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

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (5 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 324, 325 and 326 together. My Department’s National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is responsible for the implementation of a suite of National and EU legislation in relation to invasive alien species in Ireland. Under this legislative framework, landowners are responsible for dealing with invasive alien species on their land. This includes mink, an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (5 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department have been working with Galway County Council in relation to this project since 2016. It is a condition of the planning permission given by An Bord Pleanála that NPWS must agree to method statements relating to the Construction Stage prepared by Galway County Council. Two method statements prepared by Galway County Council,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Issues (5 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department occasionally purchases land for strategic and conservation purposes. Such acquisitions are considered on a case by case basis. In light of the commercial sensitivity of such considerations, I am not in a position to comment on individual sites.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (6 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 101 together. Licences under Section 35(4) of the Wildlife Acts, as amended, allows for certain use of decoys but may only be granted for ‘scientific research or for another purpose approved of by the Minister’. The use of decoy crows has not been authorised for the purpose of protecting crops and animal feed by farmers. However, the...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: The purpose of the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023 is to provide for the number of members of Dáil Éireann and the European Parliament, the revision of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies and the number of members to be elected for each of such constituencies in the light of the results of census 2022, and having regard to European Council decision of 22 September 2023...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senators for their contributions. Before closing, I will respond to some of the points they raised. The overarching thing I will say relates to the point made by Senator Boyhan on the draft research programme and the 12 January deadline. We might be able to write submissions with the Christmas pudding. It is important. I cannot stress how important it is that political...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: Yes, but the commission will be able to offer guidance to returning officers. Addresses can be quite vague. It could be listed, for instance, as Swords, County Dublin. It does not necessarily need to be a specific address. Again, to give assurance on that, we have given a commitment to trying to change the legislative element of that, but the commission will issue guidance to returning...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: Housing for All sets out the range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing to the required 33,000 homes, on average, per year over the next decade. Some 54,000 affordable homes will be delivered between now and 2030. In the first 18 months of the new programme, more than 3,000 affordable homes have been delivered through our new cost-rental schemes, the first home scheme and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I was not aware of this specific issue with modular developments. My response to his first question was in terms of general delivery. If there are specific cases the Deputy has brought forward to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, we would appreciate if he could also bring them forward to us. I know there are planning regulations around the development of modular homes. I appreciate some...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: All of the local authorities are asked to bring forward their figures for social and affordable housing. They all have yearly targets to achieve. I do not have the deliverability figures before me. Not all local authorities are meeting those targets, but many are. Our Department has also ensured that in planning departments, the additional staff required have been brought forward to help...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: Housing for All sets out a range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing to the required average of 33,000 homes, per year over the next decade. Some 54,000 affordable homes will be delivered between now and 2030, facilitated by local authorities, approved housing bodies, the Land Development Agency and through the first home scheme, which is a strategic partnership between...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: As I said, the information is being collated and will be brought forward shortly and posted on our website. On the figure of 3,000 affordable homes, more than 770 cost rental homes were delivered by AHBs and local authorities. Some 1,039 affordable purchase homes have to date been advertised by local authorities for homes delivered in 2022, and for delivery this year and next year. I have...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I will provide some more examples of affordable purchase homes being made available. Hampton Gardens Close in Balbriggan includes nine one-bedroom apartments and nine two-bedroom ground-floor duplexes costing between €170,000 and €220,000. Hawkes Road in Bishopstown, Cork, has 35 two- and three-bedroom homes for €246,000 to €289,000. At Dun Emer in Lusk, there...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department, working with our partners, is looking at all these issues. On 18 July, as the Deputy is aware, the CREL - cost rental equity loan - working group approved additional supports for AHBs to deliver cost-rental homes by increasing funding up to 45% for capital costs. As I mentioned, Project Tosaigh is designed to manage planning permissions and deliver these projects at scale....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Local Authorities (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department participates directly in the Galway task force, including in the four meetings that were held this year. Alongside this, we work with local authorities and other agencies on responses to homelessness and we have regular engagements on the delivery of new social and affordable housing. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has personally engaged with all of the chief executives...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Local Authorities (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I have the 2022 report in front of me, which I read through last night. As I mentioned in my reply, we are working from a low base in Galway. The Deputy has raised this issue on more than one occasion in the House. I refer to the targets for Galway city for 2022. For Galway city, the target was 305, with delivery of 150. The county target was 230, with delivery of 224. The report...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Local Authorities (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: The problems and the challenges that the Deputy has outlined really stem back to the local authorities. I think there needs to be unity between the two local authorities in terms of the delivery. I know-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Local Authorities (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I appreciate that. On the chapter on future focus, the report states that the task force has been active in its consideration of further improvements to social and affordable housing delivery, including greater use of modular housing, more effective partnerships with AHBs, higher density brownfield development, greater diversity in house and apartment size, greater urgency around the use...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Water Services (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 40 together. The company referenced has been successful in an Uisce Éireann public procurement process and is one of eight companies placed on a framework for the provision of project management services in the delivery of the capital investment plan. The framework covers technical and project management services across water and wastewater. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Water Services (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: Again, by way of reassurance, when local authorities were in the stewardship of the provision of water and wastewater services there were always design build operate, DBO, contracts in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services. It is the case, as I stated at the start, that this for the delivery of project management for Uisce Éireann. The utility that is Uisce...