Results 501-520 of 4,726 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: The term "which shall not be unreasonably withheld" covers that. It is not the intent to prevent homeowners building extensions. The intention is to ensure that all building regulations are in place and that there is compliance. If anything, that will protect the homeowner to get a better project from the extension. The Senator raised the question of delays that could ensue from that but...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: These amendments appear to be consequential on amendment No. 49 which attempts to change the affordable dwelling equity from a percentage to a fixed amount. In that regard, I do not propose to accept the amendments.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Those were very useful contributions. I think that collectively we all agree right across the House that cost-rental has a significant role to play in, as Senator Pauline O'Reilly said, calming the market and moving towards a more mature, sustainable, European-type approach to the rental sector in Ireland, which we have not had to date. No doubt we have all heard of the state-of-the-art...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senators for their contributions. Senator Higgins referred to limited equity returns. That will probably be dealt with in amendment No. 62. We might address that then.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I appreciate that. I take on board the contributions from other Senators about ethical investments, sustainable funds, the dual role of the State, and limited, modest returns for funds, which we will address separately. I will address amendment No. 60, tabled by Senator Warfield, amendment No. 61, tabled by Senators Higgins and Ruane, and amendment No. 66, tabled by Senators Moynihan and...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: This has been well debated. As Senators Fitzpatrick and Cummins both said, there is a role for limited equity funds to support the State's ambition of achieving the target of 20,000 cost-rental units, which figure has been mentioned. It is an important and significant figure and one we all wish to achieve collectively. Therefore, there is a role for the funds. The Austrian model, or...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: The Senator is correct they are sensible and require due consideration. That is important. If the Senator is happy to move to Report Stage with that, we would be happy to give them consideration there.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: No.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: This amendment will affect the way in which the Minister in his role as regulator of the cost rental sector may prescribe processes for how landlords deal with voluntary departures from multiple-person tenancies. The Senator may have misunderstood the purpose of the subsection and thought it was something to do with evictions. It is certainly not.This element of the Bill deals with how,...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I will address Senators' comments in reverse; it is the way I am wired, so please forgive me. On Senator Moynihan's comments, we have explained that the provision is driven by a modest return. That is prescribed and is quite clear. On Senator Higgins' comments about upward-only rents, I would be loath to allow that comment to leave the Chamber because it might be alarmist and imply we are...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 106: In page 16, line 27, to delete “members” and substitute “directors”. These are technical amendments regarding the directors of the board and the role of the chief executive of the Land Development Agency as a director of the board. They do not change the intent of the existing provisions. Amendment No. 106 changes the word "member" to...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I will address amendments Nos. 108, 109, 111, 114 and 115, as jointly tabled by Deputies Ó Broin and Gould. I will also deal with amendment No. 110 tabled by Deputies Richard Boyd Barrett, Gino Kenny, Paul Murphy, Bríd Smith and Mick Barry and amendment No. 112 tabled by Deputy Duncan Smith. Amendments Nos. 108 to 111, inclusive, seek to include additional provisions in section 15...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 116: In page 17, line 27, to delete “member” and substitute “director”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 117:

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Amendment No. 118 seeks to amend the provision in section 17(2) to provide that the CEO, when appearing before the Committee of Public Accounts, appears as an Accounting Officer. I am opposing this amendment, as the subsection is in line with the guidelines contained in the code of practice for the governance of State bodies. As drafted, the subsection provides that, when appearing before...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: It is important to note that the chief executive's job is not to impart his or her own opinion on Government policy. That is what our parliamentary system is about and it works well in that regard. These committees are there to scrutinise legislation and policy. That is standard procedure and works well in this country. In that regard, there is robustness in the Bill to ensure we still...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 120: In page 18, line 30, after “Agency” to insert “or a subsidiary DAC”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 122: In page 19, line 20, after “Agency” to insert “or a subsidiary DAC”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 123: In page 20, to delete lines 23 to 26 and substitute the following: “(5) As soon as may be after the commencement of this section, the Agency shall prepare and submit to the Minister a scheme or schemes for the granting of superannuation benefits to or in respect of persons appointed under subsection (1) and persons who were accepted into the employment of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 124: In page 20, between lines 26 and 27, to insert the following: “(6) Every such scheme shall fix the time and conditions of retirement for all persons to, or in respect of whom, superannuation benefits are payable under the scheme, and different times and conditions may be fixed in respect of different classes of persons. (7) The Agency may at any time...