Results 21-40 of 2,916 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Disability Services (4 Jul 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputy Pringle for raising this issue. My colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, remains committed to the continued development and enhancement of our disability services through the implementation of both the HSE’s progressing disability services, PDS, roadmap for service improvement from 2023 to 2026 and the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (4 Jul 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy for acknowledging that this is a good scheme. It has been successful. Irish Business Against Litter reported that it has resulted in a reduction of one third of the bottle and can litter around the country, which will continue. The Deputy said it has resulted in an increase in waste collection prices. That is not actually true. On Monday, the Irish Independent reported...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (4 Jul 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Department is in negotiations with the Irish Waste Management Association to make sure the system of subsidies and levies in place is such that there will be no effect on the cost of waste collection. I do not want the price of waste collection to go up at all. I am glad the Deputy acknowledged that the deposit return scheme is working well.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services Staff (4 Jul 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senator Gallagher and the Seanad for giving me the opportunity to address this issue on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. For eligible public health sector employees suffering from long Covid, a temporary 12-month special scheme of paid leave was introduced in July 2022. This was on the foot of the withdrawal of access to the then Department of Public Expenditure and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services Staff (4 Jul 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator. The Minister for Health has secured supports for eligible employees suffering from long Covid by way of the health sector-specific special scheme, which follows on from the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform's special leave with pay and that is for up to four years to date. I would also remind the Senator that this scheme has...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Data Centres (4 Jul 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senator Byrne for raising this topic. Ireland has attracted the best data centre and tech companies in the world. It is a really important relationship, and the Government continues to work with the sector towards a secure and decarbonised energy future which will enable the twin transitions of digitisation and decarbonisation of our economy and our society. However, data centres,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Data Centres (4 Jul 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Data centres are obviously critical to our economy, they bring in huge amounts of money and giant amounts of employment. Ireland is storing about one thrid of European data, it is clearly an engine of our economy. We had a policy on data centres in 2018 that came from the Department of trade and did not refer to security of supply, the risk of blackouts in our electricity system or climate...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Citizens' Assembly (4 Jul 2024)

Ossian Smyth: On behalf of the Taoiseach, I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak to the Seanad today and I want to thank Senator O'Reilly for raising this matter. The citizens' assembly is an exercise in deliberative democracy and places the citizen at the heart of important legal and policy issues facing Irish society. Citizens' assemblies operating independently of Government and reporting...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Citizens' Assembly (4 Jul 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Senator is right. This is the last year of the Government. Three of the four citizens’ assemblies were established and have done their work. This is the final one. Looking at the experience as to how the previous citizens’ assemblies were set up, what happens is that a proposal from the relevant Department is submitted to the Department of the Taoiseach. The latter then...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Rural Schemes (4 Jul 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, has sent her apologies that she could not be here today. I am here on her behalf to respond to the Commencement matter. The local improvement scheme is a programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in rural areas that are not normally maintained by local authorities. The scheme is funded by the Department of Rural and Community...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Rural Schemes (4 Jul 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator for acknowledging that there is ongoing dialogue with the local authorities. The scheme has been changed. It did require two herd numbers but that has now been moved to one. I take from what the Senator is saying to me that he believes the scheme should be changed from a requirement to have the land parcel size of 1 ha so that a number of land parcels can be aggregated...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Rural Schemes (4 Jul 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Two Senator O’Reillys.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Policy (27 Jun 2024)

Ossian Smyth: As the Deputy has said, we are within the law. The six months starts from the time that section is commenced. I understand the Deputy's frustration. It is taking longer than expected. The problem is more complex than we thought. It will be delivered by the end of this year. Part of what we needed to do was commission a national circularity assessment and material flow analysis to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Policy (27 Jun 2024)

Ossian Smyth: It is not the case that I am waiting for these reports before I can do anything in the sectors. We are really trying to make progress already. I have, for example, proposed mandatory segregation of waste on commercial operators, which was never there. People in their homes have to segregate their waste but there was no obligation for businesses to do that. I am also changing the rules on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Policy (27 Jun 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Ireland’s strategic approach to the circular economy is set out in the whole-of-government Circular Economy Strategy 2022-2023. The Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 provides a statutory basis for future iterations of the strategy and requires that such iterations include sectoral targets aimed at promoting circularity across the range of resource-intensive...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (27 Jun 2024)

Ossian Smyth: In the case of those who cannot leave their homes and have food delivered, I understand Re-Turn is working with meals on wheels to see if it can come up with a solution. It is also working with community groups, GAA clubs and so on to see whether it can be addressed that way. Re-Turn has dealt with people who have contacted it and has found solutions for them. On the machines requiring...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (27 Jun 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The DRS is a national infrastructure project which operates primarily on a return-to-retail model. Under the DRS regulations, retailers are required to charge customers a deposit for each bottle sold, to take back empty containers, unless exempt, and to refund the deposit to customers. Retailers are also required to ensure that the take-back facility they provide on their premises is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (27 Jun 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The scheme was in planning for a number of years. In 2020 and 2021, there were public consultation processes which were open to everybody to offer their advice or suggestions on how the scheme should operate. When I drew up the regulations, I made it a legal requirement that the machines should be accessible to all. The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has a waste...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (26 Jun 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. Ar son an Aire Oideachais, gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an ábhar seo a phlé. Tugann sé deis dom eolas a thabhairt don Seanad faoin dul chun cinn atá déanta mar gheall ar an bhfoirgneamh nua do Ghaelscoil Ruairí. The school building project for Gaelscoil Ruairí will deliver a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (26 Jun 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Like all public representatives, I am familiar with the process of new schools starting up. There is a lot of enthusiasm at the start and then there are the challenges of trying to find the school buildings. There are temporary buildings at first and then there are permanent buildings along with the process of planning permission and so on. I understand it is frustrating and difficult to...