Results 2,081-2,100 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

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 energy efficiency national fund is an existing fund which was set up prior to this year. The scheme already exists. It exists to allow for energy efficiency upgrades, such as through the warmer homes scheme and so on, to be carried out. Works such as retrofitting or through any schemes of the SEAI can be carried out. It has a legislative basis. By putting money into it that is...

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: I am not entirely sure what the Comptroller and Auditor General was referring to in that particular report but I can come back to the Deputy on that in a minute.

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: There are two separate funds. There is the QIF and the energy efficiency national fund, EENF. This money is to go into the EENF. In previous years, money that went into the EENF was then sent forward into the QIF and, as I understand it, that will not happen this year. I will invite my official, Louise, to comment on that if that is allowed.

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: Is that how it works?

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: Okay, if the Chairman wants to do that.

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: This is the transfer of unspent money from the national broadband to allow for additional expenditure on retrofit. There are three broad categories in the context of retrofit. There is the local authority grant scheme, which is 100% funding for people in local authority housing. As I understand it, that is set at €85 million for next year. There is the better energy, warmer homes...

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 Deputy asked, if we are loading more money into retrofits, how many more homes will be done or what will it do to the waiting lists. I only have the financial figures in euro today. I could divide the figure by the average amount for a retrofit but, to give a proper estimate, I will wait until January when we will announce the national retrofit scheme. I will have accurate numbers at...

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 issue of encroachment by private operators.

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 end of January estimate is for 59,000. The latest I heard was that 30,000 people are available for order or pre-order at this stage. I do not foresee the projected figure being achieved. I went to a board meeting of National Broadband Ireland, NBI, in County Clare two weeks ago. It was the first time in nearly two years the board of the company, which is the supplier that will be...

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: I do not have the most recent figure to hand as this is not a communications committee meeting.

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: My figure is a little out of date as it is from a few weeks ago.

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: Subhead E4 is the same €1.5 million that was asked about. It arises because of an audit report from the National Treasury Management Agency, NTMA, saying-----

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: -----that would have to be done not a year in arrears but this year. It is a move to that. It is the purchase of carbon units, which is required under the Kyoto Protocol targets. Funding for these purchases comes from the Central Fund, and then provision is made in the Vote from the technical Estimate in the following year. This year, however, we have been told to do it in the same year....

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: That is to transfer €10 million from savings under the national broadband plan to increase the climate financing allocation from €5 million to €15 million in 2021. This arises from a commitment made by the Minister, Deputy Ryan, at COP26 in Glasgow to increase the contribution from Ireland by €10 million a year. It is in the budget for next year but we wanted to...

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: Thank you, Chair, and I thank all the committee members. Of course, they can contact my office at any time outside of the committee and I will always be happy to answer their questions.

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

Ossian Smyth: I thank the committee for inviting me to participate in this morning’s meeting to consider the EU cybersecurity strategy and the alignment of Ireland’s national strategy for cybersecurity. I am joined by Mr. Richard Browne, acting director of the National Cyber Security Centre, NCSC, my adviser, Mr. David Clarke, and Mr. Peter Hogan, principal officer in the cybersecurity and...

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

Ossian Smyth: We have discussed cybersecurity in a number of different contexts before and also on the floor of the Dáil. Deputy Ó Murchú asked about the capacity review. We published the executive summary and we will publish the entire report in a redacted form before the year end. I will share it with this committee as well. I commit to that for a start. The question about other...

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

Ossian Smyth: The first question is about OES standards for private cybersecurity industry outside of the public sector. Many of the OESs that are defined already are in the private sector and that is going to be a much larger number than when the NIS 2 directive comes in. They will be subject to a much stricter enforcement regime than has been in place before, although there is already power to force...

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

Ossian Smyth: I do not think it is the right context for such a discussion, but I am happy to provide a separate briefing. It is not a secret, but it is a very technical and in-depth issue.

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

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputy Ó Murchú very much. What I can do is arrange for a briefing from the acting director of the National Cyber Security Centre on that area in detail. That might be a better way to answer the question if that is all right.