Results 4,241-4,260 of 4,718 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (1 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: The remit for deer management for my Department is in relation to the National Parks only, and, as such, there is no repository of reports, studies etc. outside of this. Deer are wild animals and the management of them is up to individuals and/or landowners that are being affected. My Department issues licences under Section 29 of the Wildlife Acts 1976 to 2018 for deer hunting and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks (1 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department is committed to the active management of deer within  National Parks. As part of its regular ongoing management operations in respect of these state lands, my Department carries out deer surveys and census reports as required or appropriate. Such operational  reports are of course sensitive and their contents could be an incentive for wildlife...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Sites (1 Jun 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 344, 345 and 346 together. I refer the Deputy back to the Topical Issue, To discuss the exclusion of Early Monastic Sites from Ireland’s Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage Sites, debated in the Dáil on the 26May 2021 which outlined the processes, supports, and engagements that have been part of the advancement of the revised Tentative List of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Agriculture Industry (31 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: The Senator is correct, and I wish my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, the very best in the ongoing negotiations, which are critical in the context of the future viability and sustainability of farming in Ireland. We will certainly fight Ireland's case in that regard. The Senator is correct about the significant challenge. The challenge of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Agriculture Industry (31 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree with the Senator on the 2% for generation renewal. Consultations are ongoing but it is certainly not sufficient to address what is a crisis in farming. Generational renewal is a vital concern for farm families and it is a challenging issue. Inheritance and farm transfers are complex. I have highlighted the vital and substantial support provided through the taxation system for...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Water Quality (31 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as ucht an t-ábhar seo a ardú inniu. I acknowledge that this is a human health matter and that there is also a cost to businesses, many of which have been dealing with lockdown over the past number of months and are seeking signs of hope from the pandemic towards a brighter summer. This is the summer of the outdoors, as the Taoiseach...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Water Quality (31 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: The Senator is correct. It is collective responsibility. It is not just that of Irish Water. We are embarking on a whole new cycle of river basin management plans, the public consultation for which will commence shortly, and on marine protected areas. There is a lot of work we must do collectively. The Government is committed to working in partnership with Irish Water to resolve these...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: EU Directives (27 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department intends to carry out a review of the issue of pigeon damage to crops during the summer months, including the collection of new scientific data, with a view to informing decisions for future declaration. It was not possible to progress this work last year due to the restrictions imposed by Covid-19. A derogation in respect of Wild...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (27 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: This meeting is noted in my official diary, and that of the Minister for Housing, Local Government, and Heritage both of which are published on my Department’s website. As the Ministers responsible for Town Centres First, Heritage and Urban Renewal policy, Minister O’Brien and I were pleased to receive a presentation from Hammerson of its plans for the regeneration of a very...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Turf Cutting (26 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: As the Deputy will appreciate, for reasons of operational security, my Department would not usually provide specific details in respect of planned enforcement activities. In general terms, officials of my Department routinely carry out scientific research, survey work and monitor compliance with national and European law in relation to nature conservation across the country. They conduct...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Disability Services (26 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department has already accommodated access for this individual, in so far as is practicable. The paths and fishing stands in Grantstown are designed to Universal Access Standards. The site in question is also, as far as practicable, physically accessible to all. In addition my Department has offered access to the lake via the vehicular gate on an appointment basis to this individual.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Issues (26 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Planning approval for development of the Barrow Blueway from Lowtown to Athy (46km) was received in March 2019. The project objectives are to: (1) Provide upgraded and new physical infrastructure in accordance with planning permission; (2) Provision of infrastructure to achieve ‘Accredited Blueway’ status for the route; (3) Co-ordinate marketing activity to maximise the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Pyrite Incidence (25 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for giving the Deputies the opportunity to have their say on this. It is across the parties and is coming across loud and clear. On the comparisons in relation to intervention and pyrite scheme costs, this scheme would be double that of the average pyrite scheme. The aim of the scheme is to help, insofar as is possible, to reinstate the average-sized...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Pyrite Incidence (25 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I appreciate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle giving discretion to the Deputies to make their contributions, given that five Deputies brought it forward. It is very important and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is committed to meeting residents in Mayo and has met families in Donegal as well. The cracking of the external walls of dwellings in Donegal and Mayo due to crumbling of concrete...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: National Broadband Plan (25 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I am familiar with the Blue Towns community-led initiative to which the Deputy referred. I was a director of Kilkenny LEADER Partnership at the time it was being developed. It is a very viable prospect. I will have to double-check the programme for Government to see whether we secured inclusion of an objective of developing a similar initiative for areas not covered by the national...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Renewable Energy Generation (25 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: Again, I thank Deputy Farrell. The net zero by 2050 roadmap, produced by the IEA envisions that by 2050, global energy demand will be 8% smaller than it is today but will service an economy twice as big and a population with 2 billion more people, and that almost 90% of electricity generation will come from renewable sources. Energy security will evolve on the path to net zero. Electricity...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: National Broadband Plan (25 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Deputy Funchion for this question. The national broadband plan contract was signed with National Broadband Ireland in November 2019 to roll out a high-speed and future-proofed broadband network within the intervention area, which covers 1.1 million people living and working in more than 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools. The...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Renewable Energy Generation (25 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I welcome this matter and thank the Deputy for making such a valuable contribution it. It is important that we continue to debate this issue. The recent IEA report emphasises that the energy sector is the source of approximately three quarters of greenhouse gas emissions today. Reducing global CO2emissions to net zero by 2050 is consistent with efforts to limit the long-term increase in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Local Authorities (25 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: The case was very well made by the Senator. The funding system for local authorities is complex, with authorities deriving their income from a variety of sources, including commercial rates, charges for goods and services, and funding from central Government. Local authorities vary significantly from one another in terms of size, population, population distribution, public service demands,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Local Authorities (25 May 2021)

Malcolm Noonan: I note the concerns of the Senator. Every local authority is facing similar challenges. We can look towards the budgetary process for 2022, whereby elected members can again give consideration to the LPT, which is a mechanism that can be used. I reiterate that the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, is committed to working with Galway County Council to try to resolve these issues,...