Results 1,721-1,740 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (5 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The roadmap for the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme for plastic bottles and aluminium cans was outlined in the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, published in September 2020. In November last year, I signed the Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations 2021, providing the legal framework for the scheme, in particular the terms under which a scheme operator may be...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (5 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022 is a key step in the transition to a circular economy and will provide a robust statutory framework for moving from a focus on managing waste to a much greater focus on adapting patterns of production and consumption. Recognising the role played by the Environment Fund since its inception,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (5 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: In December 2021, the existing National Waste Prevention Programme, which is operated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was revised and restructured into a national Circular Economy Programme. The new programme was published on 16 December in tandem with the All of Government Circular Economy Strategy. The Circular Economy Programme, which together with the Circular Economy...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (5 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Covid 19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of good reliable broadband to ensure that citizens in rural Ireland can have the high speed connectivity required to facilitate remote working and schooling. While substantial progress has been made to date, the Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on the delivery of the fibre network leading to delays to the build programme. The full extent...

Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Referral to Select Committee (31 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Environment and Climate Action pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)(a) and 181(1).

Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Ceann Comhairle, and all the Deputies for their fascinating and sincere contributions, not least because many of them were grounded in real-world experience. Thankfully, the regular pantomime has been missing from the debate and it has been very constructive. My sense was that the Deputies share the goals of the legislation and there is a general consensus in respect of the...

Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: It does apply.

Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (30 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." In many ways, over the past two decades, waste policy has been Ireland’s unsung environmental success story. We have progressed from a situation where the State was facing prosecution before the European courts for lack of enforcement of unlicensed landfills to one where we have both radically reduced our dependence on landfill...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (30 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The roadmap for the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme for plastic bottles and aluminium cans was outlined in the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, published in September 2020. In November last year, I signed the Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations 2021, providing the legal framework for the scheme, in particular the terms under which a scheme operator...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (29 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie, shows the areas which will be included in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led intervention as well as areas targeted by commercial operators. The map is colour coded and searchable by address and Eircode. Premises in the AMBER area will be provided with high speed broadband through the State led Intervention,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (29 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for tyres was introduced in 2017 and is operated by Repak ELT. Under the scheme, any tyres which have incurred the ‘Visible Environmental Charge’ are collected free of charge by Repak ELT through registered waste collectors. It is intended that the scheme will ultimately include freight and agri tyres. In 2018, my department...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (29 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: My Department is currently working with NBI to agree an Updated Interim Remedial Plan (UIRP) which will recalibrate the targets for 2022 to take account of the knock on effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, including the latest wave of the omicron variant, which spreads more easily than previous variants, and which I am informed has had a relatively significant impact on the NBI workforce in Q1...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (29 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I refer to my response to Parliamentary Question No.34 of 2 February last and I wish to advise that the Deputy that while NBI is making a considerable body of information available with respect to the deployment of the NBP network, that the specific information requested by the Deputy is not currently a part of the published information. I can further advise the Deputy, that my Department has...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Persons Supports (24 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: No.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Persons Supports (24 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Am I required to make a contribution at this point?

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Persons Supports (24 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I apologise.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Persons Supports (24 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I thank Deputy Ó Broin for asking this question and it is a very serious matter. I am answering this question on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Minister has asked me to express his sadness at the news of the death of a man who appears to have been sleeping in a tent in Dublin city centre. This is a tragedy and I...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Persons Supports (24 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputy Ó Broin. From talking to people who work directly in homelessness services, I am told that while addiction is very commonly a factor in homelessness, it is not always the case. Sometimes it is mental health and sometimes it is simply losing one’s money and not being able to manage economically in a very expensive housing situation. On many occasions it is...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Persons Supports (24 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: So it would appear, a Cheann Comhairle.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Fuel Prices (24 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy. The first item I will address relates to procurement and State contracts. I refer to situations where a person entered a contract with the State to provide a service but the cost to the person of diesel has greatly increased. This is a specific case of a problem in procurement where inflation has made the economic reality of the contract difficult for the contractor to...