSV immunisation options in October, and the Office of the Chief Medical Officer having considered that...

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...

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

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Chair and committee members for the invitation to speak today about the large energy user rebalancing subvention. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, was unavailable to attend today so I am deputising. He has asked me to pass on his apologies. The large energy users rebalancing subvention refers to a 2009 Government decision to rebalance electricity network tariffs to support...

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

Ossian Smyth: I think the Senator's question is what analysis was done in deciding that large energy users were paying high prices in 2009. My understanding is the power to make the rebalancing decision was with the CRU. A discussion was held between the Government and the CRU to discuss ways that prices could come down for LEUs at that time. The CRU then responded by making a proposal to Government and...

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

Ossian Smyth: I do not think that the Government had a decision-making power over this particular item. The Government might have wanted this to happen, and had a discussion with the CRU about it, but the CRU made the decision and put this to the Government, and said this is what it was planning to do. The Minister at the time wrote back and said he agreed to it but this matter did not actually require...

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

Ossian Smyth: Is the question on what lobbying took place leading up to this decision from large energy users to ask for their prices to be cut? Is that roughly the Deputy's question?

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

Ossian Smyth: I would have to research to see if we have any records of lobbying. Was the lobbying register even in existence at that time, in 2009? I think it predated the legislation for that. I would have been a councillor in 2014. I spoke to my officials a minute ago. They told me that due to the passage of time, they are not aware of any records, but I can ask for a more detailed search to be...

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

Ossian Smyth: In 2009, it was a time of financial crisis and unemployment was rising. It was a time when, if one asked the public what they were most concerned about, I think they were 100 times more concerned about losing their jobs or getting a job than they were about the level of their electricity bills. I think if one asked the public now how they feel about unemployment versus the level of their...

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

Ossian Smyth: That is a very valid question. When the decision was made at the time, it was clearly a public decision. It was not a secret decision. The Government said it was doing this to try to help save jobs and to protect employers from having to fire employees. It was a public decision and everybody knew about it. For every year that the CRU came in to this committee it could be scrutinised and...

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.