Results 5,321-5,340 of 8,245 for speaker:Bríd Smith

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Policy and Incineration: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: Chairman, I wish to put my question to the representatives of the EPA as it has not been answered. Do they think the penalty is strong enough to prevent this type of breach of regulations? I do not believe it is. That is one question for the EPA, but I have a few more questions for Mr. Collins about the incinerator. He describes how the level of-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Policy and Incineration: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I did not realise there was the capacity to fine companies so much. Obviously, it is up to judges to make that decision. I did not realise that. I was told by the city manager that the maximum a company could be fined is €3,000.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Policy and Incineration: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: Somebody would probably have to be killed or die from a disease.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Policy and Incineration: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I will put the same question to the EPA, but I also have questions about the incinerator. I am representing people in the Ringsend area who have asked me to say that people living around Dublin Bay often see the smoke coming out of the chimneys and are concerned about its condition. It is thick, dense and incessant. They worry about what pollutants are going into the air they are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Policy and Incineration: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: Thirteen times out of 365 days in the year does not sound like an awful lot to me. I assume it works every day.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Policy and Incineration: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: The tone of the presentations is that we are getting to grips with our waste, we are one of the best recyclers, the best at waste reduction in Europe, landfill is becoming a thing of the past etc. The tonnage, 600,000 tonnes in Ringsend and 250,000 in County Meath, going through waste to energy sounds like good news. If we are so good at reducing waste why do we need more incinerators, such...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Policy and Incineration: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I understand the argument for Poolbeg as per what Mr. Collins has laid out here but additional thermal treatment does not make sense. We are trying to reduce plastic, to recycle more, we already use Poolbeg and Meath, why do we need more waste incineration in the country? If Mr. Collins cannot answer that and it is part of the local authorities' plan we should have them in here to question...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Review of Procurement Process for National Broadband Plan: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: On a point of order, will the Chairman be observing a pecking order after Senator O'Reilly?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Review of Procurement Process for National Broadband Plan: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I want to ask Mr. Smyth about the business of the process itself. I note "process auditor" is Mr. Smyth's title. One of the most extraordinary statements I heard throughout the whole controversy was when the Taoiseach stated that the problem with the arrangement or meetings, whatever they were, the 18 meetings between the then Minister, Deputy Naughten, and Granahan McCourt, the dinners he...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Review of Procurement Process for National Broadband Plan: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: Why then did the Taoiseach think there was a problem that the former Minister did not have dinner with the other two, and that he only had dinner with one of the bidders?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Review of Procurement Process for National Broadband Plan: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: The Taoiseach did.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Review of Procurement Process for National Broadband Plan: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: The Taoiseach is quoted in the media as saying it. I think he was in Cavan at some event when he said it. The Taoiseach stated that the main problem is that the then Minister had dinner with one bidder and not all three of them. Is Mr. Smyth concerned that that has tainted the process?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Review of Procurement Process for National Broadband Plan: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: But he did not have dinner with them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Review of Procurement Process for National Broadband Plan: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: The Taoiseach was wrong then.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Review of Procurement Process for National Broadband Plan: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: Okay. I will find the quote for Mr. Smyth and send it to him. Mr. Smyth states he believes the process is not tainted by the meetings between Mr. McCourt and the former Minister. Is the process at all tainted, although maybe not by the meetings? Most people who vote and put us in this House would look at this and ask, "In the name of God, what sort of tangled web of corruption and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Review of Procurement Process for National Broadband Plan: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: Mr. Smyth is a process auditor and I am asking him about the process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Review of Procurement Process for National Broadband Plan: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: This has happened. It may be ongoing but it has happened.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Review of Procurement Process for National Broadband Plan: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: Lastly, at any stage was the Minister of State, Deputy Breen, questioned by Mr. Smyth as to his role in this because the Minister of State set up the meeting between McCourt and Naughten in Clare where they had dinner?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Review of Procurement Process for National Broadband Plan: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: Does Mr. Smyth think Deputy Breen had a role in any of this, other than setting up the dinner?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Review of Procurement Process for National Broadband Plan: Discussion (6 Dec 2018)

Bríd Smith: I thank Mr. Smyth.