Results 2,521-2,540 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I am trying to help the Chair. I really think-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: That is a good question. I will ask Mr. Lowry whether the number is likely to change.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The number was sent to 2 million people, so it would be pretty hard to change it at this stage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: It is important that we make everything as clear as possible. There is a page about the digital Covid certificate on gov.ie. There is another page that tells people how to register at a testing service. There is a lot of detail to this and it is challenging for anybody to get his or her head around. The clearer that we can be with our communications the better. If the Chair thinks I am...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I will publish the report in a redacted form. I will publish as much of it as I can, with the goal of transparency

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I will consult the relevant people about how much I can publish. I think I can publish a lot of it. I am also willing to come before the committee to discuss any of the contents and answer questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: Later in the summer. I have been looking at it. The Chair also asked about legislation to put the NCSC on a statutory footing. I hope to introduce that in the autumn. Does the Minister of State have an idea of the cost of the cyberattack on the HSE?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: Paul Reid has made a number of estimates which have increased since the attack. He named a figure of €100 million for what was required to remedy what was done. Paul Reid or the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, are the right people to give detail about that. I would not know any more than that about it. It was a devastating attack that ended up costing much more than...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: Earlier, the Chair asked me about the rules for entry from the UK, US and other countries that will apply from Monday. Those rules relate to isolation, the age of the person entering, whether they are vaccinated and whether they have a negative PCR test. I gave my view of what I think it is but that is subject to an exact Government statement. The Chair asked if I was saying this as a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: All the information in the QR code is the same as that printed on the page and there is no extra information in the code. All the information needed is in the QR code. Most people who show their phone will have the QR code and no other information visible. The Deputy asked if the person validating it pre-departure will be able to check whether, for example, an antigen test is valid in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I have an opinion on that but I will ask Mr. Lowry to say what he thinks.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: That is the technical system to check remotely whether one's test is suitable. In practical terms, the message is that people need to check, go to the reopen EU website and see what the destination rules are, how old a child can be to travel there without a PCR test and is an antigen test acceptable. People need to do that, rather than arrive at the airport and have their certificate...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: People should also arrive earlier at the airport than they normally would, because there is more stuff to check, and they should fill in their electronic passenger locator form.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: It specifies the test name and there is a list of test types authorised by the EU. There are many types of antigen test, for example.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I am not sure Mr. Lowry would want to be on the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Chair very much. I wish to be clear that the current rules with regard to travel from the UK and the US are such that, while vaccinated people do not have to isolate, those with a negative PCR test do. Until any change to that rule is officially published on gov.ie, it is still the rule. I just want to be really clear on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Chair.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (14 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: My personal view is no different from that of the Government. I do not wish to diverge from the Government's view. I thank Deputy Ó Murchú for inviting me to clarify that point.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (13 Jul 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 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 so close to a fibre network but...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (13 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The location referred to in the question is located in the BLUE area on the National Broadband Plan (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 NBP as commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do...