Results 1-20 of 148 for cork speaker:Ossian Smyth

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Cancer Services (17 Apr 2024)

Ossian Smyth: ...million for the development of the National Cervical Screening Laboratory, which opened in December 2022. Capital funding of €120 million has been used to provide state-of-the-art radiation oncology facilities in Cork and Galway, which opened in 2020 and 2023. This is to update cancer infrastructure in chemotherapy wards and lab facilities for the benefit of patients. This...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Weather Events (14 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I believe the Minister for Transport visited east Cork and perhaps Midleton as well at the time of the event. It was not for a photo op but to discuss directly with people how this was affecting them because as the Deputy knows himself, that is the only way to understand what the problem is and how to address it. As I said, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the county council and the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Weather Events (14 Dec 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important topic with Members on behalf of the Minister for Transport. I understand that Deputy Stanton's questions relate to State funding provided to Cork County Council for emergency repairs of roads and bridges following Storm Babet, with a particular emphasis on the east Cork region. As Deputy Stanton is aware, Ireland has already...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Youth Work Projects (29 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...people away from crime. The intention is to further expand and develop the youth justice services to try to find who will benefit from them the most. As the Deputy may be aware, a new YDP in west Cork was recently announced, to become operational in 2024. Some €500 million was allocated to Foróige to set up this service. The Minister and the Minister of State are both aware...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Youth Work Projects (29 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...33 million. Funding for the YDPs is provided by the Department of Justice and it is co-funded through the European Union's European Social Fund Plus. The Minister understands that there are 13 YDPs operating in County Cork. The Department of Justice is in discussions with Foróige, which operates the YDPs in Cork city, on the need for expansion of the youth diversion services in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (29 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: It is the local childcare committee that should be liaising directly with these childcare facilities. I will mention it directly to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. He was in Cork at the time the flooding happened, or immediately afterwards, and he has taken an interest in it. There is a fund for continuity of service. I ask the Deputies to ensure any affected childcare services have...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (29 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, and the whole of the Government are conscious of the disruption caused to a number of early learning and childcare services owing to the recent floods in Cork. The local childcare committee has been engaging with impacted services. With regard to financial supports for these services, they have been made aware that any service forced to close due to the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Risk Management (28 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...over, the application has to considered by experts. That is required by the law. The reason we have to stick to the law is he recent experience with the River Bride scheme in Blackpool, County Cork. This decision was made by the Minister, but was challenged in the second half of 2021 by judicial review. This necessitated a pause in reaching a ministerial decision on Crossmolina to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Ambulance Service (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ..., realise they do not need an ambulance and can be treated at home. The community first-responder programme has been important. There were 30 teams two years ago and there are now 39 across Cork. They provide services like cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation and in many cases help to sustain patients. Not all of the investment should go towards additional ambulance...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Ambulance Service (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for asking this question. I will answer it on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. The question relates to ambulance services in west Cork. As the Deputy will be aware, the NAS serves the west Cork region 24-7 through a highly skilled workforce of intermediate care operatives, paramedics and advanced paramedics. There is a fleet of...

Seanad: Budget 2024 (Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform): Statements (10 Oct 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...million of this will be current funding, which will provide for the continuation of the temporary 20% fare reductions until the end of 2024, the roll-out of further services such as BusConnects, Connecting Ireland, new town service plans, and the transition to a world-class fuel efficient maritime and inland aviation rescue service. Capital funding of €2.7 billion will provide for...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Services (6 Jul 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...of the Government, I extend my sympathies to the family and friends of former Deputy Cott on this occasion. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of providing safe drinking water in east Cork, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Safe and secure drinking water is an issue of both national and local importance. I appreciate the...

Seanad: Cybersecurity and Data Protection: Statements (22 Jun 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...Taoiseach. It is timely that we are talking about this today because as Members know, there is a consultative forum on national security going on around Ireland. Today, they are meeting in County Cork and our cyber security director, Mr. Richard Browne, is discussing the cyber threat to Ireland. Traditionally, with the military, we could think of three domains. There are air, sea and...

Seanad: Government Commitments on Offshore Renewable Energy: Motion (31 May 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ..., and we are setting up supply lines between our countries for that purpose. The issue is being taken seriously. Memorandums of understanding have been signed, for example, between the Port of Cork and the Port of Amsterdam. That type of work is also going on with the Germans. I will turn to consider fishing and the relationship between the fishing industry and the offshore wind...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Illegal Dumping (27 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I was in Cork city last year meeting Cork City Council and the waste collectors, the people who collect the waste themselves, so that I could get a good input, in particular on dumping. I was not aware that there was a problem with anti-dumping initiatives being focused on wealthier areas. I will look into it. That is not the point of it. We are introducing CCTV very shortly to catch...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (19 Apr 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...remove the steep gradient and the construction of approximately 2.5 km of new single carriageway tying back into the existing N71, just to the west of the town. A public consultation was held by Cork County Council in June 2022 as part of the options selection process, and procurement of technical advisers is ongoing to advance the scheme based on the feedback received. The route...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (28 Feb 2023)

Ossian Smyth: ...to do the work, and it avoids the problem whereby somebody has not been connected and yet we are still paying. I am very grateful for that. If the Deputy wants any details on the roll-out in Cork or in any other county, I can provide specific details if it is of use.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (15 Dec 2022)

Ossian Smyth: There are 81,507 premises located in County Cork that will be passed by National Broadband Ireland, NBI, with high-speed gigabit fibre broadband as part of the State intervention under the national broadband plan, NBP. NBI has advised that 15,711 premises in Cork are passed by the NBP high-speed fibre broadband network and are available for immediate connection. Some 11,196 premises were...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (15 Dec 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...on the edge of the area may feel frustrated if they do not have broadband but the person next door has. In the same way, the person next door may be in County Tipperary and you may be in County Cork and you cannot play for the other person's team. That is the nature of deployment areas. The next question was on how engagement with Eir works. I meet with Eir extremely regularly. I...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2022: Second Stage (15 Dec 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...it is going on public transport rather than on new roads. People benefit from that and they want a regular frequent public transport service to their area. There is heavy investment going into rail both in Limerick and Cork. Regarding the connections between Limerick and Cork, the road needs to be improved. Safety needs to be improved as well as the speed at which motorists can travel...