Results 1,961-1,980 of 4,726 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services (30 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I reiterate that the Government remains committed to implementation of the neuro-rehabilitation strategy and the current demonstrator project for CHOs in CHO 6 and CHO 7. Delivering on this commitment, additional funding was provided in budget 2023 for neuro-rehabilitation. Funding will provide for the continued roll-out of the strategy in two more CHO areas. The exact location of these...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (30 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: They certainly picked a good time to come in. It is great to see such a good contribution in the Seanad Chamber. The students are very welcome and I thank Deputy Duffy for bringing them here. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister for Health. It might have been preferable to use a hurling analogy, being a Kilkenny man, but it is okay; I will accept the football parlance. I...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (30 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: There is a shared concern to ensure patients in Navan, Meath and the north east, or any part of the country, can access the services they need. As mentioned earlier, there is currently an ambulance bypass protocol in place for Our Lady's Hospital Navan for paediatric, obstetric, major trauma, heart attack and stroke care patients. These patients bypass the emergency department at Our Lady's...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Facilities (30 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an gceist sin and for the opportunity to provide an update on the status of the Saolta University Health Care Group's proposals for a new emergency department, cancer care centre, elective beds and laboratory facilities at Galway University Hospital and Merlin Park. As fate would have it, the Minister is before the committee with regard to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Facilities (30 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: By their nature, capital projects of the scale and ambition of projects discussed here today take time to come into fruition and must adhere to the public spending code and certainly not delay part of it. However, it is important they adhere to the code. The strategic assessment report for the proposed new emergency department at Galway University Hospital is currently under review by the...

Seanad: Tailte Éireann Bill 2022: Second Stage (30 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: On behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, I am happy to have the opportunity to outline before the Seanad the Tailte Éireann Bill 2022. The purpose of the Bill is to provide for the merger of the Valuation Office, the Property Registration Authority, PRA, and Ordnance Survey Ireland, OSI, through the establishment of a new body to be...

Seanad: Tailte Éireann Bill 2022: Second Stage (30 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I will address points raised by Senators during the debate as well as the pre-legislative scrutiny, PLS, recommendations. I thank Senators Boyhan and Fitzpatrick, as well as other members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which is an excellent committee. Our interaction with the committee has been fantastic. There is no doubt it has been very busy...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (1 Dec 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department, under Housing for All, has set social housing targets for all local authorities. Cork County Council has a target delivery of 3,198 units over the period 2022 to 2026. The council's approved housing delivery action plan is published on its website, along with details of social housing needs for each settlement in the county. In 2022, Cork County Council has supported an...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (1 Dec 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I reiterate that Cork County Council is the lead authority when it comes to the provision of social housing for County Cork, including the islands. I looked at some of the Central Statistics Office data on population change on the islands. There is quite a wide fluctuation between Bear Island, which has seen a reduction in its population, Long Island, which has experienced an increase, and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (1 Dec 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I reiterate that opportunities exist. Our Department will support any proposals that come in from the local authority. The west Cork islands integrated development strategy contains objectives for economic regeneration and the opportunity, in particular, to repurpose houses. There is certainly discouragement of building second or other individual homes at some points. There are also other...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Dec 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. Many areas in our cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight, as was said, of vacant properties which, if brought back to use, could add to the vibrancy and provide accommodation in those areas. A suite of measures under pathway 4 to address vacancy and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Dec 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: There are several questions to address. Regarding the vacant homes officers, this is a dedicated position in local authorities and is critically important. It is critically important local authorities use that resource wisely. It is important, too, that every local authority should have a conservation officer. We are talking here about a lot of 18th century or 19th century properties and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Dec 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree wholeheartedly with Deputy O'Dowd. The vacant property tax is the responsibility of the Department of Finance and it is kept under review. I take note of the points the Deputy made. The Housing Agency is overseeing CPOs. It is down to individual local authorities to be proactive. Some, as I said, are better than others. It is critically important there is a uniform approach...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Schemes (1 Dec 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Absolutely. The measures are in place and we are very supportive.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (1 Dec 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Nearly 500.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Rail Network (1 Dec 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator. I agree with everything he said with regard to the modal shift. Trying to move people out of private cars and onto public transport is a critically important policy from a climate perspective but also from a development and balanced regional development perspective. As the Senator may be aware, the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Rail Network (1 Dec 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree wholeheartedly with the Senator in terms of the aspiration. A step-and-stage process has to be adhered to regardless of whether it is pre or post Covid. Certainly, there has been a sea change. The reduction in fares by 20%, and 50% for young people, has encouraged and put far more people back on to our public transport network. It is critically important that we as a Government...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Animal Welfare (1 Dec 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I welcome the young people to the Gallery. It is great to have them here. I probably saw them in the Dáil earlier. I am sure they are all looking forward to Santa. The countdown is well and truly on. In line with the commitment in the programme for Government to prioritise equine welfare through a robust traceability system, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine carried out...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Animal Welfare (1 Dec 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The Senator has summed it up very well. I will pass on that information. I agree with him that the Minister has provided an excellent piece of additional information. It shows that the Department is dealing with the matter very well. It is an important area. As the Senator said, this is an important industry in Ireland, not just in my county but across the country. It is worth...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Environmental Policy (1 Dec 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator for raising this important question. I highlight that it is the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to prepare the reports on emissions and removals associated with land use activities on an annual basis to the EU and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC. However, there are many projects, as the Senator said, and work...