Results 1,621-1,640 of 4,726 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Yes. It is quite clear in the explanatory memorandum, which states, "The strategy shall include objectives relating to compact urban development, [and] sustainable integrated transport systems".

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I know; I appreciate that. That is what we have given a commitment to do.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The case law is very clear on lack of consideration of public transport. It can be refused if consideration is not given to the public transport in an area. Does that clarify the matter?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Again, biodiversity is referenced in Chapter 2 on the national planning framework. I am coming back to the point that I appreciate the point Deputies O'Callaghan and Duffy have made. The critical thing from our perspective is to try to achieve coherence across the plan as it pertains to the recently adopted fourth national biodiversity action plan. That is what we are trying to achieve....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (13 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 381 and 382 together. The general scheme of the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) Bill was published in December 2022. Following the scrutiny of the Joint Oireachtas Committee, my Department has been working in close collaboration with parliamentary drafters to develop this Bill. While it was initially hoped to publish in 2023, the legal, technical and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas (13 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 383 to 385, inclusive, together. For the purposes of this reply, Special Protection Areas (SPAs) have a marine element if their boundary encompasses marine waters. 39 such SPAs have published detailed site-specific conservation objective documents. In addition to Activities Requiring Consent, across all of Ireland’s Special Protection Areas...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Strategies (13 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Implementation of the National Landscape Strategy is implicit in many of the actions taken across the built and natural heritage sphere. The current work being undertaken across Government in the context of the land use review will supplant and overtake that strategy. Meantime, my Department has made very substantial progress on issues of habitat and wildlife protection, which are tied...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Issues (13 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Waterways Ireland proposes to update the Shannon Bye-laws and Canal Bye-laws which are more than 30 years old and no longer fit for purpose. The needs of users have changed, environmental landscape and health and safety considerations have developed significantly and the waterways themselves have been transformed over the past thirty years. The purpose of updating the Bye-laws is to make the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (13 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The information requested is provided in the table below as of the 31 January 2024, the latest date for which the information is available. There has been a sustained increase in the number of Conservation Rangers employed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service in recent years and I am committed to reaching the recommended number of 120 Rangers for the Service in the course of the current...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Schemes (13 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department currently offers capital funding spread over more than one year to support heritage structures through several programmes. The Historic Structures Fund (HSF) is administered by my Department in conjunction with the Local Authorities and aims to support owners of heritage buildings in maintaining the fabric of their protected structures. Stream 2 of the HSF is targeted at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Hen Harriers (13 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The latest report on the status of breeding Hen Harrier in Ireland was published by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department last week. The conservation of Hen Harrier is now one of the most urgent bird conservation priorities in Ireland. A draft Hen Harrier Threat Response Plan has been developed over a number of years in consultation with the many stakeholders who too have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (13 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Wildlife crime is a serious issue seen across many jurisdictions that poses a threat to our biodiversity and the sustainable development of countless communities. Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity contribute to the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework through National Biodiversity Action Plans. Ireland's 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) 2023-...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (13 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: It will need to comply with the directive.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (13 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Apologies. Is it okay if we come back to the Deputy after we get further clarification from Parliamentary Counsel on this?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (13 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Yes.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (13 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: We can do that.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (13 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: It is an important question, and we will come back to members on it. As we said, we will not be voting on this amendment for a while.