Results 4,661-4,680 of 4,726 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks (5 Nov 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for all staff. Due to the nature of the work undertaken in our National Parks, additional management structures have been set up to ensure that health, safety and welfare obligations are implemented and adhered to and risk assessments and suitable controls are put in place to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fishing Industry (5 Nov 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: While my Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is responsible for legislation and policy around invasive alien species in Ireland, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has the statutory responsibility for the protection, development, and management of Ireland’s rivers and streams together with 128,000 lake hectares. Pike has been present in Ireland for hundreds of years...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (5 Nov 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: As part of its ongoing workforce planning processes my Department keeps staffing matters under constant review in order to ensure all priority vacancies are filled in a timely manner and that resource allocations are balanced across the Department to meet key priorities as necessary. My Department's latest round of formal workforce planning will get under way in the coming months...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (5 Nov 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 584, 585, 586, 587, 588 and 590 together. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), an Executive Agency of my Department has primary responsibility for nature conservation, wildlife protection and the presentation and preservation of our National Parks and Nature Reserves in Ireland. The NPWS Strategic Plan 2023-2025, and the National Biodiversity...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (5 Nov 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Staffing levels across my Department are kept under regular review in line with emerging business needs and Government policy on public sector pay and staffing as advised by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Strategic Action Plan 2023-2025 has delivered an increase of staff from 350 to 550 staff across a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Hare Coursing (5 Nov 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 591 and 595 together. Hare coursing is administered by the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) which is a body set up under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958. Statutory responsibility for the Act resides with the Minster for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. One licence was issued each year to the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) under Section 34 of the Wildlife Act 1976, as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Budgets (5 Nov 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 606 and 607 together. The funding allocations for the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025 are as follows: BHIS HSF Total Annual Funding 2023 €4m €5m €9m 2024 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (5 Nov 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department does not employ staff as qualified biologists and does not have such a grade or title of position. While there may be staff who have such qualifications, there are not specific biologist appointments within NPWS. My Department therefore would not hold a record of such qualifications.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Projects (5 Nov 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The Drogheda Boat wreck was discovered during the course of dredging works by the Port of Drogheda and the National Monuments Service (NMS) of my Department carried out a full excavation in 2007. The archaeological project was a collaborative one between NMS, the National Museum of Ireland and the Port of Drogheda. The remains are of a 16th-century clinker built coastal trader, almost fully...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: World Heritage Sites (7 Nov 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: In line with UNESCO advice that World Heritage Tentative Lists be reviewed and updated at least every ten years, my Department launched a call for applications in January 2019 to a new Tentative List for Ireland. The Tentative List is essentially an inventory of potential sites that Ireland intends to nominate for inclusion on the World Heritage List. Each site on the Tentative List must...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (7 Nov 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Act, 1981 & 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy and progressing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Area Plans (22 Jan 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department met with officials from Dublin City Council on 7 October 2024, and have been in correspondence subsequently. I attended a specific meeting on 10 October with club officials, Minister O’Gorman and Cllr Feljin Jose, in relation to Martin Savage Park where the issue of sports pitches being used by light-bellied Brent geese...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (22 Jan 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department received planning permission to construct a new visitor centre for the Burren National Park, at No. 1-2 Riverview, Corofin, on 11 January 2024. The NPWS is continuing to work with Clare County Council to deliver on this proposal, as well as other proposals regarding the public realm in Corofin and hope that the new Burren...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: International Agreements (22 Jan 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: The Antarctic Treaty System consists of several different international legal instruments. These are the 1959 Antarctic Treaty; the 1980 Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources; the 1972 Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals; and the Madrid Protocol on Environmental Protection 1991. Each of these has a different focus and set of requirements on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (22 Jan 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department has reached a decision regarding the application in question. A letter was issued, by post, on 20 December 2024, informing the applicant of the specifics of the decision.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Monuments (22 Jan 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: From time to time the National Monuments Service (NMS) will consider referrals for addition to our records of archaeological monuments. A referral in relation to a standing stone (CL015-131 on the Sites and Monuments Record) was submitted to the NMS in 2005 with a grid reference and a townland in order that the stone could be located. Unfortunately, an error was made in the creation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (22 Jan 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: While the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department licenses the hunting of deer, it does not own the deer population and is not responsible for their control on private lands or in the wider countryside. They roam freely throughout the countryside and are present in many parts of the country. Deer populations, by their nature, are mobile and have a home range that is not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (22 Jan 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department prioritises the ongoing management and eradication of invasive species as part of its conservation role, dedicating a significant level of its resources to these management activities each year. NPWS has to date removed approximately 4 hectares of Cherry Laurel from the Glen of the Downs Nature Reserve. The remaining approx 1...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Issues (22 Jan 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: Waterways Ireland is the North South Body responsible for the management and maintenance of more than 1000km of Ireland's inland waterways including the river Shannon. Waterways Ireland also manages and maintains the Shannon Erne Waterway, Erne System, the Barrow, the Royal and Grand Canals and the Lower Bann Navigation. Waterways Ireland is funded by my Department and the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks (22 Jan 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: The lands purchased at Dowth in December 2023 form the new National Park, Brú na Boinne National Park, which made it the seventh national park in Ireland at the time. Subsequently Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí became our eighth national park. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), in partnership with the National Monuments Service (NMS) and the Office...