Results 81-100 of 194 for long speaker:Ossian Smyth

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (24 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...tool in her negotiations armoury and made every effort to make progress on this. Part of the aim here is to reduce the need for transport because it imposes a burden on people to have to travel a long way to school. Children need not just a driver, but also an escort and so on, which incurs huge costs. We are trying to move towards a situation where children can attend their local...

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

Ossian Smyth: ...there? Something has gone backwards. We have gone towards more complex machines that are also more fragile or, possibly, have built-in obsolescence. The way to make products work well, last a long time and be repairable must happen at the design stage. The EU's Ecodesign Directive for products will try to deal with that. The directive will guarantee spare parts, which is the problem...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Environmental Schemes (28 Sep 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I agree that we need to go further. This history of this scheme is that there was a time not that long ago when it was difficult for the SEAI to get sufficient applications and interest from people and they were advertising it. They do not have to advertise it now. People understand what retrofit is and they want it. There is no cost to this scheme. It is targeted at people in energy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cyber Security Centre Review: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

Ossian Smyth: ...throughout multiple jurisdictions. A concerted response will be required, through bodies such as Interpol, etc., to allow the co-operation between different police forces that will be required to enable long-term surveillance of suspects and to prevent potential attackers from being able to carry out their attacks. The function of An Garda Síochána will relate to aspects such...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (28 Feb 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...is not a partisan issue and it will not work if one party takes it one way. It does not work if parties condemn or denounce one another. It works if we can constructively work together. I am not long in politics but the Deputy knows that I am committed to climate action and that it is all I have thought about for most of the last 20 years. Therefore, it just bounces off me if I get...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (21 Feb 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...of legacy mines, which are listed as Avoca silver mines and others. A feasibility study for the management and remediation of the Avoca mines site was completed in 2008. It costed two options for the long-term remediation of the mine, with capital costs of €58.5 million and €46 million, respectively. Both have recurring annual operating costs of about €1 million....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Fuel Poverty (23 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...of fuel poverty is a matter of serious concern for the Government. A suite of measures is being developed and deployed by the Government to help reduce the impact of fuel poverty in the short and long terms. The Government is concerned that recent electricity and gas price increases caused by international conditions are putting increasing pressure on consumers, particularly those in a...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...As a relevant body, Gas Networks Ireland is required to perform its functions in a manner that is consistent with the most recently approved climate action plan, the most recently approved national long-term strategy, the most recently approved national adaptation framework and approved sector adaptation plans. It must also perform its function in a manner consistent with the furtherance...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Family Reunification (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...avenues for family reunification are available under the Department’s policy document on non-EEA family reunification, which is currently under review. The guidelines for the processing of long-stay family applications are set out in the policy document and there is information to assist people in making applications on the Department of Justice website. On my behalf, and on...

Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (30 Jun 2020)

Ossian Smyth: ...front doors and clapped for our front-line workers but sufficient investment in PPE is the first and most practicable way we can demonstrate that support. What is the Minister's view on the likely long-term trajectory and strategy on PPE? Does he expect it to be a permanently substantial budget line item? Assuming he expects it to be permanent, does he have a view on how we should...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (1 Jun 2021)

Ossian Smyth: ...of Ireland and public bodies such as the National Disability Authority, the HSE, the Department of Health and the Department of Social Protection, in an effort to see how best to support persons with long-term incontinence with respect to the disposal of medical incontinence wear. Since mid-2017, a range of charging options have operated, which encourage householders to reduce and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (15 Jun 2021)

Ossian Smyth: ...of Ireland and public bodies such as the National Disability Authority, the HSE, the Department of Health and the Department of Social Protection, in an effort to see how best to support persons with long-term incontinence with respect to the disposal of medical incontinence wear. Since mid-2017, a range of charging options have operated, which encourage householders to reduce and...

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

Ossian Smyth: In response to Deputy Griffin, I accept that we need flexibility. We are not taking a rigid ideological approach on this issue. It is important to think about our long-term future and what we will be doing in ten years' time, but we also need to think about what is happening next month and whether people can make their bills for that month. We must be open to that. I am willing to discuss...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (28 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...a viable, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable flood relief scheme, which has a preliminary total project budget estimate of €9.5 million and when complete will protect more than 940 properties in the Long Walk, Spanish Arch, Eglinton Canal, Merchants Quay, Raven Terrace, Salthill and Claddagh areas of Galway city from tidal and river flooding. The scheme is in stage 1...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: ...passage of this Bill. Because it is a relevant body, GNI performs its function in a manner consistent with the most recent approved climate action plan; consistent with the most recent approved long-term national climate action strategy; consistent with most recent approved national adaptation framework and approval sectoral adaptation plans and consistent with the furtherance of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...collaboration with Irish fashion designers and retailers. - Support an education and awareness campaign around textiles as a theme of SDG 12 Sustainable Production and Consumption. - Over the medium to long-term, examine the potential role of economic instruments (e.g. levies) on ‘fast fashion’ which could also support higher value indigenous producers by reducing the cost...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services (14 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...facilitated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has been established to identify and recommend practical interventions that might be taken by operators in the short, medium and long-term to combat nuisance communications. As with much fraudulent activity a multi-faceted approach is required.  This particular Taskforce is focussed on telecoms and will seek to...

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...this is the balance. I am sorry there are so many substantial amendments here that I cannot consider in detail. I would love to work with Senator Ruane on that. As Senator Boyhan said, I have long had an interest in digital privacy and so on and the right not be surveilled in such a way. We need these limitations. We went a very long way in this legislation to do everything we...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2022: Second Stage (15 Dec 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...is reduced. In fact, the time is adding up as well and eventually it comes to the point where nothing at all has been delivered. That is the risk of having a public spending code that takes too long, and this is being reviewed. Senator Gavan went into particular detail about the capital programme overall and the need for accelerated investment in housing. He referred to his own area...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services (17 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: ...persons with gender incongruence or dysphoria. It is not possible to pre-empt the outcome of this process by determining at this stage what this model of care will look like once developed. The long-term aim is to provide a wide rage of services for all people with gender incongruence or dysphoria, from care locally in the community to more specialised and complex care. I am committed...