Results 2,561-2,580 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (6 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Bodies (6 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce (the ‘Taskforce’) was established in 2016 to identify immediate solutions to broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits, and to investigate how to improve services to consumers prior to full build and rollout of the National Broadband Plan (NBP). It is a cross-Governmental initiative, led by my Department and the Department of Rural and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Infrastructure (6 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: At present there is no register of State sites and assets specifically identified as being suitable for the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure. However, I am aware that the Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for maintenance and development of the Intra-State Property register which lists leased or owned State and public properties as part of implementation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Infrastructure (6 Jul 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The EU Common Toolbox for Connectivity aims to boost investment in very high-capacity broadband connectivity infrastructure (Very High Capacity Networks and 5G (Spectrum) following the European Commission’s Recommendation of 18 September 2020. The Toolbox aims to assist the EU in urgently addressing issues of investment such as network cost reduction and coordinated spectrum...

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

Ossian Smyth: I thank all the Senators for being here and for having me in their Chamber. The point was made that many people are seen wearing the badge of sustainable development goals - they are talking the talk but are they walking the walk? Senator Higgins proposes two amendments in this regard. The sustainable development goals are not directly referenced, that is true, within the climate Bill....

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

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator for making her points so well. The SDGs are, as she said, not legally binding but the Paris Agreement is and it refers to them. The Paris Agreement is directly referred to in this legislation. We should also bear in mind the SDGs are time-bound to 2030 whereas this is legislation focused on 2050 and as such it goes beyond that date. The SDGs will be referred to in the...

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

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senators for their contributions. These amendments are grouped because they all seek to add to the list of concepts to which the Minister and the Government must have regard when they are making national, long-term climate action strategy, sector emissions ceilings, preparing climate plans and so on. There are 18 concepts listed. That list was the result of recommendations from the...

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

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senator Higgins for tabling these amendments. What the amendments are trying to achieve is to avoid the pitfall or difficulty to which the 2015 Act gave rise in the context of how it was interpreted court. The Senator believes that the same language is used in this Bill and that it will be affected by the same problems as a result.I was listening to the Senator's argument but I am...

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

Ossian Smyth: I thought we were changing "Government". It is "Minister of Government" and "Government of Ireland". To address the fear that the Bill will have the same wording problem that arose in court with the 2015 legislation, it is worth saying that the new 2021 legislation is very different and has substantially different requirements and obligations that are much more onerous on the Minister and...

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

Ossian Smyth: This is not just about section 3(3). It also involves section 4(8) and the 18 matters listed therein. It would be duplication and it is not necessary to include it because it is already covered.

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

Ossian Smyth: I thanks Senator Boyhan for his contribution. I know that he is on the Agricultural Panel and takes a keen interest in the role of agriculture in all of this. As he pointed out, I represent him as a Deputy in the Dáil and he represents me, so we have that strange relationship.

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

Ossian Smyth: We have discussed this already but I will go back into it again. I thank Senator Boylan for making her points. The role of Government throughout the climate Bill is central to the operation of the Bill. There are great changes between this Bill and the previous Bill. The overall target is set in the legislation and this is something of which the Government will need to have clear...

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

Ossian Smyth: Briefly, making sure the legislation is justiciable is an important tool. Taking legal action against a Government to try to force it to do things is a reasonable thing to do but it is insufficient. My fear is that in the past decade, having legal obligations and even fines was not enough to make change happen. We also need a focus on the actions, the monitoring and the yearly...

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

Ossian Smyth: I welcome Senator Higgins’s concern that the 51% reduction target could somehow be missed. The relevant subsection is (5). The Senator thinks there is a loophole in it and it is possible for a 51% reduction not to be made in the first two carbon budgets, which will cover the period up to December 2030. The subsection states "The first two carbon budgets proposed by the Advisory...

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

Ossian Smyth: To clarify, is it section 6D, dealing with the revision of carbon budgets, that the Senator is concerned with, or is it more about the amendment of the budgets?

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

Ossian Smyth: I am sure Senator Higgins knows it is possible to go beyond 51% and the Bill provides two reasons for that.

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

Ossian Smyth: The Senator is arguing that the advisory council should be allowed to go to 60% or 55% if it wants to choose an ambition that is higher than 51%.

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

Ossian Smyth: There are two grounds for revising the target. One is where there is new scientific advice demonstrating more is needed and the other is where a new international agreement is entered into with a higher level of ambition. It is not foreseen that the climate change advisory council would take a policy role where it would set a higher level of ambition than is set by the 51% figure. The 51%...

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

Ossian Smyth: Do I get more time afterward?

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

Ossian Smyth: I will summarise my basic point on this. It is unusual for primary legislation to direct-----