Results 4,601-4,620 of 4,726 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Second Stage (15 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank both Senators for their contributions. I thank Senator Fitzpatrick for her positive comments on the Bill and her comments generally around cost-rental and its imminent introduction into the programme for Government and Housing for All. It will certainly deliver significant benefits. It is based on what occurred in Vienna and is an attempt to take that approach and ramp it up over...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: As previously outlined, there are two Parts to this Bill. The first relates to amendments to the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 and the second relates to amendments of the Affordable Housing Act 2021. As announced by the Minister on the Second Stage reading of the Bill in the Dáil on 8 October 2024, a further amendment is being brought forward that relates to...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator for that contribution. To follow on from the Minister’s points, Senators are aware that we could draw the line at a number of places and cover a wide variety of educational qualifications but, given that we have already made such significant change to the constituencies, I believe it is prudent to hold the qualification level to what is currently in place. It is a...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senators for their contributions. To respond to Senator Warfield specifically, the Minister has no role in ruling on amendments. The issues he raised, and that all three Senators raised during their contributions, are very similar. We agree reform was somewhat forced on us but it is an important step forward. This Bill will result in a significant expansion of the electorate...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: 3 o’clock I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Education, who is otherwise engaged. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which gives me the opportunity to set out the position with regard to school places, including for children and young people with special educational needs, in north Kildare for September 2025 and onwards. The...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I assure the Deputy that the Department is at all times planning ahead. I mentioned earlier the additional classes and places that are there for children with additional needs. On top of that, there are additional special needs assistant, SNA, supports in schools in north Kildare and throughout the country. Where there is good availability of first-year school places in Kildare for the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: An Garda Síochána (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: On behalf of the Minister for Justice, I give assurance to the Senator that the Minister and the whole of Government are committed to the principle that everybody should feel safe and be safe in their community. I note the issues the Senator has raised, in particular about community safety in very remote rural locations in Longford and Roscommon. The safety of people living and working in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: An Garda Síochána (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I reiterate that the reopening of Garda stations or the deployment of gardaí is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner. I reiterate also that community safety is of the highest priority for the Minister. Recently, she was pleased to announce a €62 million investment in the Garda estate across the country as part of budget 2025. Under the NDP the Government is...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Youth Services (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Senator Seery Kearney. Having worked in youth services previously, I am aware of the work they do. My own children have greatly benefited from youth work and youth services, including LGBTQI services, and they now volunteer with them. I thank the Senator for raising this important issue, to which I am responding on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. During his time as...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Youth Services (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I acknowledge the Senator's passion in respect of this matter. Having been involved in youth work, I know the invaluable work that youth organisations do. I met some of the organisations prior to the budget. The youth strategy the Minister launched and has led on was developed with broad stakeholder engagement involving youth work organisations. Opportunities still exist. Officials are...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Sports Funding (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree. Clare hurling is doing well - I say that as a Kilkenny man - without a centre of excellence. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Ministers, Deputies Catherine Martin and Byrne. I take on board the points the Senator made. The establishment of the LSSIF was provided for under the national sports policy 2018 to 2027. The aim of the fund is to provide support to sports...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Sports Funding (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I will take these points back to Ministers. This sounds like a hugely exciting prospect for Clare. I am a big fan of Clare hurling, notwithstanding the fact that I am a Kilkenny man. I love the hurling from the county. The assessment of applications under the LSSIF is well advanced. I hope the announcement of allocations under the latest round of funding will come in the coming weeks...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Admissions (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley, who is otherwise engaged. I thank the Senator for raising the matter, which she has raised persistently over recent months, as it provides me with the opportunity to outline steps the Department of Education is taking to support post-primary schools in managing and co-ordinating...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Admissions (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The Senator’s points are noted. Certainly, the Department is proactive. It is using demographics and CSO data to inform its planning. As I said, the growth we are seeing will peak and taper off, but perhaps not so profoundly in the greater Dublin area and Dublin West. Regarding the common applications system, especially for special educational needs provision, at primary level in...

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Disadvantaged Status (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Deputies Murphy, Donnelly and McAuliffe for bringing this important issue to the fore. The Government is committed to supporting all children and young people to achieve their potential through education and address the barrier of educational disadvantage. In government, the Minister, Deputy Foley, has secured approximately €170 million in funding to provide free school...

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Disadvantaged Status (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: In response to Deputy Murphy, an extensive consultation was carried out in regard to the OECD review and it met with school leaders, teachers, parents, student organisations, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Children's Rights Alliance and Social Justice Ireland. It was broad and comprehensive. I agree with the three Deputies. Deputy McAuliffe made the point that we should be looking...

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Sports Facilities (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the sports capital and equipment programme, SCEP, which is now renamed the community sport facility fund, and the large scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF. At the outset, I should note that the provision of recreational and sporting infrastructure in Dublin city...

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Sports Facilities (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: They are very valid points. Critically, this lies with Dublin City Council and its elected members. They develop very proactive sports and play policies. One day I toured some of the pocket parks and play facilities with Dublin City Council which is doing really innovative work. It is increasingly trying to fit them in smaller sites. Weaver Park is a great example. Those small...

Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying: Motion (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, as she cannot attend today. I welcome the opportunity to speak about this important issue on behalf of the Minister. I thank the committee members, its Chair, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, and Vice-Chair, Deputy Kenny. We have spoken about this on a few occasions as the committee was ongoing. This is an important and...

Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying: Motion (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank all the Deputies for their contributions. As we have seen from the debate, it is a very complex and emotive but hugely important issue we as legislators have a responsibility to debate and tease out. This is what this report is about. Again, I respect the points made by Deputy Nolan and the issuance of the minority report. All the Deputies have spoken about the need for evenly...