Results 2,821-2,840 of 4,718 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (16 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Lough Carra is the largest marl lake in Ireland and is part of the Great Western Lakes complex. It covers over 1,500 hectares and is joined to Lough Mask by the Keel River. It has many islands and a shoreline of bays and promontories, all on a bedrock of limestone. The lake is an internationally important scientific and nature conservation site, largely in state ownership and it is designated...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Natural Resources (15 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The proposed Nature Restoration Regulation provides an opportunity for transformative change in relation to achieving nature restoration in Ireland and the EU as a whole, which is welcomed. Healthy ecosystems provide food and food security, clean water, carbon sinks and protection against natural disasters caused by climate change. Functioning peatlands, wetlands and flood plains, in addition...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Election Management System (15 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Voter.ie is an initiative of the Dublin local authorities that offers online registration via MyGovID on its front end portal and a shared back-end database within which each Dublin local authority continues to manage the electoral register for its own administrative area. The public Voter.ie portal went live in 2019 and the Dublin authorities have since run a number of awareness...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (15 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: This Government’s commitment to transforming the way Ireland values nature is clearly evident in the steady increase in budget and resources for the National Parks and Wildlife Service since 2020. The National Parks and Wildlife Service will receive €52.6m in programme funding in 2023, in addition to a significant increase in staffing resources. Combined with EU funding for LIFE...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (15 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The NPWS Farm Plan Scheme, administered by my Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service, is an important instrument that allows for proactive engagement with farmers in designated sites, to trial and deliver bespoke measures that support biodiversity. The NPWS Farm Plan Scheme has been enlarged this year to work with farmersand to apply and test new and innovative approaches for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Horticulture Sector (15 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: On 17th January 2022, my colleague, Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has responsibility for Horticulture at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, published the series of actions developed to support Irish horticultural growers who are dependent on peat. The Working Paper setting out the Series of Actions can be found at the following link: ...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Policy (10 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir. I note the Senator's comments in relation to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. We have three Ministers working diligently in the Department and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has been deeply committed to trying to resolve these issues. I respect the point the Senator made and, critically, respect the work she has been doing on behalf...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Policy (10 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I appreciate that. Not to misunderstand that this delay is in any sense deliberate-----

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Policy (10 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: It is complex, as the Senator will be aware. It is important that we get this right. These are a complex set of issues that have arisen as a result of it. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, wants to ensure the set of recommendations that come forward from the interdepartmental and agency working group will assist him in making the correct decisions to move this forward in as quickly a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Election Management System (10 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The Electoral Reform Act 2022, 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 S.I. No. 512 of 2022, included those provisions necessary for the introduction of the new processes in relation to electoral...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Monuments (10 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I welcome the Deputy’s interest in the protection of our archaeological heritage. I can assure him that my Department is aware of the important discovery he refers to and an officer of my Department has inspected it. I understand that the site has now been covered over and fenced off under professional archaeological supervision, with this having been done by the owners or person...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (10 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: EU Member states are required to designate areas as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to protect a variety of habitats and species under the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) .This Directive is transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477 of 2011). The designation of SAC sites under the Directive is a formal, legal...

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (9 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I will respond to amendments Nos. 7 and 9 together as they concern the referendum on the public ownership of water infrastructure. Before I do, I will address some of the points raised by the Deputies in terms of the referendum. I share the concerns of Deputy Mattie McGrath in terms of the Shannon project but that is not being addressed here today. From an ecological perspective, I...

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (9 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 5: In page 6, between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following: “(4) The following provisions of the Act of 2017 are repealed: (a) sections 44(1) and 53; (b) sections 42, 43, 44 (in so far as it is not repealed by paragraph (a)), 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 and 52.”. The Water Advisory Body was established by the Water Services Act 2017 with...

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (9 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 6: In page 6, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: “(5) Notwithstanding the repeal of sections 44(1)(b) and 53 of the Act of 2017 by subsection (4)(a), the Water Advisory Body shall prepare a report under section 44(1)(b) and an annual report under section 53, as modified bysection 28, for the period ending on 31 December 2022.”. These...

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (9 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Again, the Water Advisory Body has played an important role. Deputy Ó Broin mentioned NGOs' participation. Again, we are talking about advisory in terms of oversight by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, the EPA and now the Committee of Public Accounts, which is directly accountable to the Oireachtas. In terms of consultation, the Department has engaged with the Water...

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (9 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The Water Advisory Body has advised that it is important that Uisce Éireann is held to account on the quality of its customer service and experience. Given the oversight not just of the Committee of Public Accounts but also the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, there is an opportunity to bring a body to that forum for wider discussion on the efficacy,...

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (9 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 2: In page 5, between lines 27 and 28, to insert the following: " "Act of 2017” means the Water Services Act 2017;". These seven amendments are technical amendments to facilitate the dissolution of the Water Advisory Body and remove any consequential matters such as the provision of grants to the Water Advisory Body. A typographical error is also...

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (9 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 3: In page 5, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: “ “dissolution day” means the day appointed by order under section 27;”.

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (9 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 4: In page 6, line 3, to delete “2013.” and substitute the following: “2013; “Water Advisory Body” means the body established by section 43(1) of the Act of 2017.”.