Results 1,421-1,440 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

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

Ossian Smyth: I move amendment No. 2: In page 6, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following: "Payment to Central Bank in respect of certain transactions 7. (1) The Minister may make a payment out of the Central Fund or the growing produce thereof to the Central Bank of an amount not exceeding €6,600,000, being the amount that was payable to the Central Bank in respect of the State's share...

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

Ossian Smyth: Yes.

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

Ossian Smyth: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, line 11, after “funds;” to insert the following: “to provide that the Minister for Finance may make a payment out of the Central Fund to the Central Bank of Ireland in respect of certain transactions;”. As the two amendments being discussed today concern the same issue and as they have a single objective, both will be dealt...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (20 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: At present, the quantity of recyclable materials placed on the market by industry in Ireland is in excess of domestic recycling capacity and the waste management industry relies, in part, on the export market to meet its processing needs. As Minister of State, I do not have the power in an open market to direct waste to be kept within Ireland or that it be directed to a specific facility for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (20 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Indeed, at the invitation of Deputy Niamh Smyth I went up and had a look at Shabra plastics in Monaghan, one of many visits I have made to Monaghan. I could see it is importing plastic from all around the world and meanwhile Irish plastic is being exported all around the world in contravention of the proximity principle. The question is how do we address this. We are not waiting for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (20 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The unrecycled plastic tax on packaging waste is calculated by finding the quantity of plastic packaging put on the market and then subtracting out the quantity that was recycled. I will get the Deputy an answer for who the authorities are who calculate those statistics. If it is not my Department it is probably the Environmental Protection Agency, the Central Statistics Office or somebody....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (20 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I regularly meet with Eir, NBI, the contractors who do the work and everybody in between to make sure that the project is still running. I have met with the new chief executive of Eir and I am convinced that he will continue to improve the roll-out of this system. Deputy Ó Murchú mentioned Eir make-ready which is the preparatory work that Eir does in the year before it hands over...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (20 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I will start with Deputy Ó Murchú. By the end of this year, we will have agreed with NBI what its target is for next year. Some 102,000 is our target for January of next year and we will have agreed a new achievable target by the end of the year. That will involve working with Eir on their make-ready plans. The existing contract is for a seven-year roll out which completes by...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (20 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: With regard to the people who have 30 Mbps and are regarded to be good enough, the national target has not been agreed, but it is likely to that everybody will have gigabit Internet by the end of 2028.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (20 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I understand.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (20 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: We are ahead of where we expected to be at the start of the year when we were planning in February. Survey and design work for the new high-speed fibre broadband network under the national broadband plan is complete or ongoing by National Broadband Ireland, NBI, in every county in Ireland. I am advised by NBI that, as of 9 September 2022, more than 331,000 premises are design completed and...

National Retrofit Plan: Motion [Private Members] (20 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. I am delighted there is so much interest in retrofit. There was not always such interest. In the past, when retrofit schemes were proposed there were cynical responses about how many years it took for the payback. Those calculations about how long it took for payback were based on assumptions about the future price of electricity and gas. We...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (20 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 104 together. The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out 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, including almost 100,000 businesses and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (20 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out 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, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with some 679 schools.I am advised by National...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services (20 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I have no role or statutory function in the matter raised by the Deputy. The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) is charged under statute with the promotion of the interest of users of electronic communications services, and in accordance with Regulation 16(1)(d) of the EU Framework Regulations with addressing the needs of specific social groups, including the elderly in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (20 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out 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, including over 100,000 businesses and farms along with some 679 schools. I am advised by...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (20 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The NBP network that is being built by National Broadband Ireland will ensure that all of those living and working within the NBP intervention area will have access to a future proofed high-speed broadband network. Deployment of the network is now ongoing in every county in Ireland with the build programme reaching scale. Connectivity will continue to be available from a variety of operators...

Security of Electricity Supply: Motion [Private Members] (15 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Regional Group for raising this important motion. We are all too aware of the pressing matters of energy security, energy prices and protecting our vulnerable consumers and businesses. At the outset, I would like to emphasise the impact the war in Ukraine is having on gas market prices and, in turn, the impact on both gas and electricity bills over the coming winter and beyond....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Policy (15 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senator Carrigy for raising this matter, which is very timely. The management of the ESB-owned facilities is an operational matter for the board and management of the ESB. The ESB ceased electricity generation at Shannonbridge and Lanesborough power stations in December 2020 because their planning permission had expired. The just transition commissioner made a recommendation in his...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Policy (15 Sep 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I should clarify that the phrase "anticipated shortfall" refers to an anticipated shortfall in the buffer of the surplus energy we have, on top of what is needed to power the country. I do not expect there will be power cuts this winter or next winter, although it is always possible. It is always possible every year. There is always a possibility of power cuts happening and it is the job...