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

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (11 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy sets out a clear roadmap for the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for plastic bottles and aluminium cans in the third quarter of 2022. The legislative framework for the scheme will be put in place shortly. The scheme will look to recover only its operational costs by way of fees and will operate on a not for profit basis. 

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (16 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The interim procurement reform board was appointed by the then Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in May 2017 to provide oversight of the delivery of the procurement reform programme, advise the Government on national public procurement strategy and advise on the objectives and business plans of the Office of Government Procurement. The board meets quarterly and presents an annual...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (16 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Government has a huge capital investment programme and the OGP oversees roughly €16 billion in expenditure on goods and services. The idea of that is to centralise that spend to achieve three main objectives, namely, value for money, quality and transparency. Added to that, in looking at strategic procurements, we seek social conditions and green procurement. The Deputy asked...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (16 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: Data collection is essential and I am glad the Deputy will, I believe, support the forthcoming planning and procurement Bill, which I hope will achieve cross-party support along with social conditions and green public procurement. As for her own Bill, I am happy to engage with her and see what she is trying to achieve. I am absolutely committed to open data and transparency, which will help...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (16 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The interim procurement reform board was appointed by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in May 2017 to provide oversight to the delivery of the procurement reform programme, advise the Government on national public procurement strategy and advise on the objectives and business plans of the Office of Government Procurement, OGP. The board meets quarterly and presents an annual...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (16 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: One of the best ways in which procurement can be strengthened is through training. The Office of Government Procurement has a skills academy where it trains and teaches staff responsible for purchasing across government how to procure successfully. It is important that we have a good e-tenders platform. The platform is being replaced and a new tender has been placed to get a new software...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (16 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The e-tenders system has been in place for a long time and requires to be updated. We asked bidders and suppliers what they would like the tendering system to do differently and we have determined that we need a new tendering system. It will be the best we can get. We are being careful and this is not being tendered for on the existing e-tenders system so there is no advantage to the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (16 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 141 together. The NBP contract address NBI’s funding arrangements and set out that all funding commitments had to be in place for the NBP contract to come into effect. Total funds committed to the Project from Metallah Limited equate to €223m. This committed funding by Metallah Limited is in the form of Shareholder Loans to NBI and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (16 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in over 554,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools. In July 2019, in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (16 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The question refers to a premises located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led intervention. I appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a connection to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (16 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The premises referred to in the Question is located in the BLUE area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. BLUE areas are not included in the State intervention area covered by the National Broadband Plan as commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so. My Department defines high speed...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Illegal Dumping (16 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: My Department published the General Scheme of the Circular Economy Bill 2021 on 15 June 2021. It is my intention under the Bill to facilitate not only the use of CCTV, but also the use of a broad range of Audio Visual Recording (AVR) equipment in order to assist local authorities in their efforts to combat litter and illegal dumping. Drafting of the Bill is well advanced, as...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (16 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The question refers to a premises located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led intervention. I appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a...

National Standards Authority of Ireland (Carbon Footprint Labelling) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (17 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “That” and substitute the following: “(a) Dáil Éireann resolves that the National Standards Authority of Ireland (Carbon Footprint Labelling) Bill 2021 be deemed to be read a second time this day twelve months, to allow for further consideration and analysis, including a Regulatory Impact Assessment, of how...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Horticulture Sector (17 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I have no function in relation to the development of the horticultural sector nor the sourcing of peat for that sector.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (17 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Question refers to a premises located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led intervention. I appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a connection...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (17 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The premises referred to in the Question is located in the BLUE area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. BLUE areas are not included in the State intervention area covered by the National Broadband Plan as commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so. My...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Local Authorities (18 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: My Department published the General Scheme of the Circular Economy Bill 2021 on 15 June 2021. It is my intention under the Bill to facilitate not only the use of CCTV, but also the use of a broad range of Audio Visual Recording (AVR) equipment in order to assist local authorities in their efforts to combat litter and illegal dumping. Drafting of the Bill is well advanced, as...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (18 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, published in September 2020, contains some 200 measures which will be delivered on a phased basis over the 5 year lifetime of the Plan, including a number of specific measures to address the need to improve our waste segregation and recycling practices, such as standardising the colour coding of bins across...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (18 Nov 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the over 554,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with some 699 schools.I am advised by NBI...