Results 801-820 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (27 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputy Ó Murchú for this question which I am very happy to answer. The Government of Ireland's national digital strategy, NDS, Harnessing Digital - The Digital Ireland Framework, is helping to drive the digital transition across the economy and society. Its ambition is to make connectivity available to everyone, including through the national broadband plan, remote...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (27 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: It is a seven-year project. It started in 2020 and it will end at the end of 2026. That is the seven years. If you are in year six or seven, you are probably not happy and you would prefer to be in earlier years. There was a move towards acceleration at the start, then the project went slow during the pandemic and for various reasons it then began to accelerate. We are now passing our...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Illegal Dumping (27 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Local authorities are responsible for municipal waste collection and waste management planning within their functional areas. The obligations on local authorities relating to collecting household waste are set out in section 33 of the Waste Management Act 1996, as amended. In summary, it provides that each local authority shall collect, or arrange for the collection of, household waste...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Waste Management (27 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I appreciate that many people were shocked when one of the largest waste collectors introduced a charge for something for which it had previously not been charging. Nobody wishes to pay for something they previously did not pay for. The Deputy asked how I intend to maximise compost and recyclable waste. I do not wish to maximise compost and recyclable waste. I wish to minimise it. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Waste Management (27 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: There is a group that did exist before I was appointed, namely, the price monitoring group. Its job is to examine the market and see if changes are needed. I have asked the group to reform. It includes an economist, people from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, and consumer experts. They have been asked to play the role of mystery shopper to find out what the prices are on the market...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Waste Management (27 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: A range of measures are already in place to support greater levels of waste segregation and recycling and other measures will soon be introduced. The landfill levy is an important and highly successful such measure which has played an important part in Ireland’s improved waste performance since its introduction in 2002. The Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (27 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) state led intervention is being delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract, signed in November 2019 which came into effect in January 2020. The contract provides for the roll out of a high speed and future-proofed broadband network within the intervention area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in over 560,000 premises,...

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senators Higgins and Ruane for taking the time to table these amendments. Amendment No. 1 proposes to reset the period between statutory reviews to three years and to allow for a shorter timeframe if the Minister deems it appropriate. Amendments Nos. 9 and 13 propose the introduction of two new reviews. The first would evaluate the impact of administrative sanctions and the...

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Is the Senator asking whether it is possible to avoid or evade the provisions of this section by having part-time employees rather than full-time employees?

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I will think about that and get back to the Senator later in the debate, if that is okay.

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I note the Senator's intention potentially to bring forward an amendment on Report Stage.

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Senator Mullen raised an interesting point about transparency over international lobbying. He made the point that both liberals and conservatives alike may be concerned about interference from a left-wing or a right-wing group in another country. While that is an interesting debate to have and I want to have it, it does not relate to the amendment. Senator Higgins pointed out the risk of a...

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Before I start, I wish to answer a question that Senator Boylan asked earlier about section (4)(b), which amends section 5 of the principal Act. This provision makes two technical amendments. They are needed by the insertion of new paragraphs (d) and (e) into section 5(2) of the principal Act. The final amendment brings certain informal business groups, which themselves have no full-time...

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senator Boylan. I was not aware that there are separate rules for the lobbying of the tobacco industry, so I thank her for telling me that. I will consider that, and if the Senator wants to introduce amendments on Report Stage, I will consider them on the basis of that.

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (20 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the House for inviting me here. I welcome the students from Ballybrack. I am not sure whether this is the most exciting debate of the day. Lobbying is an essential element of a well-functioning and mature democracy. The institutions of Government need to hear from varying interests in order to make well informed and grounded decisions balancing wider societal needs against the...

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (20 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senators for their input into this debate. Senator Maria Byrne spoke first and I thank her for welcoming the Bill. She underlined the importance of having different perspectives, but also the importance of having clarity around definitions, what constitutes lobbying and what one can and cannot do. As she said, it is important we appreciate we are not making laws in isolation from...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Prices (19 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator for raising this topic. One of the most important things the Government does is trying to keep people, particularly elderly, warm in their homes in the winter. First, I will outline the regulatory regime which we operate. There have been movements in global price and this has impacted households and businesses in Ireland. I will then talk about the Government's...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Prices (19 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The Senator referred to hardship funds and I referred to the fact that there is a new €10 million fund, which is on top of the hardship funds that were there already. As she mentioned, not all suppliers are taking part in hardship funds. Affected people who are worried about paying their bills can contact a supplier directly and ask for that. If they prefer, they can go to the Money...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Safety Authority (19 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: This is an important matter. I agree that having good collision data on road traffic incidents is absolutely vital to being able to bring down the rates overall and protect people. The Road Safety Authority, in addition to providing a number of essential services, is responsible for public awareness and education in the road safety area. It is also the body with statutory responsibility...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Safety Authority (19 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The Minister has drafted the direction. We have to have a consultation with the Data Protection Commissioner. We cannot predict how long the Data Protection Commissioner will take to decide on what we are trying to do and to decide whether the commission endorses it. If we arrive at a position where the Data Protection Commissioner says that it is fine or we can do within certain...