Results 3,761-3,780 of 4,726 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: On the Deputy's second question, on damage to habitats, he is absolutely correct. There have been huge challenges. I will ask Mr. Trevor Donnelly from the NPWS to comment on this. During the first summer of the Covid pandemic, there was significant damage. There was certainly an intrusion on wildlife and damage to trails and walkways. A lot of the money we secured under the July stimulus...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I will reiterate what I said at the outset. We are really grateful on the heritage side to have this attention and focus on our work. We know this is an incredibly busy committee that has worked through a huge amount of housing legislation since the Government was formed. We deeply appreciate the fact that it is affording equal time, energy and effort into heritage. It is equally...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: May I give a quick update on the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown survey? As I understand it, that survey is under way. It is due to be completed and its recommendations finalised in 2022.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Deputy Ó Broin very much. With regard to Moore Street, I reiterate that we are committed to working on the national monument aspect. Over €12 million was awarded under the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF. We want to get working on that early next year. I will ask Ms Ryan to come in specifically on any comments the Department may have made. I do not want...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Absolutely. I will ask Ms Ryan to come in on that specific question if that is okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Mr. MacDonagh and Ms Ryan. With regard to the timeline for the Electoral Reform Bill, as I have said, the Chair has written to us and we hope the Bill will be given consideration early next year. Mr. Ryan might be able to provide an update with regard to the timeline for that. As the Deputy can understand and appreciate, it is a very expansive Bill so we are still giving...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Mr. Ryan. On the issue of posters, I absolutely take on board Deputy Ó Broin's point. These are issues I hope the commission will consider in carrying out its research and advisory function. I agree on the issue of declining electoral turnouts. Yesterday, the other four Oireachtas Members from Carlow-Kilkenny and I attended a fantastic event in Loreto Secondary School,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Specifically, on the built heritage investment scheme and the historic structures fund, we could treble those funds over the next couple of years and we would still have huge demand for them. That would be our ambition; we would love to do that. They are very popular. They also provide much local employment. We have been trying to compile the number of hours in local skills and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: We have also responded to the Senator’s colleague, Deputy Higgins, about paid political advertising outside of electoral events. We see this as quite innovative in our electoral reform Bill. Certainly, we will be working with the European Commission around other proposals concerning the online space. This has come out loud and clear in the pre-legislative scrutiny report this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Is that the only question the Chair is asking?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Chair. On the wildlife crime unit, it is the case that the NPWS, in association with the Garda, has been doing fantastic work, and continues to do so, on wildlife crime. Earlier this year, we signed a memorandum of understanding with the Garda around the investigation of wildlife crime and, more recently, we have formally established a wildlife crime unit within the NPWS. That...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Mr. Donnelly. The Chairman also asked about information on the sites of national monuments. I was in County Cavan last week with Deputy Niamh Smyth and it was incredible to see the work that local communities have done on their interpretation of the local heritage and monuments, particularly graveyards and church sites. Funding is available under the community monuments fund,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I might ask an official from the Department to respond to that question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: This issue, particularly in relation to the directly elected mayor, is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke. As such, I am not in a position to comment. On the question of a citizens' assembly, we want to get the citizens' assembly on biodiversity loss over the line first. We have found, through Covid, that it is possible for online resources to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I will ask Mr. Ryan to respond to that question in a moment. The comprehensive report provided by the committee is being given due consideration as we frame the legislation and complete its drafting. Social media strays into a number of territories, in particular, the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin. What...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Update from Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I again thank the committee for its positive engagement this afternoon. We appreciate the questions and how informed the committee is about our portfolio in heritage and electoral reform. I reiterate that we are very appreciative - knowing how busy this committee is - of it affording time to our work. We will continue to work with the committee over the next number of months and years. If...

Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2021: First Stage (2 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: No.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Planning Issues (2 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an gceist seo. We spoke about this earlier this morning as we came into Leinster House and it is something about which both of us feel very strongly and passionately. Senator Boyhan is correct in saying that it is critically important that members of the public have an ability to participate in our planning system and to feel that they have...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Planning Issues (2 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: In summary, again, I agree wholeheartedly with the Senator on this matter. We see how strongly members of the public and communities feel about environmental and planning issues when we see them out on the streets protesting against a planning decision or a particular development. That is an important part of our democratic system. Equal to that, they have to have parity to be able to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (2 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Senator Dooley. Similar to the situation right across other counties, it is a hugely traumatic time for these families and I acknowledge that. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has been deeply committed to resolving this since taking up office. He has acted with a great sense of purpose in establishing the working group. That working...