Results 1,801-1,820 of 4,726 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: State Bodies (12 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Senator Boyhan for his comments on the necessity of An Bord Pleanála. He and I interact regularly on the issue of public participation in our planning system. He feels it is vitally important that we have a robust planning system in which members of the public can have confidence and in which they have a right to participate on the basis of parity. I commend the Senator on...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: State Bodies (12 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator for his positive contribution and that is certainly something I can take to the Minister. We have to hugely value the role of any expertise many former elected members have brought to local government over many years. They have expertise in formulating development plans and setting the agenda at local level for how our communities are planned. While An Bord...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Planning Issues (12 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The duration of a planning permission is generally set at five years, but the planning authority may grant shorter or longer durations with a maximum duration of ten years available for residential development, for example. Section 42 of the Planning and Development Act enables a planning authority to extend the initial duration of a planning permission, providing certain conditions are met....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Planning Issues (12 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: They are from Stepaside. It is great to have them here. I thank the Senator. My response probably did not give him much comfort in relation to the individuals he represents. I urge them to engage, on a case-by-case basis, with their local authority planners. That is the point of contact. The Department does not have plans to introduce further legislation to extend planning permission....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (11 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The below table shows the number of applications received by the National Parks and Wildlife Service for a domestic dwelling derogation licence to exclude bats from premises in each year from 2012 to 2022 inclusive along with the number of licences issued on foot of same. Year Applications Licences issued 2012 51 51 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (11 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I am acutely aware of the problems faced by owners of thatched properties. The report that you refer to has been superseded by 'A Living tradition: a strategy to enhance understanding, minding and handing-on of our built vernacular heritage', which I launched last December. Action 6 of this strategy deals specifically with thatch. Under this action, my Department is working to resolve the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (11 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I, along with my colleague, Minister McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine recently signed the Wildlife Act 1976 (Protection of Wild Animals) Regulations 2022. The effect of these Regulations is to confer ‘protected wild animal’ status on the basking shark under section 23 of the Wildlife Act, 1976. This statutory instrument came into effect on Monday 3rd...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (11 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The River Boyne and River Blackwater SAC (site code 002299) is selected for the protection of fens, wet woodland, river lamprey, salmon and otter. My Department currently has no plans to prepare a management plan for this site. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has published site-specific conservation objectives for the SAC and a number of conservation measures apply. This...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (11 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The Electoral Reform Act 2022 (the 2022 Act) was enacted on 25 July 2022 and section 1(5) provides that the provisions of the Act are subject to commencement orders being made. The qualifying criteria for the registration of political parties are currently set out in section 25 of the Electoral Act 1992. Section 4(1)(h) of the 2022 Act repeals section 25 of the Electoral Act 1992 and...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Deputies for their contributions and Deputy Cian O'Callaghan for the proposed amendment. I agree with the comments made. I have seen in other countries where privatisation has been brought in, either through IMF interventions or structural adjustment programmes, that it has been detrimental. That is not on the cards here. I give that assurance. There is also a commitment to a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I cannot give a timeline. The intention is to have the wording ready for the end of this year or early 2023. That would put the commission in place and it would then get moving on a timeline for a referendum and referendum campaign. Uisce Éireann will remain in public ownership so a referendum aside, the programme for Government includes a commitment that Irish Water will be...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: That is the intention. It is always tricky running two referendums on the same day. I will not say they are similar issues but I know there will be considerable public engagement on both. I cannot anticipate what the wording will be on the housing referendum specifically but it is important, as Deputy O'Callaghan said, that we try to move as quickly as possible with this.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Those are operational issues for Irish Water. The assurances have been given in the transformation process. It is not obligatory. Staff can move into Irish Water and stay in local authorities.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: No, that will not-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Both this and the issue of the transformation process are outside the scope of the Bill.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I accept that. However, there is a commitment to proceed with a referendum and I am giving that commitment today on behalf of the Government.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: There has been agreement by the Minister to bring forward a proposition. Again, as I said, the wording is being worked on in regard to the housing referendum and, similarly, in parallel with that, wording will be worked on in terms of what shape the referendum on water will take. In that regard, I am not anticipating how or when that is brought to Government. My assurance here today to the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: That is how it works in government. I give the assurance that the wording is currently being worked on in regard to a housing referendum, as was committed to. We would anticipate that both referenda would take place on the same day. That is our intention.