Results 2,901-2,920 of 4,726 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: State Bodies (12 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator for his positive contribution and that is certainly something I can take to the Minister. We have to hugely value the role of any expertise many former elected members have brought to local government over many years. They have expertise in formulating development plans and setting the agenda at local level for how our communities are planned. While An Bord...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Planning Issues (12 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The duration of a planning permission is generally set at five years, but the planning authority may grant shorter or longer durations with a maximum duration of ten years available for residential development, for example. Section 42 of the Planning and Development Act enables a planning authority to extend the initial duration of a planning permission, providing certain conditions are met....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Planning Issues (12 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: They are from Stepaside. It is great to have them here. I thank the Senator. My response probably did not give him much comfort in relation to the individuals he represents. I urge them to engage, on a case-by-case basis, with their local authority planners. That is the point of contact. The Department does not have plans to introduce further legislation to extend planning permission....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (12 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The number of valid applications made to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Farm Plan Scheme in each of the Years 2017 to 2022, inclusive, as well as the number of applications that were not selected for plan development is included in the table below. The NPWS prioritises the selection of lands that are in designated sites, including Special Areas of Conservation, Special...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (12 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Section 13 of the Wildlife Act 1976 provided for the establishment of the Wildlife Advisory Council to advise the Minister on policy, objectives, and programmes relating to the conservation of wildlife. This section was repealed by Section 4 of the Heritage Act 1995, in effect ceasing the Wildlife Advisory Council Order (S.I No.79 of 1978). The Heritage Act 1995 established the Heritage...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (12 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has responsibly for avian influenza testing in Ireland. I can confirm that the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has contacted DAFM and made them aware of the issue referred to. Avian Influenza has to be ruled out in the first instance and DAFM always need to be contacted in such cases so they can have records and enact their...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Housing Policy (11 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree wholeheartedly with Deputy Carthy in the sense that there is a cost to the Exchequer. It is an outlay and an investment by the Exchequer in the provision of social housing. The Government has committed to and is front-loading record investment in social, affordable and cost-rental housing, more than any Government has provided in the history of the State. The Minister is deeply...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Housing Policy (11 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta as an gceist seo. The overarching principle of social housing support is to provide adequate housing support to those households unable to provide accommodation from their own resources. Applications for such supports are assessed by local authorities in accordance with eligibility and need criteria as set down in the Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (11 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The below table shows the number of applications received by the National Parks and Wildlife Service for a domestic dwelling derogation licence to exclude bats from premises in each year from 2012 to 2022 inclusive along with the number of licences issued on foot of same. Year Applications Licences issued 2012 51 51 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (11 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I am acutely aware of the problems faced by owners of thatched properties. The report that you refer to has been superseded by 'A Living tradition: a strategy to enhance understanding, minding and handing-on of our built vernacular heritage', which I launched last December. Action 6 of this strategy deals specifically with thatch. Under this action, my Department is working to resolve the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (11 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I, along with my colleague, Minister McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine recently signed the Wildlife Act 1976 (Protection of Wild Animals) Regulations 2022. The effect of these Regulations is to confer ‘protected wild animal’ status on the basking shark under section 23 of the Wildlife Act, 1976. This statutory instrument came into effect on Monday 3rd...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (11 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The River Boyne and River Blackwater SAC (site code 002299) is selected for the protection of fens, wet woodland, river lamprey, salmon and otter. My Department currently has no plans to prepare a management plan for this site. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has published site-specific conservation objectives for the SAC and a number of conservation measures apply. This...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (11 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The Electoral Reform Act 2022 (the 2022 Act) was enacted on 25 July 2022 and section 1(5) provides that the provisions of the Act are subject to commencement orders being made. The qualifying criteria for the registration of political parties are currently set out in section 25 of the Electoral Act 1992. Section 4(1)(h) of the 2022 Act repeals section 25 of the Electoral Act 1992 and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tax Code (6 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Under section 20 of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012, as amended, a local authority may, as a reserved function, resolve to vary the basic rate of the Local Property Tax within its functional area by a maximum of +/- 15%. The Local Property Tax (Local Adjustment Factor) Regulations 2022 provide the updated requirements for local authorities who may wish to vary their local property...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Deputies for their contributions and Deputy Cian O'Callaghan for the proposed amendment. I agree with the comments made. I have seen in other countries where privatisation has been brought in, either through IMF interventions or structural adjustment programmes, that it has been detrimental. That is not on the cards here. I give that assurance. There is also a commitment to a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I cannot give a timeline. The intention is to have the wording ready for the end of this year or early 2023. That would put the commission in place and it would then get moving on a timeline for a referendum and referendum campaign. Uisce Éireann will remain in public ownership so a referendum aside, the programme for Government includes a commitment that Irish Water will be...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: That is the intention. It is always tricky running two referendums on the same day. I will not say they are similar issues but I know there will be considerable public engagement on both. I cannot anticipate what the wording will be on the housing referendum specifically but it is important, as Deputy O'Callaghan said, that we try to move as quickly as possible with this.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Those are operational issues for Irish Water. The assurances have been given in the transformation process. It is not obligatory. Staff can move into Irish Water and stay in local authorities.