Results 3,581-3,600 of 4,726 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Planning Issues (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: -----they are looking at access all the time. Every planning application and every public realm plan is disability-proofed before it goes out for public consultation. The access group had oversight of those planning applications. That is where the strength lies at local government level, in how effective and active the access group is. I take on board the Deputy's point that they are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Biodiversity Plan (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department is responsible for the implementation of a range of legislation and policy relating to biodiversity and nature in Ireland and is the National Focal Point for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an overarching international agreement underpinning the global biodiversity framework. In this context, my Department is the lead authority for the National Biodiversity...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Surveys (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Hedgerows are an integral part of farmed landscapes in Ireland and play a key role in habitat connectivity as well as being important habitats in their own right. They support a variety of invertebrate, bird and mammal species, and are refuges for biodiversity in landscapes dominated by intensive agriculture. Teagasc has undertaken hedgerow mapping on a national scale, and while no...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The use of a detection devices will not be prohibited under the proposed Monuments and Archaeological Heritage Bill and as provided for under the existing legislative framework, the use of a detection device to search for or collect archaeological objects will continue to be a licensable activity. The unlicensed use of a detection device for the purposes outlined above will not be permitted...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Biodiversity Plan (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to ensure that each local authority has a sufficient number of Biodiversity Officers and Heritage Officers among their staff complement. There are currently five biodiversity officers employed in local authorities, mainly in the Leinster area. The role of a biodiversity officer is prescribed at local level by the employing local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Projects (22 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department provides financial support for the protection of eligible heritage buildings, historic structures and archaeological monuments through three grant schemes which are, in the main, administered by the local authorities. These are the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) and the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Community Monuments Fund (CMF). The HSF is for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Citizens' Assembly (22 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The Government recently agreed to the establishment of a Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity, the inaugural meetings of which are planned for April 2022. The terms of reference for the Citizens' Assembly on biodiversity derive from, and are consistent with, the resolution passed by Dáil Éireann in May 2019 which declared a climate and biodiversity emergency and called for a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Cross-Border Co-operation (22 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The Narrow Water Bridge is a cross-border project led by Louth County Council and supported by the Shared Island Fund, which as the Deputy will know is designed to fund strategic north-south projects that implement the commitments and objectives on Shared Island set out in the Programme for Government. The bridge will connect Cornamucklagh near Omeath, Co Louth with Narrow Water near...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department provides financial support for eligible conservation works towards heritage buildings, historic structures and archaeological monuments through three grant schemes which are, in the main, administered by the local authorities. These are the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) and the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Community Monuments Fund (CMF). The HSF is for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (22 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The function of the enhanced Wildlife Crime Unit (to be known as Wildlife Crime Operations) is to support the law enforcement work that has been, and continues to be done by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Regional staff. Some 110 staff, including District Conservation Officers and Conservation Rangers are working across the country to address wildlife crime. Since December 2020,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Defective Building Materials (17 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I take on board the points made by Deputy McHugh on independence and on taking on board the submissions in a proactive way. We will take on board the specific point on owners who have paid engineering costs. We are moving towards a full and better resolution. Deputy McHugh specifically asked about retrofit. It is important to clarify a number of aspects of the parameters of the scheme....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Defective Building Materials (17 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist seo a ardú. We have discussed this previously and I will try to address some, if not all, of the issues the Deputy raised and, perhaps in closing, the retrofit part of it specifically. Again, I thank the Deputy for consistently raising this issue on behalf of his constituents. It is critical that we get it right for the communities...

Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces: Statements (16 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: My dad served in the Irish Defence Forces for some 37 years, during which time he served three tours of duty in the Congo in one of the earliest Irish overseas missions. In 1960, they landed in Lagos in bull's wool uniform and heavy black boots. They did not have much except for their small arms weapons and very little armour. They did, however, have their Irish spirit and the ability to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Services (16 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist seo. I will outline the response from the Department, but I say at the outset that the conditions the Deputy describes are unacceptable. I have seen other parts of the country where this has been the case. It is a practice which should not have taken place but did. Such cases need to be resolved as a matter of urgency. The position on...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Services (16 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: On the issue the Deputy mentioned in Castlewhite, if there is a connection to a pumping station that is an Irish Water facility, we will look into it with Irish Water. It is important. If the potential is there to resolve the issue, it should be resolved. Perhaps this scheme under our Department might be of assistance. We will look into that. On bonds and the process of taking in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Commission (15 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Section 23 of the Local Government Act 2001 empowers the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to divide a local authority area into local electoral areas and to amend those areas. However, in advance of deciding to make an order under section 23 of the Act, the Minister must, in accordance Part V of the Local Government Act 1991 (as amended), request a boundary committee to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Surveys (15 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: In 2021, Monaghan County Council commissioned a Hedgerow Survey in its area. This was carried out during July and August on hedges previously surveyed in 2010. The survey was co-funded by The Heritage Council. My Department supports such initiatives by Local Authorities through the Local Biodiversity Action Fund, which provides funding for projects that contribute to the implementation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (15 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: In 2017 a partnership between the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department and Fáilte Ireland was established to achieve the shared goal of further developing quality experiences at our National Parks and Nature Reserves. One major output from my Department's Strategic Partnership with Fáilte Ireland, was a Masterplan for the six National Parks and Nature...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Citizens' Assembly (15 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The Government recently agreed on the convening of a Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity, scheduled to commence in April 2022. Terms of reference to provide a clear focus for the Assembly will be established, but it is my expectation that there will be a focus on how the State can improve its response to biodiversity loss, including in the area of marine biodiversity.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (15 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 369 to 373, inclusive, together. As I have outlined previously, my officials have engaged with a number of bodies in order to move the recommendations of the first interim report of the Consultative Committee on urban gulls forward. My Department is awaiting a response to these communications. I am not aware of the school projects mentioned but I...