Results 281-300 of 4,903 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Sports Facilities (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the sports capital and equipment programme, SCEP, which is now renamed the community sport facility fund, and the large scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF. At the outset, I should note that the provision of recreational and sporting infrastructure in Dublin city...

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Sports Facilities (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: They are very valid points. Critically, this lies with Dublin City Council and its elected members. They develop very proactive sports and play policies. One day I toured some of the pocket parks and play facilities with Dublin City Council which is doing really innovative work. It is increasingly trying to fit them in smaller sites. Weaver Park is a great example. Those small...

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Disadvantaged Status (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: In response to Deputy Murphy, an extensive consultation was carried out in regard to the OECD review and it met with school leaders, teachers, parents, student organisations, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Children's Rights Alliance and Social Justice Ireland. It was broad and comprehensive. I agree with the three Deputies. Deputy McAuliffe made the point that we should be looking...

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Disadvantaged Status (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Deputies Murphy, Donnelly and McAuliffe for bringing this important issue to the fore. The Government is committed to supporting all children and young people to achieve their potential through education and address the barrier of educational disadvantage. In government, the Minister, Deputy Foley, has secured approximately €170 million in funding to provide free school...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: 3 o’clock I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Education, who is otherwise engaged. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which gives me the opportunity to set out the position with regard to school places, including for children and young people with special educational needs, in north Kildare for September 2025 and onwards. The...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I assure the Deputy that the Department is at all times planning ahead. I mentioned earlier the additional classes and places that are there for children with additional needs. On top of that, there are additional special needs assistant, SNA, supports in schools in north Kildare and throughout the country. Where there is good availability of first-year school places in Kildare for the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: An Garda Síochána (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: On behalf of the Minister for Justice, I give assurance to the Senator that the Minister and the whole of Government are committed to the principle that everybody should feel safe and be safe in their community. I note the issues the Senator has raised, in particular about community safety in very remote rural locations in Longford and Roscommon. The safety of people living and working in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: An Garda Síochána (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I reiterate that the reopening of Garda stations or the deployment of gardaí is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner. I reiterate also that community safety is of the highest priority for the Minister. Recently, she was pleased to announce a €62 million investment in the Garda estate across the country as part of budget 2025. Under the NDP the Government is...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Youth Services (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Senator Seery Kearney. Having worked in youth services previously, I am aware of the work they do. My own children have greatly benefited from youth work and youth services, including LGBTQI services, and they now volunteer with them. I thank the Senator for raising this important issue, to which I am responding on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. During his time as...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Youth Services (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I acknowledge the Senator's passion in respect of this matter. Having been involved in youth work, I know the invaluable work that youth organisations do. I met some of the organisations prior to the budget. The youth strategy the Minister launched and has led on was developed with broad stakeholder engagement involving youth work organisations. Opportunities still exist. Officials are...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Sports Funding (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree. Clare hurling is doing well - I say that as a Kilkenny man - without a centre of excellence. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Ministers, Deputies Catherine Martin and Byrne. I take on board the points the Senator made. The establishment of the LSSIF was provided for under the national sports policy 2018 to 2027. The aim of the fund is to provide support to sports...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Sports Funding (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I will take these points back to Ministers. This sounds like a hugely exciting prospect for Clare. I am a big fan of Clare hurling, notwithstanding the fact that I am a Kilkenny man. I love the hurling from the county. The assessment of applications under the LSSIF is well advanced. I hope the announcement of allocations under the latest round of funding will come in the coming weeks...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Admissions (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley, who is otherwise engaged. I thank the Senator for raising the matter, which she has raised persistently over recent months, as it provides me with the opportunity to outline steps the Department of Education is taking to support post-primary schools in managing and co-ordinating...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Admissions (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The Senator’s points are noted. Certainly, the Department is proactive. It is using demographics and CSO data to inform its planning. As I said, the growth we are seeing will peak and taper off, but perhaps not so profoundly in the greater Dublin area and Dublin West. Regarding the common applications system, especially for special educational needs provision, at primary level in...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator for that contribution. To follow on from the Minister’s points, Senators are aware that we could draw the line at a number of places and cover a wide variety of educational qualifications but, given that we have already made such significant change to the constituencies, I believe it is prudent to hold the qualification level to what is currently in place. It is a...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senators for their contributions. To respond to Senator Warfield specifically, the Minister has no role in ruling on amendments. The issues he raised, and that all three Senators raised during their contributions, are very similar. We agree reform was somewhat forced on us but it is an important step forward. This Bill will result in a significant expansion of the electorate...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Second Stage (15 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I am delighted to be here to bring the Bill before the House. This Bill passed all Stages of the Dáil last week. It intends to make amendments to the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 and the Affordable Housing Act 2021, as well as a further amendment to the National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Act 2014, to be brought on Committee Stage in the Seanad....

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Second Stage (15 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank both Senators for their contributions. I thank Senator Fitzpatrick for her positive comments on the Bill and her comments generally around cost-rental and its imminent introduction into the programme for Government and Housing for All. It will certainly deliver significant benefits. It is based on what occurred in Vienna and is an attempt to take that approach and ramp it up over...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: As previously outlined, there are two Parts to this Bill. The first relates to amendments to the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 and the second relates to amendments of the Affordable Housing Act 2021. As announced by the Minister on the Second Stage reading of the Bill in the Dáil on 8 October 2024, a further amendment is being brought forward that relates to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Animal Welfare (15 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: There is currently no tender process underway for the provision of an update to the 2014 Guidance to Manage the Risk to Marine Mammals, nor is one planned. The Marine Institute funded a project through its Research for Policy Awards 2023 entitled GOMOREUS - Guidance on Managing offshore Renewable Energy Underwater Sound. The project is being delivered by University College Cork (UCC) MaREI...