Results 61-80 of 1,278 for at speaker:Ossian Smyth

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Senator spoke about developer-led versus plan-led and she is right to mention that distinction. Up to now, we have had a developer-led approach for wind farms. It has not led to the creation of any wind farms but just a view that you can apply anywhere and the interest and planning would come from the market. The whole thrust of the legislation this Government has developed has been...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator. A commercial semi-State body is charged with two things. The first is performing its functions that deliver on its strategic mandate, whatever that is. The second is trying to make a certain amount of money which is then used by the State to provide services to its citizens. In advance of the year, expectations are set by the shareholder - the State - saying how much...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The implementation of the European directive on common rules for the internal markets in renewable and natural gases and hydrogen is the appropriate legislative vehicle for consideration of the decarbonisation of the gas grid and GNI's role and functions as provided for in the Gas Act 1976, as amended. In particular, the final version of the European gas directive provides for member states...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: ...Ireland. This is a significant improvement. We are absolutely committed to reducing emissions from gas and by moving towards 80% of our electricity coming from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. That is an absolute commitment. There is a legal requirement to cut our emissions by 50% by 2030. There is actual progress being made all of the time. With regard to deciding who gets a gas...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: An Garda Síochána (17 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: On behalf of the Minister for Justice, I thank Deputy Harkin for raising this issue in the House today. I am aware that the Deputy has also written to the Minister about this previously. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, is committed, as is the entire Government, to building stronger, safer communities and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda Síochána across the country is central...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Deputy should look at sections 244 and 245. Section 244 is on the creation of rights of way by agreement and section 245 is on the creation of rights of way through compulsory purchase. The local authority cannot point to a piece of land that is privately owned and announce that, from then on, it is going to be a right away. It does not have that power. If there is an established and...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputies for clarifying this for me. If we look at section 246 we can see some additional and supplemental provisions with respect to public rights of way. I am looking in particular at subsection (2) whereby, with regard to a right of way required by the section to be maintained by a planning authority, a person shall not damage or obstruct the way or hinder or interfere with...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputies for their questions. There are two answers as to why landscape conservation areas are being removed and why they are not included in the Bill. The first is they were little used in the past. The second is that it is expected it will be achieved in another way. This is looking at section, where there is an obligation to prepare a strategy for conservation. According to...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Effectively, this is a new section. It brings in the concept of a collection of objectives for a settlement. Settlements are defined in Central Statistics Office reports as being collections of more than 1,500 people. It is a collection of objectives. We are used to SLOs in development plans, so that gives the Deputy an idea. It is a collection of objectives that fit together. Part of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The consequence is that zoning will only happen at the development plan. Zoning will not happen in local area plan and there is no zoning in the settlement objectives either.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (20 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 to 92, inclusive, together. The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has been in operation since the 1st of February. Both the Department and Re-turn, the DRS operator, are monitoring the scheme closely and I receive regular updates on its performance. To date: There are currently 2,529 retail return points across the country. The vast majority of retailers...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services (20 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Deputy might wish to note that the Department of Social Protection has a Telephone Support Allowance currently in place which provides a weekly payment for people who live alone and are already in receipt of certain other social welfare payments. That allowance assists with the cost of communications and home security solutions. More details are available from that Department, including...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (20 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The roll-out of infrastructure for telecommunications services in Ireland is primarily a matter for private mobile network operators, operating on a commercial basis in a liberalised market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). ComReg is statutorily independent in the exercise of its functions in accordance with section 11 of the Communications Regulation Act...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (20 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: In December 2022, my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets, including that: all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028 all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030, and digital connectivity...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (20 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: In December 2022, my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets, including that: all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028 all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030, and digital connectivity...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: 12 o’clock In the case of people having their bottles and cans delivered to their homes, Re-Turn is engaging with the national Meals on Wheels network to find a way to return bottles and cans to people so they can get their money back. Regarding the accessibility of the machines, they should not be set at a height above 1.2 m to ensure people in wheelchairs can reach them....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Illegal Dumping (7 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I absolutely agree with the Deputy. I feel angry and ashamed when I see rubbish that has been dumped, often commercially for profit. We cannot reach those people through awareness campaigns. They know they are doing the wrong thing. The only way we can reach them is through gathering evidence that is admissible in court to obtain prosecution. We could not do that in the past because the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Recycling Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Those are all very reasonable questions. We are in the changeover period for this scheme. The changeover period is four months long. The reason there is a changeover period is so that the old stock on the shelves of the supermarkets can be sold off and at the same time the new stock which has the logos and the new bar codes is coming in. We could not change over overnight because that...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Infrastructure (7 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: As telecoms technologies advance and evolve at pace, there is a need for guidelines and regulations to be regularly updated to reflect this. This is of particular importance in relation to innovative technologies like 5G, which requires infrastructure that is vastly different to what preceding technologies required and consequent different legislative treatment in some cases. The Digital...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (7 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: In December 2022, my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets, including that: all Irish households and businesses, including schools, will be covered by a gigabit network no later than 2028 all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030, and...