Results 1,201-1,220 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (22 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Receipts from the plastic bag levy for each year are published in the Environment Fund Annual Accounts. Full details of the Environment Fund accounts are available at the following link: Environment Fund Accounts. Final accounts for 2020 are not yet available. Environmental enforcement inspections in relation to the plastic bag levy are undertaken by local authorities. In addition to the role...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (22 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, published in September 2020, which is being delivered on a phased basis over the 5 year lifetime of the Plan, includes measures to improve household food waste management. Measures include: - Making the provision of an organic waste bin mandatory as part of a waste collection service for all households; - Through changes to waste...

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

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator for her interesting contribution. I will address her specific questions in my supplementary response but give her my written answer first. Given the unprecedented rise in electricity and gas prices, reducing the burden 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...

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

Ossian Smyth: The grid is changing. The electricity system is changing because of this big transition to renewable energy. One of the things that is changing is that we sometimes suddenly find ourselves in great surplus and in great deficit at other times because of the weather. Although the weather is predictable, the pattern in which our electricity is generated is different from the way it was in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (23 Feb 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. I appreciate people’s frustration when they are living close to a fibre...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (23 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Under State Aid Guidelines, Member States are required to use existing infrastructure to the maximum extent possible when rolling out high speed broadband networks. The NBP network is, therefore, being constructed through the use of existing telecoms infrastructure where possible and the construction of new infrastructure where necessary.National Broadband Ireland is using infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Cybersecurity Policy (23 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) works to support Government Departments and other public bodies to improve the resilience and security of their IT systems to better protect services that people rely upon, and their data, and the NCSC works very closely with the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) in this regard. However, it should be noted that the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (23 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81, 82, 83 and 84 together. The Questions refer to 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. I appreciate...

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senators Ward and Carrigy, who are here, and Senator Currie for raising this matter and for their concern about the national lottery. I have a few words to say on behalf of the Government about this Bill. The funding the national lottery raises is very important to community groups, clubs and organisations throughout Ireland. I very much appreciate the work of the Senators in...

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: It is useful to have a debate like this and to exchange views. There is a difference of opinion here. The lottery is not shrinking. Revenues are growing. We had very strong growth from 2020 to 2021 of 14%. In 2020, €254 million of money was allocated for good causes, while €289 million was allocated in 2021. The question that arises is: what is the problem we are trying to...

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I have said all I want to say. My office is open to anybody who wants to discuss this further.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Mobile coverage obligations are set out in licences granted by the independent regulator, ComReg, to mobile operators. ComReg advises that the current minimum coverage obligations in those licences are being considerably exceeded by all operators. Capital investment by telecommunications operators over the last 5 years was in the order of €3.3 billion for both fixed and mobile...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109, 111, 134, 156 and 169 together. Despite the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, National Broadband Ireland has made steady progress on delivery of the new high speed fibre broadband network under the National Broadband Plan with 54,000 premises available to order and pre-order across 22 counties. In total, almost 301,000 premises...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: There are over 276,000 premises in County Cork of which over 80,600 are within the National Broadband Plan (NBP) Intervention Area and will receive access to high speed broadband under the NBP. Government investment in County Cork in the NBP will be in the order of €314 million. National Broadband Ireland has made steady progress on delivery of the new high speed fibre broadband...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (24 Feb 2022)

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 679 schools. The majority of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Illegal Dumping (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The General Scheme of the Circular Economy Bill 2021 was published 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. The pre-legislative scrutiny process has...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: There are over 16,000 premises in County Cavan and over 15,000 premises in County Monaghan in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) Intervention Area that will receive access to high speed broadband under the State led intervention to be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI). Government investment in Counties Cavan and Monaghan in the NBP will be in the order of €65...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: There are over 99,000 premises in County Limerick of which over 21,000 are within the National Broadband Plan Intervention Area and will receive access to high speed broadband under the State led intervention to be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI). Government investment in County Limerick in the NBP will be in the order of €84 million. In County Limerick surveying is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Following engagement with telecommunication industry leaders late last year to address the ongoing problem of nuisance communications, an industry-led taskforce, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: National Broadband Ireland (NBI) has made steady progress on delivery of the new high speed fibre broadband network under the National Broadband Plan (NBP).  In County Galway surveying is complete in the Deployment Areas of Gurteen, Kilkerrin, Duniry and Lettermore, pre-works are underway in the Deployment Areas of Gort, Athenry, Loughrea and Inverin and network build is complete in the...