Results 2,761-2,780 of 4,718 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (24 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 178 together. On the 17 November 2022, there were 29 full time ecologists working in the National Parks and Wildlife Service’s (NPWS) Scientific Advice and Research Directorate. There are no part time scientific staff in the Directorate at this time. Workforce planning and assignment of staff to specific areas of work in the Directorate are a...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The State intervenes through grant schemes. On meeting with the insurance action group, it was clear that does not in any way mitigate the challenges faced in insurance. However, the grants are in recognition of the fact that the owners of these properties are custodians of these houses, importantly, on behalf of the State. They are a heritage asset of the State. That is why we are keen...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Deputy. I will come in on a couple of points and then I will ask Mr. Sinnott to come in on the specifics around the figures. Deputy Devlin mentioned the figure of 2,000 which is an estimate. As I said, the survey is ongoing. I also referenced thatch-under-tin which can be seen all over the country where there is a galvanised roof with thatch underneath. When I heard that...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: What is critical is that we are acting with urgency now. There have been significant efforts down the years to try to resolve this issue. It is hugely challenging and the catalyst in our Department was the development of the vernacular strategy and ensuring we have, as Minister of State, Deputy Fleming said, a whole-of-government approach to it. In terms of reassurance to owners of...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I will ask Mr. Sinnott to come in. As I mentioned, the two grant schemes we have are a recognition of the significant maintenance duties of the owners of thatched properties.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I will ask Mr. Sinnott to come in on that and specifically on the question of varying those grants, which we are reviewing at the moment.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Deputy for her comments. I agree with her. This is a very powerful committee because it is very democratic. From our perspective, when we engage with the Department of Finance, it is very open in its responses. We welcome the amount of work that the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, and his team have put into this. As I said in response to the Cathaoirleach's question, from...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I am keenly aware of the challenges facing owners of thatched buildings in securing insurance for their homes and premises. I am also concerned to do all I can as Minister of State with responsibility for heritage to address the problem. Both Heritage Ireland 2030, the new national heritage plan, and A Living Tradition, the new vernacular built heritage strategy, contain actions to address...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: We see the report containing an initial set of recommendations in respect of the matters outlined by Mr. Sinnott, namely, practical, possibly low-cost, measures that could be taken to reduce fire risk. We will then work with the national directorate for fire and emergency management and other experts to try to develop guidance in that regard for property owners. That is probably one of the...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Like my colleague, I thank the Chair and committee members for their consideration and questions. I assure members and the representatives from the Thatch Property Insurance Action Group in the Public Gallery and those watching online that we are working collaboratively and with a sense of urgency to address these issues. As I stated, we want to ensure that we keep the houses and other...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Turf Cutting (23 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I have been advised that there is no record of an application for compensation received by my Department from the individual mentioned in the question. Officials from my Department will make contact with the individual, at the address provided, to assist with the request to apply for compensation, and a letter will issue in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Turf Cutting (23 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: An application for compensation under the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme administered by my Department was received on 1stof February 2022 from the individual referred to in the question. The qualification criteria for the scheme are that: - The applicant must have had a legal interest/ownership or a Turbary Right (right to cut turf) in one of the 53 Raised Bog Special Areas of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (23 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The , enacted on 25 July, delivers the legislative underpinning for a range of significant electoral reforms set out in the “Programme for Government – Our Shared Future”. Provisions commenced on 13 October under , included those provisions necessary for the introduction of the new processes in relation to electoral registration. The reforms include the introduction of...

Declaration of a Housing Emergency: Motion [Private Members] (22 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Before I deliver my closing speech, I will address a couple of points raised. On Deputy Connolly's question regarding the report, the Galway task force will follow that up for her. A couple of Deputies have mentioned an overreliance on HAP. That is something the Government is addressing by trying to reduce that overreliance. On Deputy Wynne's point, the wording for the referendum on...

Seanad: Water Environment (Abstractions and Associated Impoundments) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: This section is about the cumulative effects of smaller abstractions and the threshold that the Senators mentioned. This would be captured as part of the regular water framework directive monitoring, with sophisticated flow modelling and field investigations by local authorities' water programmes. The registration threshold is sufficient to capture over 99% of the volume of water abstracted...

Seanad: Water Environment (Abstractions and Associated Impoundments) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The suggested amendment would only relate to a temporary measure to alleviate acute animal welfare concerns. A permanent and foreseen abstraction for the purposes of animal welfare concerns, which is above the registration threshold, should be placed on the register. The amendment is not accepted as section 9(3)(b) of the Bill provides for an exemption for temporary abstraction to...

Seanad: Water Environment (Abstractions and Associated Impoundments) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Section 9, dealing with exemptions is included to ensure that where such exemptions are appropriate and allowed for under the water framework directive, they can be exercised if necessary. The scope of the exemptions that would potentially be permitted by regulations made under this section is strictly limited and these activities are listed in section 9. No specific organisations are...

Seanad: Water Environment (Abstractions and Associated Impoundments) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: This amendment is not accepted as the Environmental Protection Agency will be subject to data protection law - the Data Protection Acts 1998 to 2018, the Data Sharing and Governance Act 2019 and the general data protection regulation, GDPR. Only the appropriate non-personal information relating to the abstraction will ever be published by the agency. This is similar to what the EPA does...

Seanad: Water Environment (Abstractions and Associated Impoundments) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: This section enables public authorities, including local authorities, to submit an opinion to the EPA that the abstraction would be better regulated by the EPA despite it otherwise falling under local authorities' responsibility. It is an added element to ensure that abstractions that are identified as posing a risk to the relevant water bodies are properly controlled. Removing this section...

Seanad: Water Environment (Abstractions and Associated Impoundments) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Section 23(2)(b)(v) provides for the information included in annex IV of the EIA directive by reference to the transposing legislation, namely, the 2001 planning and development regulations. Where any change is made to the EIA directive requirements, the 2001 regulations will also be updated so that the reference in the Bill remains valid and up to date. The Department is satisfied that all...