Results 21-40 of 1,183 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Ossian Smyth

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (25 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The premises referred to in the Question is 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.From an initial check by my Department the indications are that this premises should have access to high speed broadband from commercial service providers with download speeds of up to 70 Mbps. The BLUE area represents...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Data (25 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: My Department implements a security-by-design and defence-in-depth approach to IT security. The Government’s services are still actively involved in managing and remediating the recent cyberattack on the HSE. Our technical staff continue to operate and monitor all relevant systems to the highest levels, and are closely engaged with experts in the OGCIO and the NCSC to ensure that we...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (25 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: 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 over 546,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools. The deployment plan...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (25 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: Providing telecommunication services is a matter for the relevant service providers operating in a fully liberalised market regulated by the Commission for Communication Regulation (ComReg), as independent Regulator. As set out in the Programme for Government, ensuring access to high-quality internet connections for people across Ireland is essential to the development of all parts of our...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Illegal Dumping (25 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The costs of the required remediation works at Whitestown, and the timeframe for completion, are not yet known and are a matter for the Local Authority in the first instance. The issue raised is the subject of proceedings before the High Court and as such it would not be appropriate for me to make any further statement on the matter at this point.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (26 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Question refers to a 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 appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Cybersecurity Policy (26 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: For operational and security reasons, my Department has been advised by the NCSC not to disclose details which could in any way identify potential vulnerabilities in Departmental Cybersecurity arrangements.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Cybersecurity Policy (26 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: For operational and security reasons, my department has been advised by the NCSC not to disclose details which could in any way identify potential vulnerabilities in Departmental Cybersecurity arrangements, therefore, it is not considered appropriate to disclose particular arrangements in place in relation to IT security tools and services. My Department does not comment on operational...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (27 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: As set out in the recent consultation document on the proposed regulatory framework for the new Deposit and Return Scheme (DRS), my preferred option is to have variable deposits based on volume of the product. This will be provided for as a requirement for the compliance scheme operator in the final Regulations underpinning the scheme.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (1 Jun 2021)

Ossian Smyth: My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the NBP Intervention Area, for connection over the term of the National Broadband Plan. In this regard, an acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan was announced which will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by end-2022,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (1 Jun 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, launched last September, sets out a clear roadmap for the introduction of a Deposit and Return Scheme (DRS) for plastic bottles and aluminium cans in the third quarter of 2022. This process began with the launch of a public consultation on the design of a DRS for Ireland in October last year.  It was encouraging to see the level...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Grant Payments (1 Jun 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme is a new scheme which aims to provide support to projects that can advance the Circular Economy in Ireland and/or raise awareness of the need to transition to a Circular Economy. As announced at the launch on Thursday, 15 April 2021, the Scheme is intended to provide support to social enterprises and voluntary and community...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Bodies (1 Jun 2021)

Ossian Smyth: Following a strategic review, which concluded that the Digital Hub is no longer required to sustain the continued growth of Dublin's digital enterprise sector, the Government decided on 27 April that the Digital Hub Development Agency should be dissolved and its land and property assets transferred to the Land Development Agency. In the period between the completion of the strategic...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (1 Jun 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92, 99 and 100 together. The introduction of a Waste Management (Circular Economy) Bill is a commitment under the "Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy", published in September 2020. My Department is currently finalising the draft Heads of the Bill, after which I intend to seek Government approval to publish the General Scheme.On the issue of CCTV, it...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (1 Jun 2021)

Ossian Smyth: 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 over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools. Despite the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Flexible Work Practices (1 Jun 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Covid 19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of high speed, quality, reliable broadband to ensure that citizens across Ireland can participate in remote working, on-line schooling, shopping, critical video calls, both business related and social, and a range of other online activities. A combination of commercial investment and the State led intervention will ensure access to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (1 Jun 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 103 together. 85 and 91 together There are 36,615  premises in the Intervention Area in County Mayo  that will receive access to high speed broadband under the National Broadband Plan. I am advised that as of 27 May, 8,281  (22.6%) of these have been surveyed by National Broadband Ireland (NBI). Surveying is the first step...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (1 Jun 2021)

Ossian Smyth: Waste management facilities, such as those referred to by the Deputy, are subject to a range of regulatory controls under national legislation, including planning permission and the conditions attached to a licence issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the operation and management of such sites. Monitoring and enforcement of conditions imposed under planning permission is a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (1 Jun 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy outlines the measures Ireland is taking under the Single Use Plastics Directive (EU 2019/904) to substantially reduce the amount of single use plastic items we use and to sustainably manage the waste arising from those we do. The Directive will be transposed by the deadline of 3 July 2021 and from that date single use plastic cutlery, plates,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Cybersecurity Policy (1 Jun 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSC) has a broad remit across the cyber security of Government ICT and critical national infrastructure. The National Cyber Strategy 2019-2024 sets out the role of the NCSC to support Government Departments and other public bodies to improve the resilience and security of their IT systems to better protect services that our people rely upon, and...