Results 1,981-2,000 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

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.

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

Ossian Smyth: The premises 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.gov.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: National Broadband Plan (16 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The NBP contract is a complex and detailed document which sets out the specific contract terms with NBI in respect of the rollout of the new high speed broadband network under the State led intervention. The publication of commercial contracts of this nature would not be commonplace but, recognising the public interest and level of State subsidy involved, and in accordance with...

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...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The national broadband plan is one of the most ambitious rural broadband plans in the world. I have spoken to Ministers from throughout Europe and nobody is trying to connect every rural home, business and farm to fibre broadband. I expect that by the end of this month, between 50,000 and 60,000 homes in the intervention area will be able to order or preorder fibre broadband to their house...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: An Garda Síochána (15 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy. I understand his frustration. I am informed a new Garda building and refurbishment programme 2022 to 2027 is being developed by Garda Síochána estates in conjunction with the Office of Public Works, OPW, and officials from the Department of Justice. I further understand An Garda Síochána has had an exploratory discussion with Dublin City Council on...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: An Garda Síochána (15 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: On behalf of the Minister for Justice I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Deputy Ó Ríordáin will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is, by law, responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and deployment of resources. The allocation of Garda resources is made in light of identified operational demand...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (15 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 23, inclusive, together. On 17 November, I signed the Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations 2021, providing the legal framework for the deposit return scheme which will become operational across the country in Quarter 3 of 2022. The Regulations require that the approved body who will operate the scheme,shall achieve...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (15 Dec 2021)

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 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 frustration when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a...

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

Ossian Smyth: I refer to the reply to Question No 60 of 9 September 2021. The position is unchanged.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waste Management (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: Privacy concerns are the issue here and a number of local authorities have gotten into hot water where they have been found, by whatever State agency, to be breaching privacy concerns. With that in mind and in light of the precepts of the GDPR legislation, one of the rules concerns whether it is lawful to do something that is permitted under primary legislation. That is why, when I bring in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waste Management (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The statistics are really important because they show whether the law is functioning. I fully commit to providing county-by-county details on successful waste prosecutions and I will be happy to revert to the Deputies on that. Most people go to a lot of trouble to dispose of their waste correctly and wonder whether an item should go into the green or black bin or whatever the case may be....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waste Management (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I was very happy to manage to secure additional funding in the budget for next year for anti-dumping initiatives, for exactly the reasons I was talking about in response to the previous question. Public information works for most people but not for that small cohort of society who are recidivist, shameful, furtive dumpers. The annual anti-dumping initiative, ADI, was introduced in 2017 to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waste Management (14 Dec 2021)

Ossian Smyth: Yes, there may be a way to use CCTV in places that are repeatedly used for fly-tipping. That is the way it happens. There may be a certain place or laneway that is very quiet, people will begin to use it all the time and the entire field will start to fill up. I will certainly examine the legislation to see whether CCTV can be used in those circumstances. In my initial reply to the...