Results 561-580 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Budget 2024 (28 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Negotiations happen between the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery, and Reform and the Department of Health, or any other relevant Department. The Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery, and Reform is not going to engage directly with agencies that are under the remit of another Minister. I understand the chief executive of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Development Plan (28 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy for this question. By way of context, it is important to acknowledge the changes that have been brought about during 2023 to date. Since the renaming of my Department as the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, there has been an enhanced focus and mandate for the delivery of the NDP. In light of this new role, a review of the support structures and...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 11 – Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Supplementary)
Vote 12 – Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary)
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Supplementary)
Vote 14 – State Laboratory (Supplementary)
Vote 17 – Public Appointments Service (Supplementary)
Vote 18 – National Shared Services Office (Supplementary)
Vote 43 – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: No, but I am happy to answer any questions on the extra moneys being given.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 11 – Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Supplementary)
Vote 12 – Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary)
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Supplementary)
Vote 14 – State Laboratory (Supplementary)
Vote 17 – Public Appointments Service (Supplementary)
Vote 18 – National Shared Services Office (Supplementary)
Vote 43 – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I want to come in briefly on this. Deputy Tóibín asked why it would take longer to renovate a local authority property than a private tenancy. The simple answer is that under legislation most local authority tenants are granted a lifetime tenancy. For local authority tenants, the period of the tenancy is usually far longer on average than a private tenancy and the amount of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Renewable Energy Generation (21 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senator Blaney for asking this question. The Climate Action Plan 2023 sets out a roadmap for taking decisive action to halve our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and to reach net zero not later than 2050.To halve our emissions and set ourselves on the road to net zero, we have to deliver, and accelerate where possible, the renewable electricity targets set in the Climate Action Plan...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Renewable Energy Generation (21 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I would like to work with the Senator to find out what is happening in terms of renewable electricity generated in Donegal and what quantity is being generated there. The reason offshore wind is being developed on the east coast before the west coast is twofold: there is a larger population on the east coast and, more importantly, it is easier to put turbines off the east coast because the...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Cathaoirleach and the committee for this opportunity to present details of this Supplementary Estimate for Vote 29 - Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The main purpose of this Supplementary Estimate is to provide the necessary funding of €926.606 million for the electricity costs emergency benefit scheme and €12 million for the business...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Working through the many things the Deputy drew attention to, the first is the solar scheme. I think he is asking what the €12 million will produce and what we will deliver from that. This enhanced solar scheme began in July of this year. Since then, €7.8 million has been spent and 36 MW has been delivered. I expect that if we are at the same ratio, if we do €12...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The more that I talk to people about it, the more enthusiastic they are about it. There is a general acceptance that this is the right thing to do and efficiency is a good thing, particularly in the area of food waste, as the Deputy mentioned. Supermarkets are interested in that. There is much innovation going on in this space. I was at Dogpatch the other day and there were many start-ups...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I am told it will be available across all schemes. Loans will be for a minimum of €5,000 up to a maximum of €75,000. It fills the gap for people who do not qualify for the better energy, warmer homes scheme. People, who will not get a 100% free upgrade from the State because of the type of welfare they receive and cannot afford to pay half the cost of the retrofit on the...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: We will need to illustrate it. As the Deputy said, the basic idea is that people who do a €40,000 retrofit of their home will get €20,000 from the State and borrow €20,000, but the repayments on the €20,000 over ten years will be matched by the drop in their home heating and electricity costs. We will need to illustrate that when we communicate with the public....

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Deputy Kenny is blushing.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The previous scheme provided a much lower grant of only €2,400. The enhanced scheme began in July and since then we have had 425 applications and distributed €7.8 million. That was to support the installation of 46 MW of solar panels. Those are the numbers. As the Deputy said, the additional €12 million will support a number of projects in the high hundreds, but below...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: What is the amount of money?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: We expect that an average community scheme would need to put up €10,000.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: They would have to put up €23,000 and would get €7,000.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Yes.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: It is only for residential, yes.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Many dairy farmers have invested in this. They found that by orienting their panels on an east-west arrangement, they are able to get sun and evening sun for their milking machines. We now have significant experience in that area. I would be interested to hear from farming organisations regarding their experience of how the grants are working in that type of farming.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (16 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: It has been designed as residential funding. It took a long period of negotiation with the European Investment Bank to make the scheme. I do not expect the scheme will extend to the non-domestic sector. The Department of Rural and Community Development has a scheme for community centres, however, and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has a solar scheme for farmers as part...