Results 1,001-1,020 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

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

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 190 to 192, inclusive, together. 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 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000...

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

Ossian Smyth: The school 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.go.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: Departmental Funding (16 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: Work is well under way at this site following the completion of planning and procurement requirements. In December 2020  Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown County Council entered into a contract (valued at approx. €2,000,000) for remediation works on the site. These works are expected to take approximately 9 months to complete. While work commenced in May this year, due to...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: As ever, it is an honour to be here. The Appropriation Bill 2021 is an essential element of financial housekeeping that must be concluded by both Houses of the Oireachtas before the end of this year. The Bill serves two primary purposes. First, the Appropriation Bill is necessary to authorise in law all of the expenditure that has been undertaken in 2021 on the basis of the Estimates that...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senator McDowell for making the ingenious connection between the historic function of the Appropriation Acts in a monarchic parliament, the importance of being able to hold the Executive to account, the functions of the Appropriation Acts in that regard, and how this relates to Covid-19 oversight in our current age. During the interregnum, we had a vacuum of committees and oversight...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: We are all looking forward to Senator McDowell's guerrilla action. If he wants to bring forward specific proposals on how our systems of oversight can be changed, or if he wants to ask questions about it, I would be happy to indulge him. Senator Kyne brought up the issue of councillors’ pay. When he mentioned that last year, he asked when the Moorhead report was going to be...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: -----to the gratuities system. Would Senator Buttimer like to contact me and tell me in what way he is unhappy with the gratuity payments?

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I would be happy to talk to him about that. Senator Kyne referenced constitutional changes that may be needed. It is a constitutional imperative to pass the Appropriation Bill today. We ran into a constitutional challenge and there was a sense of impending constitutional crisis. Senator McDowell even went to the High Court to establish whether the Seanad was properly constituted and so on....

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I should not have to ask. My grandfather was the station master in Cloughjordan and many of my supporters probably live there. There is a large expenditure programme for that line. I will find out what progress there has been. The Senator mentioned that it was a four-year project and how he would like it to happen over a shorter period.

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senator Buttimer for welcoming the Cork-Dublin line improvements. It is one of the premier rail lines in the country and it is important that it receive investment. It is something that will make people switch out of cars. The Senator is right that a considerable amount of money is being spent. While this debate is a formality in some ways, given that the Opposition will not be...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I am not a Minister of State at the Department of Finance. I am at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. However, I am in the same corridor as the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, and if Senator Buttimer sends me the specifics of proposals to support the hospitality sector, I would be very happy to give them to the Minister. Senator McDowell is absolutely right in his comments about...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I meant it.

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

Ossian Smyth: Regarding the novel approaches, I am talking about novel platforms for information sharing, such as the joint cyber unit, JCU, and so on. As for whether there are any areas we are excluded from, was the Deputy referring to those at a military level?

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

Ossian Smyth: The Vice Chairman asked about the minimum investment in cybersecurity of ICT budgets throughout the EU.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Programmes (20 Jan 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 6 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that I am currently finalising a new digital strategy for the civil and public service. The strategy will address the digitalisation of public services theme in the national digital strategy, which the Government intends to publish later this month. The strategy acknowledges the contribution of digitalisation...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Programmes (20 Jan 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputy Nash. Earlier, he referred to the fact that we have 3 million MyGovID accounts. Much of this was driven by people not being able to go into Government offices that were closed down because of the pandemic or wanting to do things online to keep a degree of separation. We have a very broad electronic ID. We have a form of authentication that has a very wide uptake compared...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Programmes (20 Jan 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Deputy Nash has referred to the need to avoid having to type in one's information again and again. That is referred to as the once only principle. It is a common principle across Europe that people should have the convenience of being able to store their information. That requires joined-up government and the data sharing Act which has been put in place. Large sections of that Act were...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (19 Jan 2022)

Ossian Smyth: My Department currently has no plans to introduce a grant scheme for businesses within the hospitality sector to purchase food waste biodigesters.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (19 Jan 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119, 135 and 141 together. The premises referred to in the Questions are 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (19 Jan 2022)

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 on my Department's website 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. My Department has made enquiries to see if a commercial broadband network...