Results 4,001-4,020 of 4,810 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (11 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is the lead on the development and coordination of implementation of the National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP). The current Plan runs from 2017 to 2021 and work is underway on drafting the next Plan, Ireland's fourth, to be put in place next year.  The Local Authority Biodiversity Grant Scheme, operated by the NPWS, offers...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Issues (11 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: The delivery of the 46km Barrow Blueway route from Lowtown to Athy in partnership with Kildare and Laois County Councils is a priority for Waterways Ireland. This development and others like it present valuable opportunities for rural communities to attract more visitors, stimulate local businesses and regenerate local areas. Planning approval was received in March 2019. The project...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks (11 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Glenveagh National Park is managed and owned by the National Park and Wildlife Service of my Department. The OPW has no role whatsoever in the management of car parking at this site. At no point during 2021 has the National Park had to close as a result of the carpark being full. The car park itself, however, reached full capacity on 24 occasions during 2021, meaning for a limited period...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Projects (11 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 282 and 283 together. My Department provides financial support for the protection of heritage buildings and historic structures through two grant schemes which are, in the main, administered by the local authorities. These are the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF). This year 562 heritage projects across every county...

Science Week 2021: Statements (10 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Is í an eolaíocht an modh trína mbaineann daonnacht ciall as an domhan, as an gcruinne agus, cinnte, as í féin. Science is the method through which humanity makes sense of the world, the universe and itself. It is a process of inquiry and experiment that combines curiosity, creativity and collaboration with rigorous interrogation to shed light into dark corners,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (10 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: A report on the public consultation on the modernisation of the electoral registration process, which ran from December 2018 to March 2019, was published on my Department’s website on 27 December, 2019.  Overall, respondents were very positive towards the proposals.  The report is currently available to view at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (10 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: There are three species of deer recorded as occurring in Ireland; these are red deer, fallow deer and sika deer. A fourth species, muntjac deer, has been reported from the wild on a number of occasions, but my Department does not have evidence that this invasive species of deer has established itself in the wild in Ireland. No national census of deer...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (10 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 115 together. While the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department does licence hunting of deer, and does actively manage deer on their property, NPWS does not own the deer population. Deer populations by their nature are mobile and have a home range that is not constrained by landownership boundaries. These home ranges are normally...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (10 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: While the National Parks and Wildlife service (NPWS) of my Department has and continues to work to address wildlife crime, additional resources and personnel are being made available across the NPWS to support this work. Additional rangers, who are at the forefront of this work, are now operating in locations across the country. A dedicated unit is also established – the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Electoral Process (9 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree. This is an important issue, certainly politically for candidates but also for the right of constituents to exercise their vote in their areas and DEDs. It is critically important. Article 16 of the Constitution sets out clearly and distinctly the overarching requirements that apply to the membership of Dáil Éireann. In addition, and complementary to the constitutional...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Electoral Process (9 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree wholeheartedly with the Senator and it is critically important. If one looks at where we are now, it is going to be a very short time once the commission is established. As I have said, it is going to be tasked with quite a significant body of work from the outset but this part of that work is going to be critically important, given that there will be an electoral event in 2024 and,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Animal Diseases (9 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Gabhaim buíochas leis na Seanadóirí. I thank both Senators for raising this really important issue. While the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department licenses the hunting of deer and actively manages deer on its property, it does not own the deer population nor is it responsible for cordoning it into specific areas of land. Deer populations are mobile by their...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Animal Diseases (9 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree with Senator Casey. During the summer we spent a bit of time on the Wicklow Mountains after some of the fires with Wesley Atkinson and his team. It is critically important that the deer population is sustainably managed on which I am sure we all agree. This initiative will take hold. The streamlined issuing of licences is critically important and we have issued a significantly...

Monitoring Adequate Housing in Ireland: Statements (4 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I apologise because I had expected to have a little more time to work on this but the debate arrived a little early for me. Before I summarise, I will try to address some of the points raised by Deputies. Again, I thank all Deputies for their contributions and thank the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and the ESRI for this very important report. I want to emphasise that this...

Monitoring Adequate Housing in Ireland: Statements (4 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on the report, Monitoring Adequate Housing in Ireland, which was released on 14 September and prepared by the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC. The report focuses on six dimensions of adequate housing that were identified in the International Covenant on...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Animal Welfare (4 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I have a response from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine but in quick response to the Senator's two asks on the restriction of use in household gardens I wholeheartedly agree. People can buy stuff off the shelf in supermarkets and garden centres for domestic use. People should stop doing it. I do not recommend people...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Animal Welfare (4 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator. She showed me photographs of some beautiful hedgehogs before we came into the Chamber. They are essential to our biodiversity. It is essential that we have connected habitats for nature. Natural pest control should work far better. Barn owls on a farm are natural predators and pest control in themselves. We need to restore nature as part of this bigger picture....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Homeless Persons Supports (4 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator for raising this really important issue. Yesterday, I opened the Little Houses exhibition in Collins Barracks with the young people from Stoneybatter Youth Service. I urge the Senator, if he gets a chance, to go and look at that exhibition. It highlighted young people's experiences during lockdown of being at home and lots of the myriad issues they faced, in particular...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Homeless Persons Supports (4 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Again, I agree with the Senator. As a statistic, 2,344 is way too high a number. We want, and the Government is committed, to end homelessness. I reiterate that addressing homelessness is a priority of the Government. Budget 2022 reflects this priority with provision of €194 million in funding for homelessness services. When account is taken of Covid-related costs, this is an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Horticulture Sector (4 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I received the final report of the Chair of the Working Group mentioned by the Deputy on 20 October 2021. I am considering the report carefully with a view to publishing it in due course. I am very grateful for the work of Dr. Prasad, the members of the working group and all who contributed to the report.