Results 161-180 of 2,916 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Electricity Generation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The climate action plan sets challenging targets for installed generation capacity in 2030. This includes 9 GW of onshore wind, 8 GW of solar and at least 2 GW of additional gas-fired generation capacity. Ireland now has over 6 GW of renewable electricity generation capacity, with 46% of electricity generated in Ireland in 2023 being renewable. I am informed by ESB Networks that the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Electricity Generation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Government acknowledges the Climate Change Advisory Council report and agrees that we must move at greater speed and scale to achieve our electricity targets. Ireland has achieved an unprecedented decrease in energy-related emissions. We had a 7% annual reduction last year and a 21% decrease in electricity-related emissions. This is despite a large increase in our population and a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Conservation (14 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy for the question. The national retrofit plan set targets to carry out 185,000 energy upgrades and install 45,000 heat pumps in existing homes by 2025 and the equivalent of 500,000 B2 upgrades and 400,000 heat pumps by 2030. Between 2019 and the first quarter of 2024, almost 150,000 energy upgrades were supported by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I am aware of Abbeyshrule and the improvements that were made there through the community employment scheme. It is well known around the country. I appreciate the benefits of community employment schemes. I will take the specific issues the Deputy raised to the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, to see whether he has any specific knowledge of them. He may engage directly with the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy for his questions. I listened carefully to the points he made. I will now read the formal response from the Minister for Social Protection before discussing the matter further. It is important to acknowledge the excellent work that is done on the full range of work schemes, including community employment, Tús, the rural social scheme, RSS and the job initiative...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dublin City Task Force (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: On behalf of the Minister for Justice, I thank Deputy Gannon for raising this matter today. Dublin city and its surroundings are a hive of business and tourism, particularly at this time of year. Equally, there is a strong community created by local residents. We want the city to be a safe place for people to live in, work in and visit. The Deputy will be aware that today the Taoiseach...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dublin City Task Force (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I presume a safe injection facility falls under the Minister for Health and I will ask him to reply to the Deputy directly on that.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dublin City Task Force (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Deputy will be aware that the new approach to community safety policing via local community safety partnerships is being piloted in three locations, including the north inner city of Dublin. This approach brings together local communities and local service providers under an independent chair to develop a community safety plan for their local area, and more important, to work in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Commercial Rates (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator for asking this question, which the Minister for housing has asked me to answer on his behalf. Tailte Éireann is the State agency formed on 1 March 2023 following the merger of Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Property Registration Authority and the Valuation Office. All the functions previously carried by those bodies are now being performed by Tailte Éireann....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Commercial Rates (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator. I think I have good news for him. The message from the Valuation Office is that community sports facilities which are exclusively used for community sport and are non-profit are exempt from rates. I encourage him to follow up with the Valuation Office or Tailte Éireann using the contact details I provided. The Senator mentioned that we need to look more broadly...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Bus Services (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator for her questions, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport. From the outset, I would like to clarify that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport, but neither the Minister nor his officials is involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Bus Services (9 May 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The Minister recognises that it can be frustrating for public transport users when delays occur with the roll-out of planned new services. Unfortunately, issues such as the ongoing bus driver and mechanic shortages have continued to impact on the speed at which the public transport network can expand. However, the Department of Transport will continue to engage with the NTA and bus...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Chairperson and members for inviting me to this meeting to discuss the current state of play in respect of the circular economy following on from the signing into law of the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act in 2022. In line with the evolution of EU and UN environmental policy, the waste action plan for a circular economy was published in September 2020. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Cathaoirleach for acknowledging the progress made on the circular economy and the contributions of my predecessor, who laid much of the groundwork for what I have done. I will start with the hot school meals. The hot school meals programme is a very good thing. It is widely acknowledged to be a positive thing that children can have hot meals at school, particularly in winter....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: The deposit return scheme is there to address a problem, namely, not enough of our bottles and cans are being recycled and are ending up in the environment. If the Deputy has ever taken part in a Tidy Towns group and walked along the roads, he will have seen that approximately half of the litter items the group picks up are bottles or cans. Some Tidy Towns groups are quite analytical in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I apologise; I am wasting Deputy O'Sullivan's time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: If it takes longer to fill the bin because it is not full of empty bottles and containers, people should have fewer lifts taking place. Many of the bin companies charge per lift or per kilo. People will have a lower volume and a lower weight. The majority of waste collectors now charge by waste or volume rather than a fixed fee. The cost of waste removal should come down.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I am not considering it at present, but if Deputy O'Sullivan wants to make a proposal, I will look at it. Paper bags are biodegradable. If a paper bag is left in a bush or hedge it will return-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I accept that this is absolutely a factor. The vast majority of people now have a habit of having a drawer in their kitchen with plastic bags in it. Before they go to the shops, they fish out some of these reusable plastic bags and refill them. That is how it mostly happens. People can be caught short. There has to be some option for someone who is caught short, but we have substantially...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: I substantially agree with the Deputy. Reuse is better than recycling. If we can persuade people to refill plastic bottles with water, that is better than persuading them to bring back the bottles in the first place. For example, the sports clubs, GAA clubs and football clubs informed me that they could have reverse vending machines. They could, but even better than that would be that...