Results 3,081-3,100 of 4,718 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Senators Moynihan, Hoey, Sherlock and Wall for this amendment, which proposes that the establishment date of the electoral commission be appointed as a day not later than four weeks from the passage into law of the Electoral Reform Bill. I do not propose to accept this amendment for a number of reasons. First, the Bill is subject to commencement provisions as set out in section...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Senators Higgins, Ruane, Flynn and Black for these amendments, which relate to the membership of an coimisiún. I welcome the sentiments behind them, which relate to participation in, and wider engagement with, our electoral process, as Senator Ruane outlined. That is what this Bill, in its overarching thrust, sets out to achieve. Amendment No. 2 relates to the gender balance...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senators for the proposed amendment, which will require that the commission lays a record of all contracts for consultants or advisers before both House of the Oireachtas an a biannual basis. Appendix B5 to the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies: Business and Financial Reporting Requirements requires that expenditure by public bodies on external consultancy and...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Senators Higgins, Ruane, Flynn and Black for these amendments, which propose that the chief executive of an coimisiún may only be reappointed once. Section 20(6), as passed by the Dáil, limits the chief executive of an coimisiún to serving no more than ten years in total where a term of office is a maximum of five years. Amendment No. 7 and amendment No. 8, the...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Senators Ruane, Higgins, Black and Flynn for tabling these amendments, which relate to requiring that an coimisiún undertake a review of the Electoral Act 1997. As the Senators will be aware, Chapter 9 of Part 2 of the Bill provides for an coimisiún to take on a new policy, research and advisory function. As part of its work, an coimisiún will prepare research...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Senators Ruane, Higgins, Black and Flynn for these amendments, which seek to amend the existing provisions relating to the publication of information by the electoral commission. Amendment No. 12 specifies that in addition to an coimisiún's annual report being published that it be published in an accessible manner. Amendment No. 15 specifies that as part of an coimisiún's...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I again thank Senators Higgins, Ruane, Flynn and Black for amendments Nos. 13, 21, 24, 35, 36 and 44, which all relate to the franchise for Seanad Éireann. Before I speak specifically to the amendments, I appreciate the level of debate, in particular the very passionate debate by Senator McDowell and others yesterday and by Senator Higgins today. I note that and I would say in response...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Senators Moynihan, Hoey, Sherlock and Wall for these proposed amendments, which relate to the publication of the register of political parties. These amendments were previously tabled by Deputy Nash in the Dáil on Committee Stage. In respect of amendment No. 18, when bringing across the 1992 Act’s existing provisions in respect of the making available of the register, I...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I will not mention the war. I know the county boundary Senator Cummins is referring to.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: These amendments provide that an coimisiún toghcháin would recommend Dáil and European Parliament constituencies based on four, five and six seats, that it would recommend as few three-seat constituencies as possible and as many five-seat constituencies as possible when making recommendations regarding Dáil constituencies, and that it would have regard to all county...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: We have discussed this quite a lot and the overarching point I will make is that the potential the establishment of this commission will have to achieve all the objectives spoken about around participation of minorities, gender balance in our electoral process and making Dáil, Seanad and council chambers more representative of the people therein cannot be underestimated. It has immense...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I again thank Senators Higgins, Ruane, Flynn and Black for these amendments, which specify an coimisiún's approach to conducting its public education and information function under section 66 of the Bill. I am strongly of the view that it would be desirable that an coimisiún would carry out its work on increasing awareness of and participation in the State's electoral and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Insurance Coverage (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I am aware of the challenges facing owners of thatched buildings in relation to securing insurance. Both Heritage Ireland 2030, the new national heritage plan, and A Living Tradition, the new vernacular architectural heritage strategy, contain actions to address the issue of insurance of protected structures, including thatched buildings. Action 6 of A Living Tradition sets out to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Commission (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Article 16 of the Constitution sets out the overarching requirements that apply to the membership of Dáil Éireann. The constitutional provisions require that Dáil constituencies be revised whenever population change, as ascertained in a census, leads to population to member ratios in individual constituencies that are significantly out of line with the national average or the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Schemes (7 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 to 207, inclusive, together. My Department provides financial support for eligible conservation works towards heritage buildings, historic structures and archaeological monuments through three grant schemes which are, in the main, administered by the local authorities. These are the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) and the Built Heritage Investment...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank all the Senators for their contributions. I will make a general point on the discussion we have had. I wholeheartedly support the notion of Seanad reform. There was not a commitment to it in the programme for the Government. It is a three-party programme for Government negotiated with three parties in good faith. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, gave a commitment to examine...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: There is nothing to stop the electoral commission from making recommendations on any aspect of electoral law, including Seanad electoral law. The point was made by Senator Higgins that the possibility is there. Yes, it is tasked with quite an amount of work. We have already spent five and a half hours on this. We will have had seven and a half hours in total. I absolutely respect the...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I again thank Senators Ruane, Higgins, Black and Flynn for these amendments and the sentiment behind them on improving accessibility and participation. It is important and something we all want to achieve. These amendments seek to amend existing provisions in order that, first, as part of an coimisiún's referendum functions, the statement it prepares and publishes to explain the...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: In my response to the amendments there is a strong commitment that we are already going - I will not say above and beyond - strongly in ensuring inclusivity, including referendum guides around Braille, Irish Sign Language, audio, large print format and easy-to-read format for people with intellectual disabilities. Thus, we are already doing that. The referendum commission ethos in that...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senators for their contributions. Section 51 provides for transparency on the register of political parties and it will be open to the commission to publish it on its website.Political parties have a responsibility to publish material about the party on their websites. It is something my party and, I am sure, all the established parties take seriously.