Results 61-80 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (2 Oct 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senator Lombard for raising this matter. It gives me the opportunity to update the House on the current position regarding the additional school accommodation scheme project for St. Brogan's College, Bandon, County Cork. As the Senator will be aware, the project referred to is a building project to deliver additional accommodations at St. Brogan's College, Bandon, County Cork....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (2 Oct 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Department has told me that it will move on this as fast as it can. This Department of Education really has a good track record on the delivery of capital projects. I think the reason for that is because it has done so many. It has completed 950 projects in the last four years and when you do something many times you begin to get good at it. I noticed that with, for example, Transport...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (2 Oct 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator. The Minister, Deputy Norma Foley has asked me to answer this on her behalf. I will give an update on the timelines for the delivery of additional classrooms at Ardscoil Phádraig, Granard. Ardscoil Phádraig, Granard is a coeducational secondary school and enrolment for the school in September 2023 was 345 pupils. I am pleased to advise the House that...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (2 Oct 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Senator Carrigy clearly has a close, direct understanding of this particular school as he is on the school board and one of his children is attending the school. He understands what is involved. He is telling me that the school applied three years ago for its expansion, and that it is waiting for the Department to approve the stage 1 architectural plans. He cannot see why the project is...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Foreign Birth Registration (2 Oct 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for processing applications for citizenship by descent through the foreign births register under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. As the Senator will be aware, people born abroad may apply for citizenship through foreign birth registration if one of their grandparents was born in Ireland or if one of their parents...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Foreign Birth Registration (2 Oct 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I absolutely agree with the Senator's final point. The Passport Office has shown it is capable of resolving a backlog and delivering a wonderful digitised service. I am responsible for the digitisation of Government public services and that is one of the jewels in the crown. A constituent has reported to me that they went to renew a passport at lunchtime and it arrived in the post the next...

Seanad: Budget 2025 (Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform): Statements (1 Oct 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I am pleased to have the opportunity to appear before the Seanad to contribute to the debate on budget 2025, which was presented to the Dáil by the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform earlier today. As the Minister reflected, over the lifetime of this Government, we have faced extraordinary change, uncertainty and challenge. Despite all this,...

Seanad: Budget 2025 (Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform): Statements (1 Oct 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Today's allocation will provide for a net increase of 400 in the number of Defence Forces members in 2025. Budget 2025 provides immediate support to those who need it most and provides for the long-term investment in Ireland's infrastructure and public services. It is a budget that invests in our people and climate and demonstrates a responsible and balanced approach to managing Ireland's...

Seanad: Budget 2025 (Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform): Statements (1 Oct 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senators for their comments on the budget, all of which I have listened to carefully. Senator Garvey called out, for example, the payments for HRT and IVF. She also worries that there is not enough money for small businesses, which was also a theme in Senator Keogan's comments. Senator Craughwell is interested in the Defence Forces and welcomes the 400 new members. He is...

Seanad: Budget 2025 (Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform): Statements (1 Oct 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I will go back to the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, and discuss that with him. I am happy to engage with Senator Ward on that. Senator Clonan said that the budget did not really speak to the fundamental human rights of people with a disability. A budget is an allocation of financial resources. We just get this long list of amounts of money that are being paid in different ways but there is...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Projects (18 Sep 2024)

Ossian Smyth: It was a pleasure to meet the Deputy in Killarney at the Black Valley last week when fibre broadband was being connected to the Black Valley. This is a sign of the Government's commitment to bring good infrastructure all around the country, including Kerry and Killarney. I thank the Deputy for giving a very detailed geography of the issues facing people using the existing road and the need...

Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion (18 Sep 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the Dáil of 29th March, 2023, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer, following those set down to the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence: ...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Renewable Energy Generation (18 Sep 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy. The answer indicates the Department of housing has no plans to introduce more specific guidelines on how solar farms should be developed. The Deputy asked about that. The Department is saying it is bringing in regional capacity allocations. In other words, these are projections for the amount of solar power we have produced in each region of Ireland. Those are to be...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Projects (18 Sep 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The proof that road projects are proceeding and being completed in Kerry is shown by the Listowel bypass, which was completed this summer. This year, €4.7 million was allocated for the construction of new national roads in Kerry and another €9.7 million was allocated for the improvement of the existing network. This is in addition to approximately €119 million in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Projects (18 Sep 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Due to the funding constraints for national roads this year, a prioritisation exercise was necessary. In line with the NDP and Government policy, the Minister for Transport has allocated national roads funding for 2024 in a manner which seeks to achieve the following outcomes: protection and renewal of the existing national road network; progressing major projects in or near construction;...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Projects (18 Sep 2024)

Ossian Smyth: This is a much larger project that is more than 20 km long and which goes past Farranfore, as well as Killarney. It is a much more ambitious and larger project.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Renewable Energy Generation (18 Sep 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Minister for housing has asked me to take this question on his behalf. I am glad to have the opportunity to update the Members of the Dáil on the regulation of large-scale solar energy developments from a planning perspective. With regard to this specific issue, it is the case that, as with the large majority of development types, there are currently no specific planning guidelines...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services (18 Sep 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy, published by my Department, sets ambitious targets, which include providing a Gigabit network to all households and businesses in Ireland by 2028 and access to 5G in all populated areas by 2030. The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland. The Question refers...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services (9 Sep 2024)

Ossian Smyth: My Department is committed to tackling scam calls and texts across electronic communications networks and services. The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the statutorily independent regulator under the aegis of my Department, established an industry action group to address the growing menace of scam calls and texts, the Nuisance Communication Industry Forum (NCIF). This...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (9 Sep 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy, published by my Department, sets ambitious targets, which include providing a Gigabit network to all households and businesses in Ireland by 2028 and access to 5G in all populated areas by 2030. The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland. The premises in question...