Results 1,401-1,420 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Communications Regulation Bill 2022: Second Stage (5 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." That a lot has changed since 2002 will not be a controversial contention. This proposition is arguably more accurate for the electronic communications sector than for any other. In 2002, there were fewer than 3 million mobile subscriptions in the State but, by 2021, that number had ballooned by over 4 million, bringing the total number...

Public Transport: Motion [Private Members] (5 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputies for bringing forward this motion, which, as they can imagine, is close to my heart. I thank Deputies Pringle, Joan Collins and McNamara for their clear statements, which I listened to and which I will address in detail later on. The 50% cut in the price of public transport for young people and the 20% cut are the most dramatic interventions in the fare system for public...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Living Wage (4 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: It is Government policy that there should be a living wage for all Irish employees. I would like to see it too and we have a programme working towards that goal. The Deputy's question, though, asks if we can implement this through our public procurement policies and my understanding is that it is not legal to do that. It can be imagined that if we set a certain wage for a public...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Living Wage (4 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I think what the Deputy is saying is that a small minority of current public sector workers are earning the minimum wage but not the living wage.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Living Wage (4 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Yes, they are earning a rate below the living wage. The Deputy would like us to address this issue and I will discuss this with the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, and see what progress we can make on it.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Living Wage (4 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Public procurement procedures require applicants to meet certain standards when applying for public contracts, including declaring whether they have breached aspects of employment law. All public works projects that are delivered under the Exchequer-funded element of the Government's capital plan must be procured in accordance with the provisions laid down in the capital works management...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Development Plan (4 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The National Development Plan 2021-2030, NDP, published last year, demonstrates the Government’s commitment to meeting Ireland’s infrastructure and investment needs over the medium-term horizon. The NDP 2021-2030 provides €165 billion in public capital funding alongside a detailed and positive vision for Ireland up to 2030 as part of Project Ireland 2040. In budget...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Development Plan (4 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I understand the capital carry-over is projected to be €800 million for next year, although we will not know without the outturn. The Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, can tell me if I am wrong, but in general I believe we are not constrained by money in our capital programme at the moment. The real constraints are coming from lack of labour and delays that arise in the legal process...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Development Plan (4 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I meet quarterly with the Construction Industry Federation to ask it how things are going. My understanding is that it is happy and satisfied and is not looking for changes to what was brought in in the inflation co-operation framework. When a new capital works contract is taken out, the various sub-indices of inflation are agreed and a risk-sharing arrangement is put in place. If a...

Seanad: Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I will begin on the broader issue of IMF lending and policy conditionality as both of Senator Higgins's amendments related to that. Conditionality has always been an integral part of IMF lending. Under its articles of agreement, the IMF is required to establish adequate safeguards for the use of its resources in order to ensure that loans to member countries are repaid as they fall due....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (4 Oct 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The contract for the National Broadband Plan (NBP), signed with National Broadband Ireland (NBI) in November 2019, provides for the deployment, management and operation by NBI of a high-speed broadband network to all premises in the NBP Intervention Area. The maximum possible cost to the State for the NBP contract will be €2.7 Billion over the 25 year term of the contract....

Seanad: Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (29 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and join him in welcoming the secondary school students. They have picked probably the worst time to come to the House because this is probably the most complex legislation I have had to bring in. It is a law that allows rich countries to lend money to poor countries that are in trouble and also allows us to forgive the debts of Sudan and Somalia, which got...

Seanad: Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (29 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Bill was published on 11 March and passed Final Stage in Dáil Éireann on 21 September. In the Dáil, there were two Government amendments to the Bill, which were unopposed and related to a technical matter concerning previous contributions to IMF trust funds. On 30 September 2021, the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach...

Seanad: Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (29 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senators for their thoughtful contributions, from both Government and Opposition benches. It is important to recall the challenging context in which many countries currently find themselves. The global economy and international trade have been tested by the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. These events have required a substantial response by governments and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (29 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Section 29 of the Circular Economy Act 2022 provides for the introduction of a recovery levy, in line with the commitment set out in the Waste Action Plan for A Circular Economy, published in September 2020. My officials are now working on the development of supporting secondary legislation to allow for the introduction of the levy in early 2023. The final amount of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (29 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Waste Action Plan for A Circular Economy (WAPCE) sets out a commitment to 'analyse the impact of the landfill levy exemption for bio-waste and whether it should be removed’. A working group has recently been established to progress this matter and will complete its work in Q1 2023. There is currently no plan to review other landfill levy exemptions.

Seanad: Budget 2023 (Public Expenditure and Reform): Statements (27 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I am pleased to have the opportunity to appear before the Seanad to contribute to the debate on budget 2023, which the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform presented to the Dáil just a few hours ago. Budget 2023 is first and foremost a cost-of-living budget. The Government is delivering a budget against an extraordinary backdrop of uncertainty and challenge. We know that many of...

Seanad: Budget 2023 (Public Expenditure and Reform): Statements (27 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: In part, this budget is a response to the war in Ukraine, as a consequence of which Russia has put us under pressure.Russia has increased the cost of our imported fuel while it has in some cases simply turned off the supply of gas to Europe in an attempt to put pressure on European citizens, divide us, make people unhappy, polarised, turn against each other, abandon Ukraine and say that maybe...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (21 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Opposition for its support for the amendments. I have no wish ever to confuse the House or speak in any way that is not clear. Sometimes, however, it is important that I put the exact wording on the record. By way of explanation, what we are talking about here is a 1996 initiative by the World Bank and the IMF called the HIPC initiative, the purpose of which is to provide...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (21 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I just want to make sure I have not said the wrong thing. Deputy O'Reilly asked about the purpose of the administration accounts for Sudan and Somalia. They were established for the purpose of clearing the arrears both countries had to the IMF. Ireland did not lend the money directly. The IMF did but Ireland has its share of the IMF fund.