Results 121-140 of 231 for long speaker:Ossian Smyth

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Policy (27 Jan 2022)

Ossian Smyth: In a very concrete way, three buses have been put in place and are operating. They are giving us the experience of knowing what it is like to run longer heavy-duty services. Of course, they do not give rise to pollution or emissions. When hydrogen is burned, all one gets is water. Therefore, it is a very clean fuel. That is giving us some experience. Hydrogen can be used for all of...

Carbon Tax: Motion [Private Members] (22 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...provides for a 10-year trajectory for carbon tax increases to reach €100 per tonne of carbon dioxide by 2030; — a significant portion of carbon tax revenue is allocated for expenditure on targeted welfare measures and energy efficiency measures, which not only support the most vulnerable households in society but also in the long term provide support against fuel price...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Digital Hubs (12 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: ...that has now been provided for. We have the National Digital Research Centre, Dogpatch Labs and other accelerators. There is plenty of office space in the area. The review found that there is no longer a need for what had been provided, but that it had delivered a great degree of regeneration in the area. It also found that what is needed now is housing and that the LDA can provide 500...

Carbon Tax: Motion [Private Members] (22 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...and relates to increased demand from certain parts of the world, in part as a result of extreme weather events, lower than expected gas supply and low gas reserves. Unfortunately, Ireland, along with the rest of the EU, is a net importer of gas, and as a result, is a price-taker on international markets. More broadly, energy prices globally have also risen due to rising geopolitical...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: ...have or may have regard to, and so on. Amendment No. 41 proposes that "in performing their respective functions under this section, the Minister and the Government shall ensure that the national long-term climate action strategy is consistent with" and lists items it should be consistent with rather than having regard to.The first thing I would say is that there have been changes in this...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure and Reform (Revised)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Revised)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Revised)
Vote 15 - Secret Service (Revised)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Revised)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Revised)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Revised)
Vote 39 - Office of Government Procurement (Revised)
Vote 43 - Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...period. However, it should be done as quickly as possible within those constraints. That particularly applies now because we are in a period of inflation. If a procurement drags on for too long the price will have gone up and the requirements of the project may change over time. The last two years has been a really unusual period in procurement because of the pandemic. The normal...

National Broadband Plan: Statements (27 Jan 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...in its budget if it needs to find some other way if it comes across unforeseen problems or for some reason it needs extra money on the project. The Deputy also asked whether the investors are in this for the long haul. NBI can decide that it wants to bring in new investors with the consent of the Minister. It can come back to the Department stating that it wants to fund itself with...

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

Ossian Smyth: ...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 witnessed since mid-2020. The best long-term approach for Ireland to insulate consumers from volatility on international wholesale energy markets is to invest in energy efficiency, renewable energy and to expand interconnection with...

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: With regard to amendment No. 49, the PFAS family of chemicals is a significant concern in the EU and globally as these chemicals can cause long-lasting environmental damage and adverse health impacts. In this regard, it is important that they are comprehensively regulated at EU level rather than through the national legislation of individual member states. In recent years, the EU has set in...

National Broadband Plan: Statements (27 Jan 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...sections of the network and that many ducts are blocked. Eir has had a large number of owners over a relatively short period. Some of those owners were short term and they did not invest for the long term and as a result, the Eir network requires a lot of investment. The company is committed to that. A new chief executive will be appointed in the coming weeks and I look forward to...

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

Ossian Smyth: ...definitions used in amendments Nos. 21 and 26. As a result, I will not accept these amendments. The definition of "just transition" was considered during the climate Act last year. There was a long debate about that. No shared definition could be agreed on. As a result, it was proposed by the Opposition that we leave out the definition altogether. If we were to agree on the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Bus Services (13 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...these have doubled to approximately ten services per hour. It should also be noted that communities will benefit from a direct connection to UCD for the first time. With the S4 these include the Long Mile Road, Crumlin Hospital, Ballyfermot, Cherry Orchard, Rathgar and Milltown. On the S6, these new communities include Firhouse Road, Cherryfield and Templeogue. Areas that up to now had...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Ossian Smyth: ...and so on in the past. The sectoral targets will be decided by the Government, but that will not happen in a vacuum. It will have to comply with section 4 of the legislation, which sets out a long list of criteria that have to be complied with. The process is highly technical. It will be a complex undertaking to make a legal sectoral division because of the need to satisfy the many...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waste Management (16 Sep 2021)

Ossian Smyth: ...Article 28 of the European Communities (Waste Directive) Regulations, S.I. No. 126 of 2011, sets out the grounds by which a material which is recovered or recycled from waste can be deemed to be no longer a waste. As the designated competent authority, decisions regarding applications for end of waste are the responsibility of the EPA. They are not licences; they are determinations. The...

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

Ossian Smyth: ...is also the durability of products, the information given to consumers which in the future will show durability ratings for products listed on a very simple scale of a,b,c,d,e,f,g, showing how long it is expected that a product will last and what its lifetime is so that consumers can make informed decisions. For example, when they are buying household equipment, beyond looking at the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Policy (27 Jan 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...which is of great interest to me. Scenarios for net zero emissions by 2050 include a potentially significant role for the use of zero-emission gases, including green hydrogen. In planning for the longer term, we will ensure that they can meet their potential. The Climate Action Plan 2021, published in November, identifies green hydrogen as having the potential to support decarbonisation...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (3 May 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...be carried out by local authorities trying to enforce litter and waste law, while meeting GDPR requirements and addressing the concerns raised by the Data Protection Commission. There has been a long and detailed consultation with the Data Protection Commissioner in relation to the drafting of these provisions and all concerns raised by the Data Protection Commission have now been...

Seanad: Communications Regulation and Digital Hub Development Agency (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (8 Feb 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...more complex to regulate this because we have more than one telecoms operator, unlike in the old days, where there was just one company. Senator Garvey asked about broadband in County Clare and how long it will take, and, specifically, what the roll-out time is. This is a seven-year project that started in 2020 and concludes at the end of 2026. We have completed three years, so we have...

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 income bands. Broadly speaking, everybody wants to have their house retrofitted if they can. There is significant demand. We are trying to upgrade 500,000 homes in ten years. It is a decade-long programme and I am sure there will be enormous demand at the start. In January, I will have numbers on exactly what that will be. As regards the €1.5 million in carbon credits,...