Results 1-20 of 4,774 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Care of the Elderly (26 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Tá brón orm, a Sheanadóir Ní Chuilinn. Níl an freagra réidh fós so leanfaimid ar aghaidh go dtí Ní i dTosach Suíonna 4.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services (26 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: Gabhaim leithscéal leis an Seanadóir Ní Chuilinn; níl freagra againn. I do apologise most profusely to Senator Ní Chuilinn. We do not have a response to her question from the Department. I just want to say on the Senator's behalf that it is unacceptable. If a Senator goes to the trouble of tabling a Commencement matter, there should be an answer here for them. I...

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Climate Change Advisory Council (25 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: Cuirim fáilte roimh na finnéithe. I commend the advisory council on the work it did with the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council earlier this year on the report on the costs of missing the targets. It is an excellent report. I have a couple of questions, one based on some of the public submissions, from Professor John Sweeney and others, as regards their conclusion around the current...

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Climate Change Advisory Council (25 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: I am sorry to interrupt Ms Donnelly. Is it not really a pipe dream anyway, globally? It is factored into the Paris Agreement but is it not really just pie-in-the-sky stuff, fictitious, in terms of its ability to do anything meaningful?

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Climate Change Advisory Council (25 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: Just on that point-----

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Climate Change Advisory Council (25 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: I apologise.

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Climate Change Advisory Council (25 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: I will go back to biodiversity. The nature restoration plan is in train. Is there tracking looking at the higher ambition of the nature restoration plan to meet all of the articled requirements in terms of rewetting peat soils and woodlands, etc? Is that being given consideration in the context of potential for carbon sequestration? The witnesses are also right to say the land use plan...

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Climate Change Advisory Council (25 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: I go back to the point on the submission from Professor Sweeney. It refers to the Government bringing forward substantial and new additional interventions to directly and reliably reduce greenhouse gas emissions more quickly than has been achieved to date. Does Ms Donnelly have a view on that?

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Climate Change Advisory Council (25 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: I have two questions. First, can the council go into more detail about the recommendation to bring legal mandates to public bodies in accordance with the 2021 Act in the context of carbon budgets 3 and 4. I know we did this with the National Biodiversity Action Plan when we put a biodiversity duty on public bodies. It is really important to get that recommendation brought forward as...

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Climate Change Advisory Council (25 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: Would it be possible to add something to the report back to the committee? I know it is more complex, and we still do not have the land use review, but is it possible to engage on the nature restoration plan and how the potential figures at the upper end of the restoration targets might potentially positively impact on sequestering carbon? It is a much more complex area than straight energy...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: I look forward to an all-Leinster all-Ireland hurling final in a few weeks between Dublin and Kilkenny. On 4 June, the Public Accounts Committee in Westminster received and considered a damning report on the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing facility in Cumbria. It heard of a crumbling site where there is a suboptimal workplace culture, where the clean-up will take 135 years at a cost of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (19 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: I understand Senator Crowe will be sharing time with Senator Curley.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (19 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: We all want the Minister to succeed. We are all supportive of what he is trying to do. I served in the Department for a number of years and know the diligence of the officials working there and that of the Minister's predecessor. We are facing insurmountable challenges with infrastructure, including water and public transport. The proposals put forward are welcome in terms of extending...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: I apologise to our guests for my late arrival and missing the presentation but I have now read the statement. I have a couple of questions. The issue of the accommodation of horses was mentioned. In my own county of Kilkenny, we have had a number of horse projects proposed and stalled for years. It is probably 20 years at this stage. Temporary facilities were put in for horses and then...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: On that point, local development companies such as LEADER companies - particularly those in Kilkenny, speaking from experience - have done good work with Traveller families. A solution can be found. The horse projects have a hugely beneficial effect on the welfare of the animals and on the well-being of young Traveller boys in particular. It requires a more focused attention nationally in...

Seanad: Food Promotion and New Markets: Statements (18 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. This important debate is my first opportunity to formally welcome him to the Seanad Chamber. I have just come from a meeting of the climate committee where we discussed in private session the challenges regarding climate change, biodiversity loss and water quality. No sector in Ireland will be more greatly affected by a changing climate,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: The witnesses are welcome. I have to leave as I have important questions at the climate committee too, so I am trying to cover all angles. I have just a couple of questions because many of them have been addressed. There is no doubt that the Arts Council underwent a huge transformation over recent years and it has been transformative for the arts sector. I want to wish Ms Kennelly all the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: Regarding the expansion of the Arts Council staffing, has there been a swell in the middle management level that perhaps we are not seeing in the sector more widely? This is not a criticism but when I look at the theatre sector, which I have an involvement in, it has had a very poor uplift since 2008. I know the Minister has committed to a review but did that have any involvement in this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: Okay. I have two final questions. Going back to the Department, the Minister has stated that he is considering a review of governance and culture. What would that look like? Will we see the terms of reference of that? How is the "arm's length" principle enshrined in the Arts Act 2003 to be protected in light of the Minister's refusal to allow a recommendation from the board of the Arts...

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: CLEAR Report on Lady's Island Lake: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: I welcome the witnesses. I apologise, as I am double jobbing and I have come from the arts committee. I missed the presentations but I had a good read through the CLEAR report and the other supporting documentation. I have a general comment. If we leave this committee room with a recommendation on collaboration and bringing agencies, bodies, farmers, representatives and all the...