Results 1,381-1,400 of 4,726 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Persons Supports (2 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The housing assistance payment, HAP, is a flexible and immediate housing support available to all eligible households throughout the State. At the end of quarter four of 2021, more than 100,000 HAP tenancies had been set up since the scheme commenced, of which more than 61,900 households were actively receiving HAP support. Under HAP, tenants source their own accommodation in the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Persons Supports (2 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The Housing for All plan sets out the Government’s commitment to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade, including an average of 10,000 new build social homes, which we are on track to deliver. As I said, that is where part of the solution lies, but not the entire solution. It is our ambition to reduce dependency on HAP by increasing...

Urban Regeneration Report: Motion (2 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this discussion and thank the committee Chair and members for their consideration of this very important report to inform Government policy. The topic of urban regeneration is central to solving many of the challenges that face our country. Urban decay, retail vacancy and depopulation are unwelcome symptoms of the challenges we continue to face...

Urban Regeneration Report: Motion (2 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank all contributors to the debate. It has been hugely useful from our perspective and I will give a commitment on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, and Minister of State, Deputy Burke, that we will take on board the recommendations and work with the committee. We will work across the Houses of the Oireachtas to try to implement them. As I said, there is a significant...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Network (2 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I am very familiar with the beautiful town of Newbridge. As the Senator knows, my mother is from Morristown. The outgoing Italian ambassador, Mr. Paolo Serpi, is in the Gallery and I wish him well. My city of Kilkenny is twinned with Formigine, a city in northern Italy. The ambassador has had a fantastic tenure here and I wish him well in his...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Network (2 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I acknowledge the disappointment of the Senator and the people of Newbridge that the second bridge over the River Liffey was not included in the second call of the URDF. Unfortunately, the project was deemed unsuccessful following a comprehensive assessment process that concluded it did not adequately meet the criteria for URDF support. I suggest that the local authority continue to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (2 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The most recent national Hare survey took place from November 2018 to February 2019. It was commissioned by the National Parks & Wildlife Service and involved the extensive deployment of trail cameras providing the data equivalent of 106,026 survey hours. The national population was estimated at 223,000 (111,000–449,000) individual Hares during 2018/19.  The full report of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Issues (2 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Navigation to Lough Allen through the Lough Allen Canal was restored and re-opened in 1994. Since then Waterways Ireland has developed and maintained facilities for boats at a number of key locations including a significant marina development at Cleighran More and harbour facilities at Spenser Harbour. Waterways Ireland has received planning approval for the development of a boat slipway at...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I will address amendments Nos. 1 and 4 together since they both relate to the title of the commission. I thank the Deputies for these proposed amendments. I note that section 9D of the Official Languages Act will require that all new statutory bodies be named in the Irish language. While this legislation is not yet commenced, I will give further consideration to the proposed amendments...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 2: In page 12, to delete line 8 and substitute the following: “(k) section 25C; (l) section 85.”. I will address Government amendments Nos. 2, 33, 34, 62 to 64, inclusive, 71 to 73, inclusive, 81 and 104 to 109, inclusive, which have been grouped as they all relate to provisions for island voting. Amendment No. 2 amends section 3 of the Bill,...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I will address amendments Nos. 5, 21, 22 and 24 together as they all relate to the placement of Irish language proficiency requirements on the ordinary members, staff, chairperson and chief executive of the commission. At the outset, I will say that I appreciate the rationale behind such requirements. However, as highlighted in pre-legislative scrutiny process, the commission requires a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Deputy. He is absolutely right to seek to ensure that we meet these Irish language competency requirements. However, I think it would not be a good idea to include the requirements in legislation outside of the provisions of the Official Languages Acts. I can assure the Deputy that our officials will engage with colleagues in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht,...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 6: In page 17, line 2, to delete "a member" and substitute "an ordinary member". Government amendments Nos. 6 to 11, inclusive, clarify, for the avoidance of doubt, that certain terms and conditions set out in section 10, which relate to the length of terms office, reappointments and resignations, apply only to the commission's ordinary members. This is because such...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 7: In page 17, line 13, to delete “a member” and substitute “an ordinary member”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 8: In page 17, lines 14 and 15, to delete “a member” and substitute “an ordinary member”.