Results 1,521-1,540 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Action Chairperson and thank Senator Ruane for these amendments. I do not intend to accept Amendments Nos. 5 and 6 or Nos. 15 to 23, inclusive. Section 8(9) of the Bill is a broadly-drafted provision that provides for how money from the circular economy fund may be used. The section is similar to the corresponding section in respect of the environment fund and it provides for a...

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Amendment No. 8 is a small drafting amendment relating to the drafting of a poverty impact assessment under section 7. The amendment ensures that the Minister can procure the services of an expert group or body to carry out the assessment, if required, and that it does not have to be carried out by his or her Department. There are other amendments grouped with this one. May I address those?

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Should they first be addressed by the Senators who tabled them? What is the normal order here? I do not know the-----

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Okay. Whatever is normal.

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I have finished speaking to the Government amendment. Should the Senators now be allowed to-----

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I am not accepting amendments Nos. 9 to 13, inclusive. The civic amenity sites are the major interface for dealing with recycling and for the general public getting rid of waste and they are often not consistent from one place to another. Different waste streams are accepted and it is not always entirely clear why. It is confusing. I agree with Senator Boylan that men's sheds are part of...

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I absolutely agree with what the Senator is trying to achieve. However, I will not be accepting amendments Nos. 14 and 74, which deal with different aspects of how we use and dispose of consumer goods. Significantly enhanced repairability and ease of maintenance of consumer goods is an essential component of the circular economy. The whole-of-government circular economy strategy recognises...

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: It is a shocking practice where a commercial company, retailer or Internet retailer takes perfectly good consumer goods from a shelf and puts them straight into landfill or destroy them because they have calculated that they will get a better return on investment or a higher profit by actually destroying working consumer goods. The EU has agreed a general approach to that and an anti-dumping...

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The amendments in this group relate to the circular economy programme. The programme gives effect to the objectives set out in the circular economy strategy. The strategy is prepared by the Minister and approved by the Government. As such, the programme gives operational effect to the objectives in the strategy, which are drafted by the Minister and subject to Government approval. It is...

Seanad: Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: With regard to amendment No. 49, the PFAS family of chemicals is a significant concern in the EU and globally as these chemicals can cause long-lasting environmental damage and adverse health impacts. In this regard, it is important that they are comprehensively regulated at EU level rather than through the national legislation of individual member states. In recent years, the EU has set in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (30 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 to 110, inclusive, together. The contract for the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led intervention, which was signed with National Broadband Ireland (NBI) in November 2019, is a comprehensive and detailed document. To protect the State investment and ensure that the NBP milestones and deliverables are met, the contract has been designed to include...

EirGrid, Electricity and Turf (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank all the Deputies for their insightful comments on this emergency legislation. It is, indeed, emergency legislation. We are trying to address an immediate problem, the security of electricity supply, and to get more credit to people's electricity accounts for the coming winter. It is vital we deliver this legislation to enable these priorities. I appreciate the Deputies’...

EirGrid, Electricity and Turf (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Having regard to the unprecedented pressures on the energy sector, I am pleased to have the opportunity to commend the Bill to the House. I will open the debate by setting the context for the actions to be taken on foot of the Bill. Although many Members will be familiar with these issues, it is important to take this opportunity to set...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Infrastructure (28 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senator Keogan for raising this important matter. The national energy security framework published in April 2022 provided a single overarching and initial response to address Ireland’s energy security needs in the context of the war in Ukraine. It co-ordinates work connected to energy security across the electricity, gas and oil sectors and sets out a whole-of-government...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Infrastructure (28 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I fully agree that we need to accelerate our deployment of renewable energy, and with the Ukraine war, suddenly there has been a new focus whereby other countries in Europe have said they need to accelerate theirs as well. The Council of the European Union sat down and decided we needed to bring in a new package, known as RePower EU, that will involve greater ambition on the level of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 145 together. The Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022 (the Bill) aims to support Ireland’s transition to a circular economy by providing the necessary legislative basis for several key measures including the Circular Economy Strategy, the Circular Economy Programme, the National...

Seanad: Annual Transition Statement: Statements (22 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Cathaoirleach for inviting me to this session to present the 2020 Annual Transition Statement. I am pleased to have the opportunity today to update the House on this matter. Climate change is one of the key challenges of this century and failure to address it effectively will result in major adverse impacts that will affect all countries. The latest climate science has observed...

Seanad: Annual Transition Statement: Statements (22 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: For which I thank the Acting Chairperson.

Seanad: Annual Transition Statement: Statements (22 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Senator should not feel bad.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Wind Energy Generation (21 Jun 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator for asking these important questions about offshore wind policy and how it affects the whole country, including her area, Mayo. Ireland has one of the best offshore renewable energy resources in the world. We have a sea area of 490,000 sq. km, which is about seven times the size of our land area. Because of Ireland's location at the edge of the Atlantic and the EU, we...