Results 141-160 of 251 for long speaker:Ossian Smyth

Seanad: Carbon Budgets: Motion (5 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...budget programme will help us to build on the momentum from last year. The 2021 climate Act establishes our climate objectives in law and will underpin national climate action in the medium and long term. Under the Act, the Climate Change Advisory Council, CCAC, submitted its first carbon budget programme in October 2021. The programme submitted by the council establishes a pathway to...

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

Ossian Smyth: ...will be faced with the reality of increased competition for raw materials, and where the pace of primary resource extraction is far outstripping the planet’s capacity to meet our needs in the long term. The foundations of the linear economy based around the take-make-waste model are creaking at the seams. Embracing a regenerative circular economy, where waste is minimised,...

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

Ossian Smyth: ...health services that could help tailor the provision of care to homeless people. Dr. O’Carroll notes that the most important step in reducing mortality among the homeless population is the reduction of long-term homelessness. The report notes that the Housing First model is the optimum approach to achieve this objective. Housing for All commits to the continued expansion of...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...the IMF to join international debt relief efforts for poor countries hit by the most catastrophic of natural disasters. The IMF perspective trust fund, the resilience and sustainability trust, will provide affordable long-term financing to support countries as they address macro critical longer-term structural challenges such as climate change, pandemic preparedness and digitisation. I...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...Ireland's participation in the NAB decision and payments to IMF trust funds, is another important step on Ireland's journey to re-engage fully with the IMF. Moreover, it is a strong demonstration of our commitment to multilateralism and of our long-standing support for the world's poorest people in their time of greatest need. I look forward to a constructive debate. I commend the Bill...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Recycling Policy (24 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: .... We are committed to building a circular economy where waste is minimised, economic growth is decoupled from resource consumption, and the value of goods and materials is retained in our economy for as long as possible. This approach led to our 2020 waste action plan for a circular economy, which committed to a range of actions to make the transition to a circular economy a reality....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (24 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...tool in her negotiations armoury and made every effort to make progress on this. Part of the aim here is to reduce the need for transport because it imposes a burden on people to have to travel a long way to school. Children need not just a driver, but also an escort and so on, which incurs huge costs. We are trying to move towards a situation where children can attend their local...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Recycling Policy (22 Mar 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...is committed to building a circular economy where waste is minimised, economic growth decoupled from resource consumption and the value of goods and materials retained in our economy for as long as possible. Reforming our use of plastic is one of the key measures outlined in the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy. Tackling our excessive use of single-use plastics is an urgent...

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...and given the concerns over legal actions to sustain lottery sales and good-causes funding, the Minister has been active in considering other options. One such option, which is perhaps the most sustainable in the long term, is to strengthen further the link in the public mind between purchasing lottery tickets and contributing to good causes. I have noted that the Revised Estimates set...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services (24 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ..., facilitated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has been established to identify and recommend practical interventions that might be taken by operators in the short, medium and long-term to combat nuisance communications. As with much fraudulent activity a multi-faceted approach is required.  This particular Taskforce is focussed on telecoms and will seek to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Fuel Poverty (23 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...of fuel poverty is a matter of serious concern for the Government. A suite of measures is being developed and deployed by the Government to help reduce the impact of fuel poverty in the short and long terms. The Government is concerned that recent electricity and gas price increases caused by international conditions are putting increasing pressure on consumers, particularly those in a...

Carbon Tax: Motion [Private Members] (22 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...and relates to increased demand from certain parts of the world, in part as a result of extreme weather events, lower than expected gas supply and low gas reserves. Unfortunately, Ireland, along with the rest of the EU, is a net importer of gas, and as a result, is a price-taker on international markets. More broadly, energy prices globally have also risen due to rising geopolitical...

Carbon Tax: Motion [Private Members] (22 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...provides for a 10-year trajectory for carbon tax increases to reach €100 per tonne of carbon dioxide by 2030; — a significant portion of carbon tax revenue is allocated for expenditure on targeted welfare measures and energy efficiency measures, which not only support the most vulnerable households in society but also in the long term provide support against fuel price...

Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...of workers to report wrongdoing to their employer. On the scope of the Bill, Deputy Shortall raised a concern about the exclusion of interpersonal grievances. The purpose of the Protected Disclosures Act, as set out in its Long Title, is to protect persons making “certain disclosures in the public interest”. Similarly, the directive states that its purpose is to provide for...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Administration (9 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...ongoing review. Additionally, the Department will continue to liaise with the local authority in respect of its review of the county development plan, with a view to ensuring that any potential long-term school accommodation requirements are anticipated.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (8 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...the case of a particular company and I understand it obtained a determination in the end. However, it should not take years to reach decisions. Inquiries were made into why things were taking so long. We made sure there was sufficient funding in place this year. There should be better communication with those applying for determinations of licences and there should not be a situation...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (8 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...payment of up to €215 million. It is in the legislation we were working on in the Dáil last week. The funding for it is to come 50% from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, so long as the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform agrees to that, and 50% from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. It is to be done through a reallocation...

Freedom of Information Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (3 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ..., the office found that the personalised amount received by an individual is personal information, while the aggregate information or remuneration scales can be released under FOI. This approach is in line with long-established principles for dealing with salaries and pensions of public servants, dating back to the earliest days of FOI in Ireland. The OIC explicitly made this point in...

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Bill 2022: Second Stage (3 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...problem were touched on by different Deputies. The problem of energy poverty was raised by many. I thank Deputy Joan Collins for talking about that so eloquently. Deputy McNamara referred to the longer term issue of energy generation. When we are faced with a big problem, we have to tackle both. We have a short-term energy crisis. We have people who are cold in their homes and cannot...

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Bill 2022: Second Stage (3 Feb 2022)

Ossian Smyth: ...in Ireland. Second, I will provide an overview of the domestic and international response to rising electricity and gas prices. Third, I will reaffirm the Government's conviction that the best long-term approach for Ireland is to insulate consumers from volatility on international wholesale energy markets. On the factors affecting Irish electricity prices, Deputies will appreciate that...