Results 4,361-4,380 of 4,726 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Managing invasive species is one of the important areas of work undertaken by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), with a significant amount of resources devoted to this task every year. Invasive species cause grave damage to the ecosystem and to conservation objectives, with species colonising the environment and having significant impacts on biodiversity. The NPWS tackles...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Ireland's 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) 2023-2030 was published in January 2024. Taking an ‘all-of-government, all-of-society’ approach, the NBAP aims to meet urgent conservation and restoration objectives across Ireland’s terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems and secure nature’s contributions to people, while enhancing the evidence base for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Turbary Rights (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Schedule 4 of Statutory Instrument 386/22, which provides for the designation of the site at Lough Nillan Bog (Carrickatlieve) as a Special Area of Conservation, states that all activities relating to turf cutting and/or peat extraction – with the exception of continued domestic turf cutting from existing turf banks – on Lough Nillan Bog (Carrickatlieve) SAC (000165) require the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Recycling Policy (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Waterways Ireland is a North/South Implementation Body established under the British Irish Agreement of 10 April 1998. It is funded by my Department and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. The information requested is not held in my Department. Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Appointments (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Information in relation to my official diary can be found online at my Department’s website: ww.gov.ie/en/collection/5f6f1-ministers-diaries/ In addition to the meetings outlined in my diary, I can confirm that I attended a meeting on 19 April 2020 with Cllr Darragh Butler to discuss the impact on Level 5 Covid restrictions on recreational hunting. A member of the NARGC was also in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I refer to my reply to Question No. 194 of 16 May which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I recently appointed Mr Teddy Cashman as Chair of the Sustainable Hunting of Wild Birds Stakeholder Forum. A series of bilateral meetings with relevant stakeholders has commenced and the first full Forum meeting of all relevant stakeholders will take place by the end of Q3 2024.

Seanad: Housing Commission Report: Motion (29 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank all the Senators for their contributions. I will address some of the points raised by Senators before my closing remarks. An overarching thing to say, which goes back to the point raised by Senators Warfield, Gavan and Boylan, about the notion that the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, dismissed the commission’s work, is that is certainly not the case. It is simply not the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (29 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I recently appointed Mr Teddy Cashman as Chair of the Sustainable Hunting of Wild Birds Stakeholder Forum. A series of bilateral meetings with relevant stakeholders has commenced and the first full Forum meeting of all relevant stakeholders will take place by the end of Q3 2024.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (30 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Housing for All sets out a range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing out to 2030, comprising 54,000 affordable homes to be delivered by local authorities, approved housing bodies, AHBs, the Land Development Agency, and through the first home scheme, which is a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. In 2023, more than 4,000 affordable housing supports...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (30 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Generally, when it comes to overall delivery, to the end of quarter 4 2023, more than 5,800 affordable housing solutions have been delivered through cost rental, the first home scheme, the local authority affordable purchase scheme, and the vacant property refurbishment grant. The first home scheme is assisting first-time buyers to purchase new homes. Recently-published quarter 1 2024...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (30 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: On the issues around the general delivery of affordable housing, the affordable housing fund now provides funding of up to €150,000 to support apartment delivery in urban areas. In July 2023, the Government approved additional supports for AHBs to deliver cost-rental homes by increasing funding to up to 55% of capital costs from the previous 45%. This funding comprises a mixture...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (30 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I will not get into a response on specific projects. The local authorities are delivering affordable homes with funding approval in place to assist with the delivery of more than 4,135 purchase and cost-rental homes across 21 local authorities with support of more than €335 million from the affordable housing fund. Again, I will not get into specifics about-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (30 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: That is what the AHF is for.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (30 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Yes.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defective Building Materials (30 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Cuirim fáilte roimh na daltaí agus na múinteoirí ó Ghaelscoil Osraí, Contae Chill Chainnigh. I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 66 together. As the Deputy is aware, the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 on 22 June 2023. It contains the enhanced grant...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defective Building Materials (30 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: On the NSAI review of IS 465, the ongoing work is autonomous. An interagency defective concrete block technical matters steering group was established to inform and guide the NSAI review of a number of relevant standards, including IS 465, and the impact, if any, on foundations and the effect, if any, on full cavity-fill insulation on homes susceptible to defective block work. This work has...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defective Building Materials (30 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: There is rigour and detailed scientific analysis attached to the process adopted by the NSAI. As I stated, the review mechanism was put in place within a year of the Act and the process is ongoing. There is also a process for a three-year review. Deputy Mac Lochlainn is correct that it is grant scheme but it is very much enhanced from the previous 2020 grant scheme, with a 100% grant,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defective Building Materials (30 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: That is what it is. There is a revised application process that removes the financial barrier to scheme entry. All of these are in place. There is provision for alternative accommodation costs. A Government guarantee is provided with regard to remediation works, other than the full demolition and rebuild, through eligibility for a second grant, if required, for a period of up to 40 years....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (30 May 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: A key principle of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment above the...