Results 2,841-2,860 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I do not know which grant scheme this was. Many companies have been funded through a number of schemes. There is a scheme run by the EPA. There is a scheme called the circular economy innovation scheme. These schemes provide grants to companies to try to find innovative ways to use products that would otherwise end up as waste. These grants can be in the tens of thousands, or sometimes...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Those companies are enforced by the local authorities and the WERLAs. Is the Deputy asking me why-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I do not know where that estimate comes from. The waste collection companies are entitled to store waste according to whatever is permitted in their contracts.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I understand there is a vote in the Dáil so I ask to be excused.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Chair, my calendar states that the meeting is scheduled from 5.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. I have other appointments this evening that I need to attend. I can stay here until 7.30 p.m., but I was not aware that I was expected to be here until 8.30 p.m.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I would be happy to return on another occasion. If that meeting takes place on a Wednesday evening, I will certainly arrange a pair.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The latest annual report is for 2022 and the 2023 report is due in the coming weeks. If we are having a meeting straight after the next annual report is produced, that would help. On the two sets of numbers-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Department is reviewing it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: In answer to Deputy Fitzmaurice's questions, the first was why there is a discrepancy between the amount that is produced versus the amount collected, or the amount that was recycled by the Irish facilities and so on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The difference the Deputy is referring to is the difference between contaminated plastic waste and clean plastic waste, in other words the volume of contaminant versus the volume of plastic. Roughly 18,000 tonnes of plastic are collected and roughly 36,000 tonnes of the contaminated share is counted. Is that the question the Deputy asked?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Deputy asked about people who had plastic which was collected but not shifted from their sites. He asked about a particular semi-State body but without saying which one it is. If he can give me specifics for those questions, I will be happy to answer them. He asked whether there will be an independent assessment or a census of how much plastic is in licensed yards around the country....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I believe all that data is in the annual reports and that the new annual report will be available next week. I will collate it for the Deputy, if he wishes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I appreciate that. I am happy to come back in a couple of weeks. I would suggest that the period after the next annual report comes out might be a good time. I can collate that data for the committee and answer any questions that came up today that I was not able to immediately answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The first issue is in what way they are in compliance. They are in compliance with the permits that were issued to them as waste collectors. In other words, they are in compliance with environmental law and the terms and conditions that were imposed by the local authorities. There may be unsightly piles of plastic. However, the question is about whether they are in compliance within the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The engagement is defined in the approval. There are regular meetings between the IFFPG and the Department. There are annual reports and the structure of the annual report is defined in the approval.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I am a little confused because I think the Senator said that IFFPG is collecting a levy. In fact, the producers have to pay a levy.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Energy Policy (22 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputy O'Rourke for raising this important issue which provides an opportunity to have a debate on heat pumps. The National Heat Study considered potential decarbonisation options for a wide range of dwelling and business types. It found that heat pumps are the optimal decarbonisation pathway for domestic heating systems. Heat pumps are now the dominant heating technology for...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Energy Policy (22 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: These are all reasonable points. The general problem is that Deputy O’Rourke is talking about unease and suspicion from experience he has had anecdotally from people coming to him. Of course, we all make our decisions based on constituents coming to us with issues, but we need more than that to be sure there is a widespread problem or to be sure of what kind of approach we need to...