Results 1,461-1,480 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (13 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Circular Economy Bill provides the necessary legislative basis for the introduction of environmental levies and is scheduled to be enacted before the Summer recess. It will then provide the legislative power to introduce a waste recovery levy to activities identified in the Waste Management Act, 1996 (as amended). Details of the levy will be determined as the drafting of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (13 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89, 91 and 92 together. Based on the leviable tonnes to landfill in 2021, an addition of €5 per tonne on the current landfill levy would yield an increase of approximately €0.58m.   I would point out that the primary purpose of environmental levies is to effect behavioural change, not to increase revenue.

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I am happy to speak about my view and the Department's view on what we need to do to progress the Bill. I would like to speak about it even though we do not have Government amendments. I would be happy to respond to any comments or questions from Senators.

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I can answer questions Senators have during the session.

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senators Ward, Currie and Carrigy in particular for affording me the opportunity to again consider the national lottery, its contribution to good causes and how it might evolve and develop in the future. Since its inception in 1987, though good times and bad, the national lottery has continually provided a steady stream of funding for good causes in the areas of the arts and culture,...

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Senator Carrigy referred to the loss of money by agents. It is a notional loss of income because people are gambling-----

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: It is loss of income the Senator expects would return to the lottery, were the bookies banned from taking bets on that. I accept that is the problem the legislation is trying to solve. Senator Boyhan mentioned that a lot of work has been done and there is a lot more work to do.Much work has been done, not just by the Senators but also within my Department. Commissioning that independent...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (12 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Ireland’s infrastructure does not allow it to manage all of the waste material generated for recycling and there is a reliance on exports to manage the waste we produce. Irish recyclers are competing for waste materials, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, in an open market. There are recycling facilities for PET plastic in Ireland. While my Department does not have the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (12 Jul 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 almost 560,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with some 679 schools. I am advised by...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Amendments Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, all relate to the treatment of interpersonal grievances under the legislation. I accept they were made in a constructive spirit and in an attempt to improve the legislation, and I accept the Senators' good intentions. As was discussed previously, the purpose of both the Protected Disclosures Act and the whistleblowing directive is to protect people who...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The 2014 Act is silent on anonymous reporting. Accordingly, it allows recipients to exercise sound judgment in deciding how or whether to respond. The whistleblowing directive sets out the position as regards anonymous reporting more explicitly. Article 6(3) provides that persons who report anonymously are entitled to the same protections that apply to reporting persons who do identify...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator. Amendment No. 7 removes the 50-employee threshold for employers performing a public contract with a value of more than €3 million. This would mean any employers in this category would be obliged to establish formal internal reporting channels and procedures. I am not accepting this amendment. As discussed on Committee Stage, the impact of such an amendment...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senators. I will start with amendments Nos. 9 to 12, inclusive. Each of these amendments widens the qualifiers for ministerial disclosure to such an extent as to significantly dilute the requirement to report in the first instance to either the employer or the prescribed person before reporting to the Minister. This is not in line with the policy intent. The operation of the...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I am not accepting this amendment because I do not see the necessity for it. There is already a provision in section 10C(7)(d) for a reporting person to request and obtain further feedback on the actions taken or envisaged to be taken in response to his or her report. It is inevitable that if a report involves a matter of such complexity that follow-up is protracted, the feedback would...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Section 6A(1)(c), as inserted by section 9 of the Bill, provides that persons designated to receive and follow up shall be impartial. The statutory guidance we will issue in the wake of the Bill’s enactment can and will provide further elaboration on what constitutes impartiality in this context. I do not see the need for this additional provision and it could be unworkable in very...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I agree that an information campaign is crucial. The joint committee's pre-legislative scrutiny report recommended this and it was discussed on Committee Stage. We fully agree that it is very important that people understand their new rights, that we must effect a cultural shift in the treatment of people who are whistleblowers and that they are not denigrated as informers. My officials...

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: These amendments are all related, and in many cases address technical drafting issues. They have the cumulative effect of providing the Minister with the power to impose a levy not only on single-use disposable cups but also on certain re-usable alternatives to those cups that are supplied to the consumer below a certain price point, which will be set by the Minister in secondary...

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: It is.

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: It is on my list.

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Senator Higgins spoke to amendment No. 43. I recognise and agree with this amendment but will not be accepting it as the power to provide exemptions in regulations is already provided in the Bill, and I consider those regulations to be the appropriate vehicle to consider and address all the detailed impact of any levy. In that regard, as I previously indicated, the draft regulations to...