Results 3,661-3,680 of 4,810 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (1 Mar 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Legislative reforms to regulate the short-term letting sector through the planning code, in areas designated as “rent pressure zones” (RPZs), were introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 which came into effect on 1 July 2019. Notwithstanding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, significant work on...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Planning Issues (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I will give a general overview of disability provision and the Disability Act and then offer some possible solutions to the case the Deputy has raised. The ongoing implementation of disability-related measures has a statutory footing under the Disability Act 2005. The Act comes within the policy remit of my colleague Deputy Rabbitte, who is Minister of State with responsibility for...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Planning Issues (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: A number of years ago when I was a member of Kilkenny Borough Council, an initiative was brought forward by a person who was working with people with disabilities to bring in a disabled parking bay monitoring scheme. The monitors who worked, and are still working, on the streets of Kilkenny are themselves wheelchair users. They monitor the disabled bays and report back to traffic wardens...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Planning Issues (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: They have multiple jobs but within their brief------

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Planning Issues (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: -----they are looking at access all the time. Every planning application and every public realm plan is disability-proofed before it goes out for public consultation. The access group had oversight of those planning applications. That is where the strength lies at local government level, in how effective and active the access group is. I take on board the Deputy's point that they are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Biodiversity Plan (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department is responsible for the implementation of a range of legislation and policy relating to biodiversity and nature in Ireland and is the National Focal Point for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an overarching international agreement underpinning the global biodiversity framework. In this context, my Department is the lead authority for the National Biodiversity...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Surveys (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Hedgerows are an integral part of farmed landscapes in Ireland and play a key role in habitat connectivity as well as being important habitats in their own right. They support a variety of invertebrate, bird and mammal species, and are refuges for biodiversity in landscapes dominated by intensive agriculture. Teagasc has undertaken hedgerow mapping on a national scale, and while no...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The use of a detection devices will not be prohibited under the proposed Monuments and Archaeological Heritage Bill and as provided for under the existing legislative framework, the use of a detection device to search for or collect archaeological objects will continue to be a licensable activity. The unlicensed use of a detection device for the purposes outlined above will not be permitted...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Biodiversity Plan (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to ensure that each local authority has a sufficient number of Biodiversity Officers and Heritage Officers among their staff complement. There are currently five biodiversity officers employed in local authorities, mainly in the Leinster area. The role of a biodiversity officer is prescribed at local level by the employing local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Projects (22 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department provides financial support for the protection of eligible 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 Scheme (BHIS) and the Community Monuments Fund (CMF). The HSF is for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Citizens' Assembly (22 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The Government recently agreed to the establishment of a Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity, the inaugural meetings of which are planned for April 2022. The terms of reference for the Citizens' Assembly on biodiversity derive from, and are consistent with, the resolution passed by Dáil Éireann in May 2019 which declared a climate and biodiversity emergency and called for a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Cross-Border Co-operation (22 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The Narrow Water Bridge is a cross-border project led by Louth County Council and supported by the Shared Island Fund, which as the Deputy will know is designed to fund strategic north-south projects that implement the commitments and objectives on Shared Island set out in the Programme for Government. The bridge will connect Cornamucklagh near Omeath, Co Louth with Narrow Water near...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: 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 Scheme (BHIS) and the Community Monuments Fund (CMF). The HSF is for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (22 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: The function of the enhanced Wildlife Crime Unit (to be known as Wildlife Crime Operations) is to support the law enforcement work that has been, and continues to be done by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Regional staff. Some 110 staff, including District Conservation Officers and Conservation Rangers are working across the country to address wildlife crime. Since December 2020,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Defective Building Materials (17 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: I take on board the points made by Deputy McHugh on independence and on taking on board the submissions in a proactive way. We will take on board the specific point on owners who have paid engineering costs. We are moving towards a full and better resolution. Deputy McHugh specifically asked about retrofit. It is important to clarify a number of aspects of the parameters of the scheme....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Defective Building Materials (17 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist seo a ardú. We have discussed this previously and I will try to address some, if not all, of the issues the Deputy raised and, perhaps in closing, the retrofit part of it specifically. Again, I thank the Deputy for consistently raising this issue on behalf of his constituents. It is critical that we get it right for the communities...

Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces: Statements (16 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: My dad served in the Irish Defence Forces for some 37 years, during which time he served three tours of duty in the Congo in one of the earliest Irish overseas missions. In 1960, they landed in Lagos in bull's wool uniform and heavy black boots. They did not have much except for their small arms weapons and very little armour. They did, however, have their Irish spirit and the ability to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Services (16 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist seo. I will outline the response from the Department, but I say at the outset that the conditions the Deputy describes are unacceptable. I have seen other parts of the country where this has been the case. It is a practice which should not have taken place but did. Such cases need to be resolved as a matter of urgency. The position on...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Services (16 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: On the issue the Deputy mentioned in Castlewhite, if there is a connection to a pumping station that is an Irish Water facility, we will look into it with Irish Water. It is important. If the potential is there to resolve the issue, it should be resolved. Perhaps this scheme under our Department might be of assistance. We will look into that. On bonds and the process of taking in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Commission (15 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Noonan: Section 23 of the Local Government Act 2001 empowers the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to divide a local authority area into local electoral areas and to amend those areas. However, in advance of deciding to make an order under section 23 of the Act, the Minister must, in accordance Part V of the Local Government Act 1991 (as amended), request a boundary committee to...