Results 921-940 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

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

Ossian Smyth: It is interesting that the Senator raised the possibility of being sued by another country. The Senator raised RWE as an example. A recent European Court of Justice ruling decided that countries within the EU cannot sue other EU member states under the Energy Charter Treaty.

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

Ossian Smyth: These cases between EU member states are excluded as a result of that.

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

Ossian Smyth: It is a judgment from the European Court of Justice. On the question of whether the 2 GW of power we are commissioning will be covered by the Energy Charter Treaty, it depends on which countries win the contracts to build them. Those contracts have not been agreed or specified, so the terms are not known. I take the Senator's point on how long it is going to last. We need 2 GW of power by...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (7 Dec 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. The NBP roll out is...

Offshore Renewable Energy: Motion [Private Members] (8 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: As the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications mentioned, Ireland has one of the best offshore renewable energy resources in the world with a sea area of 400 km², which is about seven times the size of our land mass. We have more offshore energy potential than most other EU member states. Ireland's coast is one of the most energy-productive in Europe with a long-term...

Regulation of Tenderers Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (9 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputies Mairéad Farrell and Patricia Ryan, the proposers of the Bill. I welcome the opportunity to address the House on the subject of abnormally low tenders and poor past performance in the procurement of public works contracts. The Bill is well intended and seeks to address the issue that arises on public works tenders from time to time where a contractor will bid low to win...

Regulation of Tenderers Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (9 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputies. I will address one or two of the points raised. Deputy Farrell raised the question of cost overruns. They are real and on particular projects there have been some dramatic overruns which have been the subject of investigations. We can learn from those and make sure we do not repeat them in the future. It has to be borne in mind that when we are comparing the cost...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I am here on behalf the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, who has a cold and cannot be here and sends his apologies. The Government is acutely aware of the impact the recent increases in energy prices are having on households. This is a global phenomenon and expert commentators, including the International Energy Agency, IEA, have attributed this to a range of demand and supply factors that have...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I welcome the Deputy's offer to co-operate with the Government to bring this in as soon as possible. That absolutely makes sense. I also welcome Deputy McDonald's comments today that she welcomes this initiative and that it will bring some relief. In terms of when this can be done, we cannot legislate before January but we will bring this in as soon as possible. With the co-operation of...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: As for the options that are considered for dealing with energy poverty, a lot of work went into this before the budget. These were the discussions and calculations that took place to try to find who in the population needs the payment most, the best way to target it and the most efficient way to get that money out there. There was a range of things that went beyond the traditional measures...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Natural Gas Grid (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Government's policy statement on security of electricity supply sets out that the development of gas-fired generation is a national priority and should be permitted and supported in order to ensure security of electricity supply and support the growth of renewable electricity generation. The policy statement supports the need to deliver about 2 GW of new gas-fired generation which is...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Natural Gas Grid (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy. The use of fossil fuels in Ireland is being reduced. We are now moving towards a target of having 80% of our electricity generated through renewable sources by 2030. That necessarily means a reduction in our fossil fuel use. Although we have more gas plants being built - I am sure the Deputy understands this point - an extra 2 GW of gas plant capacity does not mean we...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Natural Gas Grid (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: We have an energy challenge because there is a major transition in which we are moving away from fossil fuels towards a low-carbon economy and renewables. Obviously, that is difficult to do. I agree with Deputy Bríd Smith that we should have installed offshore wind infrastructure ten years ago. When I see the great offshore wind farms built by Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The contract for the national broadband plan State-led intervention, which was signed with National Broadband Ireland in November 2019, is a comprehensive and detailed document. To protect the State investment and ensure that the national broadband plan milestones and deliverables are met, the contract has been designed to include extensive protections, quality checks, reporting and...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I cannot answer all those questions in one minute but I welcome the scrutiny and questions and the requests from the media for further information. I am delighted to answer any question asked to me directly. One of the stories that appeared last week had the headline, "How a hedge fund quietly took over the National Broadband Plan". The next day, 8 December, Deputy Mary Lou McDonald said in...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I will be delighted to take part in any forum to share information about this. I absolutely believe in transparency. I have asked my officials how much more of the contract we can publish. A huge amount of the contract has been published. Some parts have been redacted. As I understand it, that is in line with the mandatory provisions of section 36 of the Freedom of Information Act 2014....

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Negotiations (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Government is committed to a just transition in the midlands region and has dedicated significant funding to supporting workers, companies and communities affected by the closure of the peat-fired power stations and the end of peat harvesting by Bord na Móna. As part of this commitment, the just transition commissioner was appointed in November 2019 with the mandate to engage...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Negotiations (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: Although the term of the commissioner, Kieran Mulvey, is not continuing, a just transition is being set up under legislation for next year. Kieran Mulvey is universally respected and his area of expertise is industrial relations. As the just transition continues, there will be a change of focus as to what is required to be the expertise or the focus of the commission. It was absolutely...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Negotiations (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I note the Deputy's comments and his passion. I commit that I will take his comments to the Minister and that he may contact my office or the Minister's office and I will reply. The ESB provided a €5 million contribution to the just transition fund in 2020 to support a just transition in the midlands. I understand that the ESB continues to explore the development of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Prices (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Government is acutely aware of the impact the recent increases in energy prices are having on households. This is a global phenomenon. Expert commentators, including the International Energy Agency, have attributed it to a range of demand and supply factors that have contributed to a tightening of the European gas market supplies and the upward trend in wholesale gas prices we have...