Results 901-920 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Environment, Climate and Communications - Vote 29 (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The issue of encroachment by private operators.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Environment, Climate and Communications - Vote 29 (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The end of January estimate is for 59,000. The latest I heard was that 30,000 people are available for order or pre-order at this stage. I do not foresee the projected figure being achieved. I went to a board meeting of National Broadband Ireland, NBI, in County Clare two weeks ago. It was the first time in nearly two years the board of the company, which is the supplier that will be...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Environment, Climate and Communications - Vote 29 (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I do not have the most recent figure to hand as this is not a communications committee meeting.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Environment, Climate and Communications - Vote 29 (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: My figure is a little out of date as it is from a few weeks ago.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Environment, Climate and Communications - Vote 29 (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: Subhead E4 is the same €1.5 million that was asked about. It arises because of an audit report from the National Treasury Management Agency, NTMA, saying-----

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Environment, Climate and Communications - Vote 29 (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: -----that would have to be done not a year in arrears but this year. It is a move to that. It is the purchase of carbon units, which is required under the Kyoto Protocol targets. Funding for these purchases comes from the Central Fund, and then provision is made in the Vote from the technical Estimate in the following year. This year, however, we have been told to do it in the same year....

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Environment, Climate and Communications - Vote 29 (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: That is to transfer €10 million from savings under the national broadband plan to increase the climate financing allocation from €5 million to €15 million in 2021. This arises from a commitment made by the Minister, Deputy Ryan, at COP26 in Glasgow to increase the contribution from Ireland by €10 million a year. It is in the budget for next year but we wanted to...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Environment, Climate and Communications - Vote 29 (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: Thank you, Chair, and I thank all the committee members. Of course, they can contact my office at any time outside of the committee and I will always be happy to answer their questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Cybersecurity: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the committee for inviting me to participate in this morning’s meeting to consider the EU cybersecurity strategy and the alignment of Ireland’s national strategy for cybersecurity. I am joined by Mr. Richard Browne, acting director of the National Cyber Security Centre, NCSC, my adviser, Mr. David Clarke, and Mr. Peter Hogan, principal officer in the cybersecurity and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Cybersecurity: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: We have discussed cybersecurity in a number of different contexts before and also on the floor of the Dáil. Deputy Ó Murchú asked about the capacity review. We published the executive summary and we will publish the entire report in a redacted form before the year end. I will share it with this committee as well. I commit to that for a start. The question about other...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Cybersecurity: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The first question is about OES standards for private cybersecurity industry outside of the public sector. Many of the OESs that are defined already are in the private sector and that is going to be a much larger number than when the NIS 2 directive comes in. They will be subject to a much stricter enforcement regime than has been in place before, although there is already power to force...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Cybersecurity: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I do not think it is the right context for such a discussion, but I am happy to provide a separate briefing. It is not a secret, but it is a very technical and in-depth issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Cybersecurity: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputy Ó Murchú very much. What I can do is arrange for a briefing from the acting director of the National Cyber Security Centre on that area in detail. That might be a better way to answer the question if that is all right.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Cybersecurity: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The short answer is "No". We are not excluded from any of them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Cybersecurity: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: As I understand it, the idea is a state agency would have to allocate a certain percentage of its ICT budget to cybersecurity. This is similar to the rule whereby NATO countries have to put 2% of their budget into defence. It is being promoted by Estonia, which sought and supported it when I visited, and it also supports the NATO approach. The downside is that it is an input measure, which...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Cybersecurity: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: Yesterday's announcement of the baseline security standards is a first step. After that, there will be a compliance framework to ensure all the public sector bodies comply with those rules and meet all those standards. Cybersecurity is not an optional area to invest in for any public sector body or something that is just nice to have. It is critical that every public sector body protect...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Cybersecurity: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the committee for taking an interest in this. I am dealing with my European counterparts at a ministers' Council meeting. I also met digital ministers in Luxembourg last month and travelled to Estonia to meet people from outside the EU. While it is important we work closely with our European partners, we need also to co-operate with countries outside the EU that share our values....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Climate Change Policy (7 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I will reply on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Government. I welcome the opportunity to set out the actions being taken by the Government in response to the announcement of the closure of the peat-fuelled power stations and the end of peat harvesting by Bord na Móna. The work of Kieran Mulvey, as just transition commissioner in the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Climate Change Policy (7 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senators. The Senator is correct in that the just transition commission was meant to be wound down at the end of this month, and it was decided at the time of the climate action plan that it will be put on a permanent footing. I cannot comment on who will be the person who will be appointed and, to be honest, I do not know. I will convey the Senator’s support for Kieran...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Infrastructure (7 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The programme for Government commits Ireland to an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030, a 51% reduction over the decade, and to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. To contribute to the achievement of these targets, the Government has committed that up to 80% of electricity consumption will come from renewable sources by 2030 on a pathway to...