Results 581-600 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: It is that phenomenon where initially there is a period when people get used to what is involved in drawing it down. Things can take longer than expected. This is multi-annual funding, however. It is not a one-year project. The just transition funding projects are not single-year projects. Rather, they are multi-annual projects. In many cases, it is a timing issue. The applicants do...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: There is, yes.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: SME representative organisations and other organisations, including Irish Small and Medium Employers, ISME, the Small Firms Association, SFA, and IBEC, as well as farmer representation organisations, all have a role in this. Any support we can offer them in terms of information or education in respect of how to get grants and so on would be beneficial. Working through those representative...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The Deputy is hinting at the paradox where something is made more efficient but then people use more of it. It is known as Jevons paradox. A home is retrofitted but then the homeowner turns up the dial or starts wearing a T-shirt while in the house and the same amount of energy is used. The Deputy is asking about the extent to which that is the case. Of course, it is not a 100% effect....

Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: From the Seanad (15 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The Deputy mentioned that he believed this might be the electricity credits Bill. He will be happy to hear that the President signed that legislation into law four days ago, so it is in operation. That involves the distribution of up to €1 billion of money to help people with their electricity bills through the winter. This Bill relates to putting a cap on the price electricity...

Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: From the Seanad (15 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The electricity credits are not separate from this. They are funded by this legislation. In fact, the first payment, which will cost up to €300 million, will be made on 1 December. Anybody who is on a pay-as-you-go meter will see that on their bill immediately.

Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: From the Seanad (15 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I have answered the question several times. On 1 December, a large payment will be made. Approximately €300 million will be put into people's electricity accounts. Everybody who has an electricity account and has a property that was not vacant for a year will receive money into their account. We have already passed one windfall Act which takes money from those involved in oil...

Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: From the Seanad (15 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The amendments in this group are minor technical amendments which have been identified to provide greater clarity and reduce uncertainty for stakeholders and for affected parties. Amendments Nos. 1 and 3 result in moving the definition of "affiliated person" from section 14 to section 1. There is also additional text provided, which results in a more comprehensive definition and provides...

Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: From the Seanad (15 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: This set of amendments features minor changes of a technical nature that my Department, with the assistance of the CRU, has assessed as being necessary to prevent the over-recovery of funds due to the unintended double-counting of moneys owed to the market cap fund. The issue of over-recovery only recently came to light during the consultation process the CRU carried out with industry....

Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: From the Seanad (15 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Given the short period between the planned completion of the Bill through the Oireachtas and the requirement for there to be sufficient time for relevant parties to make returns and payments, it is prudent to amend the dates in these amendments by one calendar month, respectively. These amendments should therefore also reduce the risk of a future legal challenge.

Energy Charter Treaty: Statements (9 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I am very grateful for the opportunity to address the House on the Energy Charter Treaty. I want to briefly address a comment from Deputy Whitmore who asked why our emissions are still going up. She will be glad to hear that they are falling. The authority on our level of greenhouse gas emissions is the EPA. It reported that our emissions fell 1.9% last year and that they have fallen 4.6%...

Seanad: Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The amendments in this group are minor technical amendments which have been identified to provide greater clarity and reduce uncertainty for stakeholders and for affected parties. Amendments Nos. 1, 3 and 15 result in moving the definition of "affiliated person" from section 14 of the Bill to section 1. There is also additional text provided, which results in a more comprehensive definition...

Seanad: Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senators for tabling the amendment. The proceeds from the cap on market revenues will be retained by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, or they will be retained by EIrGrid on its behalf and they will be used to support final electricity customers. This is in line with article 10 of the relevant regulation. Since the regulation is in force, the proceeds must be...

Seanad: Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Yes, it would be good to have a report on this. In fact, the European Commission has already commissioned a review of the market cap measures in other European jurisdictions. The view of the Government is that a duplication of that effort in this regard would be unnecessary. However, I am happy to share the contents of that report with Senators if they wish to read it. I do not propose to...

Seanad: Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: This Bill sets a cap on the market revenues of people generating electricity. It states that we are setting that at €120 per megawatt hour or 12 cent per kilowatt hour as a unit. What Senator Boylan is proposing is that we reduce the amount involved from €120 to €100. The path we are trying to tread here and the balance we are trying to strike is between making sure...

Seanad: Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The cap on market revenues will operate from 1 December 2022 until 30 June 2023. That is set out in the EU regulation, which states that a set of measures will be "urgent, temporary and exceptional". The regulation does not provide for the cap to extend to periods after this period. The Department received legal advice with regard to applying the cap beyond December 2022. This advised...

Seanad: Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: This set of amendments features minor changes of a technical nature that which my Department, with the assistance of the CRU has assessed are necessary to prevent the over-recovery of funds due to the unintended double-counting of moneys owed to the market cap fund. The issue of over-recovery only recently came to light during the consultation process the CRU carried out with industry. The...

Seanad: Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Given the short time period between the planned completion of the Bill through the Oireachtas and the requirement for there to be sufficient time for relevant parties to make returns and payments, it is prudent to amend the dates in these amendments by one calendar month respectively. These amendments should therefore also reduce the risk of future challenge.

Seanad: Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank all Deputies and Senators for their work in passing this Bill. I particularly want to thank the officials in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications for the work they put in to carry this out. This Bill takes excessive money that was earned by electricity generators during a time of war and transfers it to electricity consumers who are finding it hard to pay...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Court Accommodation (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator for raising this question. I am here on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, who regrets that she cannot be present due to another commitment. I know she wants to provide some clarity on these issues. Construction of a purpose-built family law court complex at Hammond Lane is a key project in the national development plan, NDP. The Hammond Lane complex...