Results 121-140 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 Mar 2021)

Ossian Smyth: 935. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the design and build process for the permanent site of a school (details supplied); if the premises will comply with the provision of open space for children to play; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15597/21]

Seanad: Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Mar 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senator Higgins for her detailed engagement with me and my office over recent months on this legislation. I also thank all Senators here today. I found that the contributions were instructive, thoughtful and constructive, and I am delighted to see a consensus emerging across all parties. I will explain the reasons the Government has tabled a time-limited amendment of 12 months to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (31 Mar 2021)

Ossian Smyth: 610. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has considered sites to accommodate a school (details supplied) for the 2021-22 school year; if her Department is working with the local authority to secure a site for the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17124/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (31 Mar 2021)

Ossian Smyth: 611. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has considered sites to accommodate a school (details supplied) for the 2021-22 school year; if her Department is working with the local authority to secure a site for the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17125/21]

Project Ireland 2040: Motion [Private Members] (1 Apr 2021)

Ossian Smyth: My sincere thanks to Deputy McGrath and the Rural Independent Group for bringing forward this debate. It was interesting to hear the contributions from all the Deputies. I think we can all agree that we had an insightful and constructive debate today. As my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, said at the outset of this session it is only right...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers Conciliation Council (21 Apr 2021)

Ossian Smyth: 1060. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will bring in an appeals process for those teachers seeking incremental credit for working in schools outside of Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20106/21]

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Public Services Provision (22 Apr 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As he said, this is not trivial at all but a matter of basic public health. The level 5 restrictions have had the side effect of bringing more people out from indoor amenities to public and natural outdoor amenities, with the consequence of preventing people from using toilets they would have used in commercial facilities like pubs, restaurants...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Public Services Provision (22 Apr 2021)

Ossian Smyth: As the pandemic draws to a close, I hope that one of the things which will continue is that people will go out in large numbers to their local parks. Many people have been forced to explore their 5 km range and have discovered all kinds of natural things in their local areas from which they have gained great pleasure. I expect that there will be more people outdoors and that this will...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Apr 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I do not think I am answering questions on this topic.

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Apr 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I am here for this topic.

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Apr 2021)

Ossian Smyth: If there is consensus now across the House to take climate action, it is worth asking why it did not happen before now. One of the most common arguments against it was not even an argument. It was a question that was put forward to the effect that we want to do this climate action but who will pay for it? That argument was really powerful even though it was misleading. It contained the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Driver Test (6 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputies for raising these important questions. All Deputies in this House will have been contacted by constituents asking when this vital service will be brought back online. I am answering questions on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton. She sends her apologies. Driving tests for essential workers will continue to be the priority for...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Driver Test (6 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: The Ceann Comhairle was very kind to defend me, but I really am fine. I thank all the Deputies for their contributions, and particularly the constructive suggestion from Deputy O'Donoghue that we bring our driver theory tests online, as they should be. I am very happy that it is starting this month, and that there will be approximately 3,000 tests per month for cars and that it is also...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Renewable Energy Generation (7 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: It is always a pleasure and an honour to be here in the Seanad. I thank the Senator for raising this important issue, which I am very happy to address on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, who cannot be here. Under the programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan 2019, Ireland has adopted a target of at least 70% renewable share in electricity...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Renewable Energy Generation (7 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator. Yes, and we need all three elements. We need large-scale renewables connected to the grid. We need community renewables. We need people to have a sense of ownership and a sense that their community owns the local generation capacity. We also need a situation where people, when they are not at home, can sell their electricity back to the grid when they feel that it...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Bord na Móna (11 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: On behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Ryan, and the Government, I welcome the opportunity to set out the actions which are being taken by the Government in response to the announcement of the closure of the peat-fuelled power stations and the end of peat harvesting by Bord na Móna. The Government is committed to a just transition in the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Bord na Móna (11 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: It is valuable to hear directly the reality on the ground from people who are living in the midlands area where the work is going on. I am delighted to accept the Senator's invitation to visit Kildare and see for myself because there is no point in making rules in isolation of the reality. Second, the Senator mentioned the retrofit of private homes. There are two major schemes....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Digital Hubs (12 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputy for raising this question. The decision in the late 1990s to establish the Digital Hub project in the Liberties was made in the light of the success of other digital enterprise clusters around the world. The initiative was an important element of Government policy to develop Dublin as a location for digital enterprise. The DHDA was established in 2003 as a statutory body to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Digital Hubs (12 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I absolutely agree that it has been a very successful project over the nearly the 20 years that it has been in existence. It brought something that was almost inconceivable, namely, the idea of very high-tech companies locating operations in the Liberties, on land formerly occupied by the Guinness company, in what was traditionally a major manufacturing area. It has served that role and the...

Recent Cyberattack and its Impact on the Health System: Statements (18 May 2021)

Ossian Smyth: I will answer this as the NCSC has come under my remit in the recent past. The first question was about the capacity review. My colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, ordered a capacity review at the start of the year. Following a competitive tender that was awarded to FireEye, which is one of the most reputed cybersecurity firms in the world. Since that...