Results 161-180 of 1,183 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Ossian Smyth

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. My Department has now prioritised primary schools with no high speed broadband and continues to work with the Department of Education in this regard. Government and NBI have agreed to accelerate the rollout of high-speed...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Data Centres (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Ireland is a popular location for data centres which securely store and manage the data that supports the digital and communications infrastructure for many sectors of our economy. Data centres also create employment and attract foreign direct investment. However, the expansion of data centres, particularly in the Dublin region, is projected to lead to a large increase in electricity demand...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: There are over 16,000 premises in County Cavan and over 15,000 premises in County Monaghan in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) Intervention Area that will receive access to high speed broadband under the State led intervention to be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI). Government investment in Counties Cavan and Monaghan in the NBP will be in the order of €65 million and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The cost to the taxpayer for the completion of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) high speed broadband network under a contract with National Broadband Ireland (NBI) is capped at €2.7 billion over 25 years. This figure includes €480 million for contingency costs, which are only allowed under specific circumstances. Since the NBP contract was signed in November 2019, my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (7 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 (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Local authorities are responsible for municipal waste collection and waste management planning within their functional areas. The obligations on local authorities in relation to collecting household waste are set out in section 33 of the Waste Management Act 1996, as amended. In summary, it provides that each local authority shall collect, or arrange...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: Mobile coverage obligations are set out in licences granted by the independent regulator, ComReg, to mobile operators. ComReg advises that the current minimum coverage obligations in those licences are being considerably exceeded by all operators.Capital investment by telecommunications operators over the last 5 years was in the order of €3.3 billion for both fixed and mobile...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Cybersecurity Policy (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: The measures to be taken by my Department to protect and mitigate against cyber security incidents are guided by the National Cyber Security Strategy 2019-2024. The Strategy is a whole-of-Government strategy to address the growing threat of cyber security incidents, to ensure Ireland can benefit fully from the digital transformation. The Strategy includes 20 separate measures to safeguard...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: 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 country, socially and economically. Facilitating remote working and innovation opportunities is key to addressing climate change, adapting in an evolving economy, and competing internationally. A combination of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (7 Apr 2022)

Ossian Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 217 together. 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 554,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and...

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

Ossian Smyth: Since 2006 the landfill remediation programme has provided approximately €190m funding to risk assess and remediate 150 landfill sites. This includes €52m for the former ISPAT site at Haulbowline, Co. Cork.  To date remediation work has been completed on 46 sites. In 2021 funding was provided for 72 sites across 22 local authorities with expenditure of just under...

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...

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...