Results 61-80 of 866 for in 'Dáil debates' speaker:Ossian Smyth

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

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 93 together. The deposit return scheme was set up in such a way with the regulations published requiring that the scheme be accessible for all, so it is a legal requirement that participants in the scheme make sure their return point operations are accessible to everybody in the community. With that in mind, a set of suppliers was approved by...

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

Ossian Smyth: As regards the number of cans and bottles that have been brought back, it is 1.8 million plastic bottles and 2 million cans. That is double what it was a few days ago, which shows the rate of increase. The Deputy asked how it works for people who are already putting bottles and cans into the recycle bin in their kitchen and the objective of the whole plan. The problem is that although...

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

Ossian Smyth: While the primary responsibility for management and enforcement responses to illegal dumping, including any decision to deploy CCTV and other technologies, lies with local authorities, my Department continues to provide extensive policy, financial and legislative support to the local authority sector to support its efforts. Almost €18 million has been provided to local authorities...

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: Illegal Dumping (7 Mar 2024)

Ossian Smyth: As the Deputy is aware, a licence from the national waste collection permit office in County Offaly is required in order to collect waste. If the terms of that licence are breached, steps can be taken. I will find out whether a vehicle can be seized and revert to the Deputy with that information. In the case of Castlegar, I urge people in the area to ask the local authority to put in CCTV-----

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

Ossian Smyth: -----to catch those carrying out illegal dumping. In the case of commercial dumping, there are stronger powers for local authorities, in that they can use drones and bodycams. Many of those involved in this activity are dangerous criminals and it is difficult for local authority staff to approach them directly or gather the evidence. The dumping may be going on behind high fences. That is...

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

Ossian Smyth: Formal monitoring and reporting arrangements are in place to ensure that regular reports, both financial and performance, are received from Re-Turn, the scheme operator for Ireland's Deposit Return Scheme, DRS. 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...

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...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regulatory Bodies (25 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Given the importance of the electronic communications sector to both the economy and society, robust regulation of networks and services in a manner that enables investment, ensures operational resilience and trust and appropriate consumer protection requires a fit-for-purpose communications regulator. Both my officials and I meet regularly with ComReg to discuss a range of policy and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regulatory Bodies (25 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I am glad to hear that the Deputy has taken the time to meet ComReg. It has 156 employees at the moment and has sanction for 177. ComReg came to my Department looking for an additional 55 employees. It was looking for specific increases in grades and salaries and so on, and that is under consideration at the moment. However, it does have sanction to move to 177. The Deputy mentioned...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regulatory Bodies (25 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: Communications networks are part of our critical infrastructure, of course. We can see that they are a target. The biggest target is the energy system, with communications probably second after that. We see the example of Vodafone Portugal being taken down for a number of days. This is the kind of thing we need to protect against. The function of ComReg will be to ensure that...

Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (24 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I move amendment No. 5: In page 13, lines 13 to 21, to delete all words from and including "Subject" in line 13 down to and including line 21 and substitute the following: "Subject to subsection (2), the majority-shareholding Minister may, by order, confer on the Board such function of developing, maintaining and operating telecommunications infrastructure as the majority-shareholding...

Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (24 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I move amendment No. 7: In page 17, line 15, after “notice” to insert “in writing”.

Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (24 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I am not saying this is all covered already. What is outlined in amendment No. 4 is covered already. That amendment seeks that GNI complies with the terms of the climate Act. I am saying GNI is already covered by that. It absolutely is. GNI is not covered under what is referenced in amendment No. 6, which seeks the right to refuse connections and so on. What is outlined in that...

Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (24 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The amendments propose to amend the definition of the 2014 Act, which clarifies that the Act of 2014 means the Companies Act 2014, to include various climate policy terminology already provided for in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act of 2015; to add additional obligations into the functions of GNI to factor in national policies on decarbonisation such as the climate action...

Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (24 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I move amendment No. 1: In page 6, lines 24 to 26, to delete all words from and including “insofar” in line 24 down to and including “purposes” in line 26 and substitute “insofar as the activity relates to telecommunications”. The purpose of this amendment is to insert a saver provision to maintain the existing ministerial consents that were...

Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (24 Jan 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I move amendment No. 2: In page 11, line 28, to delete “Maternity Protection Acts 1994 and 2022” and substitute “Maternity Protection Acts 1994 to 2022”. This amendment corrects a typographical error.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Vaccination Programme (14 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I will refer briefly to the timeline in this regard. It is hoped the results of the HTA will provide important clarity on this matter and will assist in determining the most appropriate course of action. It is expected that the key components of the HTA will be completed by the second half of next year. It is important that parents are vigilant of their children's symptoms, that they...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Weather Events (14 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I believe the Minister for Transport visited east Cork and perhaps Midleton as well at the time of the event. It was not for a photo op but to discuss directly with people how this was affecting them because as the Deputy knows himself, that is the only way to understand what the problem is and how to address it. As I said, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the county council and the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Vaccination Programme (14 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputy Burke for raising this matter. Both Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, and the Chief Medical Officer share these concerns in relation to the high levels of RSV that are circulating in our community. To begin with, I can confirm that following receipt of NIAC advice on RSV immunisation options in October, and the Office of the Chief Medical Officer having considered that...