Results 1,681-1,700 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Information requested by in the Question is outlined in the tables below: Minister Richard Bruton Minister’s Officeholder Allowance Gross Pay Expenses Paid 2020 €40,053.25 €0 No. Special Advisers Total Salary paid Expenses  Paid 2 €100,419.46 ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (26 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 285, 297, 298, 299, 300, 301 and 302 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 the almost 560,000...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (26 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The premises referred to in the Question are located in the BLUE area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. BLUE areas are not included in the State intervention area covered by the National Broadband Plan as commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so. My...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (26 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Question refers to 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 15 April 2022, over...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputy Hourigan for her question. The policy document, A Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, which was published in 2020 commits to substantially reducing waste from packaging and single-use plastic items over its five-year lifetime. Steps include a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and aluminium cans; the introduction of a levy on disposable coffee cups and other...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Last July, with the single-use plastics directive, ten of the most common single-use plastic items that wash up on beaches, including plastic knives, forks, plates and earbuds, were banned. That was done on an EU-wide basis. I went into a shop a week later to make sure they were not on the shelves and they were not, so these things actually work. The deposit return scheme focuses on one...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I am planning to bring in a number of amendments to the Bill on Committee Stage and am absolutely open to discussing those in committee or beforehand. I am also happy to look at any suggestions from Deputy Bruton, particularly with regard to whether other Ministers or the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, should have certain requirements. Regarding the privatisation of waste...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Deputy is right that the project is behind where it should be at this stage, at the end of year two. The ambition, or the agreed remedial plan, is to double the output of connections in this year compared with the number last year to reach 102,000 by the end of the year. The project is not where it should be. Part of the remedial plan was to discuss the reasons for the delay. Some of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The project contract incudes a schedule of when things have to happen. It also includes a service level agreement, SLA, for the quality of service that has to be provided. Therefore, if NBI's network goes down for a period, it gets charged a penalty fee. If it cannot pass the number of homes it is meant to pass according to the schedule, it gets charged. Those amounts of money are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: NBI gets money only when it has passed a home. It sees deductions from those payments where there are penalties in place for what it has failed to deliver, so there are-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The money is taken out of the payments NBI is due. In the same way money is taken out of one's salary, the payments due to NBI are taken out. If the Deputy looks at the total amount of money paid in subsidy and divides it by the number of homes connected, he will see that we have paid out only 5% or so of the total cost of this project. That is reflective of the number of homes passed....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and the Deputy. 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 the more than 554,000 premises, including almost 100,000...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: A combination of commercial investment and the State led intervention under the National Broadband will ensure access to high speed broadband in every part of Ireland. At the end of 2021 ComReg reported that total broadband subscriptions stood at 1.93m subscriptions, 87% of which had speeds equal to or greater than 30Mbps. The data clearly demonstrates the demand for high speed...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The National Waste Enforcement Steering Committee, which is chaired by my Department and includes representatives from a wide range of regulatory and law enforcement authorities, provides for a coordinated, strategic approach to all waste enforcement priorities, including illegal dumping. The Steering Committee oversees the work of the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111, 211, 209, 140 and 113 together. Despite the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, National Broadband Ireland (NBI) has made steady progress on delivery of the new high speed fibre broadband network under the National Broadband Plan (NBP). I am advised by NBI that as of 31 March 2022, over 312,000 premises have been surveyed and over...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Litter Pollution (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Data Protection Commissioner has previously indicated to my Department that any actions taken by local authorities in publishing the names and addresses of persons fined as a result of littering or illegal dumping, whether by publication on their websites or by notices published in the local press and paid for by the local authority, would be in breach of the principles of data...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) contract signed in 2019 provides that a future proofed high speed broadband network will be deployed by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to people living and working in the intervention area. It is expected that over 600,000 premises will be served by the fibre network, including new builds.The cost to the State will be a maximum of €2.7...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. My Department has now prioritised primary schools with no high speed broadband and continues to work with the Department of Education in this regard. Government and NBI have agreed to accelerate the rollout of high-speed...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Data Centres (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Ireland is a popular location for data centres which securely store and manage the data that supports the digital and communications infrastructure for many sectors of our economy. Data centres also create employment and attract foreign direct investment. However, the expansion of data centres, particularly in the Dublin region, is projected to lead to a large increase in electricity demand...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: There are over 16,000 premises in County Cavan and over 15,000 premises in County Monaghan in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) Intervention Area that will receive access to high speed broadband under the State led intervention to be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI). Government investment in Counties Cavan and Monaghan in the NBP will be in the order of €65 million and...