Results 1,381-1,400 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Education and Training Boards (13 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: My understanding is that the ETBs, and I was a board member of the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB in the past, have autonomy and independence in hiring staff and choosing how they spend their staff budget and so on. The problem arises when they are hiring a replacement staff member whose pay is additional to the budget that has already been allocated. As the Senator is shaking his head,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Education and Training Boards (13 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: When somebody is on long-term sick leave, for example, and an additional person needs to be hired, there is an increase in the budget costs and the ETB is required to go back to the Department to seek sanction. The Department's view on this is that it is approving 85% of applications in that situation. I suppose the intention is for the ETBs to live within their budgets, not to exceed the...

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (13 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I welcome our guests in the Gallery and they are all very welcome. I would never judge anyone for their mileage because I live in a county that is only 10 km by 10 km, so I understand that some have a greater challenge than me. Having regard to the continued rise in electricity prices, I am pleased to commend the Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and...

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (13 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Acting Chairperson and the Senators for their comments. I listened closely to what they had to say. It was a useful debate. Even though we all agree we want to go ahead with this legislation and realise the urgency there, useful contributions have been made by all Members about how we should proceed for the coming months and what is going to happen in the spring because this...

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (13 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: That is why we have targeted and welfare payments but some people get missed, so we need some universal payments as well. We have the experience of that with child benefit. We have three universal payments, or three universal subsidies that are going through. The first is the direct payment of €600 is provided for in this Bill. The next one is the change in the PSO levy. The PSO...

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senators for tabling these amendments and I take them in the spirit in which they are intended. Each of these amendments proposes to amend the Bill to include wording around non-vacant and non-holiday homes. The scheme being established is going to use the MPRN to identify all domestic electricity accounts to ensure that payments are made directly and automatically without means...

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senator Sherlock. The intention of these amendments is to target the payments towards the person using the electricity and to cover tenancy agreements that perhaps include the cost of the electricity in the rent. For operational reasons, the scheme can only credit the domestic electricity account. The scheme will apply to domestic electricity accounts using their unique MPRN to...

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator for her invitation to visit Dublin 7. In fact, a few days ago, I was in the north-east inner city to examine problems with street litter and so on with the Dublin City Council cleanup team. Some of the issues with rubbish on the street are linked to landlords with large quantities of tenants who do not have waste collection contracts in place. I expect they will be...

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: This amendment proposes to cover tenancy agreements which cover rent that includes electricity charges. The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has been in contact with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on this issue. As the scheme can only credit the domestic electricity account, I cannot accept this amendment. For operational reasons, the...

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I move amendment No. 11: In page 8, line 14, to delete “192K.(1) An electricity” and substitute “192JA.(1) An electricity”. This is a technical amendment. The electricity costs benefit to be paid out is supposed to be exempt from income tax. We do not want anybody to be paying income tax on the money they receive. The payment will not, therefore, give rise...

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Part of the remit of this committee is that it targets payments towards people most in need. That is the idea of having a better understanding and better data about energy poverty. For clarity, part of the remit of the committee is that it targets those parts.

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The committee has only recently been created. This Bill is a universal payment measure. It is one of three universal measures to target the price of electricity and gas this winter. This is a universal payment to everybody with a meter point reference number, MPRN, who is a domestic customer. In addition, there are two other universal payments. There is a reduction in VAT from 13.5%...

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The amendment proposes to establish a committee that will look into ways in which future schemes may be targeted at individuals who are most vulnerable to fuel poverty or who are financially vulnerable. I like this proposal and I think it is a good idea. The Department has already set up such a committee, however, about which I will tell Deputies something. I propose to reject the...

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí go léir. I acknowledge and am thankful that the Opposition is supporting the Bill, which, in general, will help everybody. However, there were plenty of questions, comments and criticisms. I will try to address all of the latter in so far as is possible. The general question at the start was why this Bill is so similar to another Bill we...

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (11 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." As we are only too well aware, energy prices have continued to rise to unprecedented levels. The Government is keenly aware of the impact this is having on consumers and the need to take action at scale. Therefore, I commend the Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (11 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Question refers to a premises located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led intervention. I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, as of 30 September 2022,...

Communications Regulation Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I commend the Bill to the House.

Communications Regulation Bill 2022: Referral to Select Committee (6 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Transport and Communications pursuant to Standing Orders 95 and 181.

Communications Regulation Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputies for their interesting contributions. Deputies O'Rourke and Ó Murchú raised the question of nuisance calls, scam texts and scam calls, and asked for an update in that regard. Last year, I convened a meeting of the mobile operators, the head of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau, the head of the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau and ComReg. We set up a task...

Communications Regulation Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Yes.