Results 2,741-2,760 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

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

Ossian Smyth: It is currently the law that manufacturers must provide spare parts. The Deputy told me that he could not find a part for his fridge-freezer. I do not know how old his fridge-freezer was but for current products, manufacturers must provide spare parts and service manuals. The Ecodesign Directive came in a few months ago. As I do not have those details to hand, I can send the Deputy the...

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

Ossian Smyth: Does the Chair mean a community anaerobic digester?

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

Ossian Smyth: It is already happening. FoodCloud and organisations like that are all about building networks of people who have something they do not want and people who want it in return, whether they want it as feedstock for their anaerobic digestion or as food they can eat. FoodCloud's technology platform is about connecting people who are in surplus with people who are in deficit and in matching...

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

Ossian Smyth: If anyone is interested in any social enterprise and wants to try doing anaerobic digestion locally in their community, they can apply to do it through the circular economy innovation grant scheme and we will consider that.

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....

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

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator. I think I have good news for him. The message from the Valuation Office is that community sports facilities which are exclusively used for community sport and are non-profit are exempt from rates. I encourage him to follow up with the Valuation Office or Tailte Éireann using the contact details I provided. The Senator mentioned that we need to look more broadly...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Bus Services (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator for her questions, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport. From the outset, I would like to clarify that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport, but neither the Minister nor his officials is involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Bus Services (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Minister recognises that it can be frustrating for public transport users when delays occur with the roll-out of planned new services. Unfortunately, issues such as the ongoing bus driver and mechanic shortages have continued to impact on the speed at which the public transport network can expand. However, the Department of Transport will continue to engage with the NTA and bus...

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...

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: 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...

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....

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: 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...