Results 4,161-4,180 of 4,810 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wild Fires (27 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Since the tragic fires in Killarney National Park earlier this year there has been significant work undertaken. The National Partks and Wildlife Sevice (NPWS), of my Department, has been working tirelessly to properly assess the damage and deal with the long term impacts. The NPWS have used the best available data and imagery (satellite and standard aerial) to map and assess the exact...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Programme (27 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Work on a revised General Scheme for the Monuments and Archaeological Heritage Bill is currently underway in my Department. It is my intention to write to the Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage and formally request pre-legislative scrutiny once all other requirements relating to the procedures governing the introduction of draft legislation have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (27 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Policy on Architecture is at an advanced stage of development. Following analysis of the public consultation submissions, a comprehensive consultation report was prepared during 2020 and early 2021 with the cooperation of the Government Policy on Architecture Advisory Group, which is composed of representatives of my Department along with the Department of Education and Skills;...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (27 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: The NPWS review is currently underway and is at drafting stage following the extensive research and consultation phase. It is hoped that the final report, which is being prepared by the Independent Chair, Prof Jane Stout of Trinity College Dublin, will be completed in early Autumn.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Programme (27 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Section 22 provides for the enforcement of protection of wild birds. It is an offence, except in accordance with a licence issued by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, to hunt a protected wild bird, to injure a protected wild bird, to wilfully take, remove, destroy, injure or mutilate the eggs or nest, or to wilfully disturb a protected wild bird on or near a nest...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (27 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: The process of resourcing a Wildlife Crime Unit in the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has commenced. It has always been an important function of the NPWS to enforce the wildlife laws and this will continue to be the case. It will continue to work, primarily, by supporting the law enforcement work of the regional staff, for example, by arranging and conducting training,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (27 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: The information sought is set out in the table below: No. Wildlife Acts 1976 to 2012 28 European Communities (Birds & Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 5

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (27 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: The following tables show the reported cases of wildlife poisoning in the period 1 January 2020 to 1 July 2021: Table A: Cases of the suspected deliberate poisoning of wild animals Species Number of dead animals Common Buzzard 29 Red Kite 2 Mute Swan 2 Table B: Cases involving secondary poisoning...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: 1098. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 251 of 8 July 2021, the reason such a cost-analysis has not taken place to date in view of the fact that this measure was a key recommendation of the 2018 Oireachtas Committee on Transport report (details supplied); if her Department will now carry out this analysis; and if she will...

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I fully take on board the points regarding the fiscal opportunity. This will be the largest investment in the history of the State in terms of capital spend on housing and it is a significant move by the Minister and the Department. I note the points about outgoing and new development plans and the fiscal opportunities. Those opportunities for local authorities will still exist through...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (15 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: As the Deputy will be aware, the purpose of public liability insurance is to ensure that the potential costs of any awards against the policyholder and any legal costs associated with such a claim are met. I am satisfied therefore that the requirements presently set for commercial operators on State lands is appropriate and proportionate.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (15 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department issued Ministerial Consent with conditions for a fully ecologically assessed proposal to restore the Eire 6 WWII at East Mountain, Howth Head, Co. Dublin. The conditions attached to the Ministerial Consent required the full implementation of the methodology and mitigations included in the Natura Impact Assessment submitted in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (15 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Since its launch in May 2020, my Department has been in contact with other relevant Departments concerning the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030. The Strategy is an ambitious and far-reaching document which aims to strengthen and improve the protection afforded to habitats and species in the EU as well as put in place measures to restore nature and begin the process of halting biodiversity loss....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: EU Programmes (14 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Since its launch in May 2020, my Department has been in contact with other relevant Departments concerning the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030. The Strategy is an ambitious and far-reaching document which aims to strengthen and improve the protection afforded to habitats and species in the EU, as well as put in place measures to restore nature and begin the process of halting biodiversity loss....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Postal Voting (14 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Postal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of a number of categories of electors, including: - - Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses/civil partners, - whole-time members of the Defence Forces, - members of An Garda Síochána, - electors living at home who are unable to vote because of a physical illness or a physical disability, - certain election...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Citizens' Assembly (13 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 and 332 together. The convening of a Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity is under discussion at a senior level between the Department of the Taoiseach and my Department.  The timing and scheduling of the Assembly will depend on the outcome of these discussions and on a number of external factors which need to be considered before the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (13 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 348 to 351, inclusive, together. The minutes of the first three meetings of the Committee were only finally agreed at the fourth meeting in February 2020 due to detailed inputs from Committee members which required further record updating and intra-membership correspondences. The first Interim Report of the Urban Gulls Consultative Committee was finalised and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Animal Culls (13 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Both species of seal in Irish waters - the Harbour or Common Seal and the more numerous Grey Seal - are protected under the EU Habitats Directive and Ireland is obliged to maintain their populations at favourable conservation status. We are also required to monitor these species and report to the European Commission on their conservation status. A standardised monitoring programme has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rights of People with Disabilities (13 Jul 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Action 29 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 commits to progressing the accessibility of voting and voter information, building on learning from National Disability Authority research and from best practice. I am pleased to report good progress in addressing matters in this area. In December 2018, my Department formed a Working Group on Disability Voting to bring...