Results 41-60 of 4,531 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (11 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 249 and 250 together. The Wildlife Act 1976 was sponsored by the Minister for Lands and came into operation on 1 June 1977. The Ministry responsible for nature conservation has moved across a number of Departments of State in the intervening years. The National Parks and Wildlife Service has been part of a number of Departments of State during this time. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (11 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The Wildlife Act 1976 is the principal national legislation providing for the protection of native wildlife and the control of some activities that may adversely affect wildlife. The rabbit is not a listed species under the fifth schedule of the Wildlife Act 1976, and therefore not afforded protection under Section 23 of that Act. Other species not listed in the fifth schedule (and therefore...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Animal Culls (11 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477/2011), both of which deal with invasive alien species. The Grey Squirrel is already included on Part 2 of the Third Schedule to the 2011 Regulations. It is classed as an invasive...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (10 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. It provides me with an opportunity to outline to the Seanad the current position on the major building project for Scoil an Chroí Naofa in Ballinasloe, on behalf of the Minister for Education. I hear the frustration in the Senator's opening contribution and I acknowledge it is a long road for the school to have waited this long for this...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (10 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: As I said in my opening reply, we are at an advanced stage here. As the Senator will appreciate, the addition of extra classrooms is based on it serving a wider hinterland with increased population, an intake of families from Ukraine and the road redesign. All these elements are complex in nature and require significant consideration. I will convey the Senator's frustration and the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Medicinal Products (10 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator for raising this important commencement matter. As she stated, I am taking this question on behalf of my colleague, Minister for Health. The Government is committed to the ongoing implementation of the national cancer strategy and the delivery of quality care for cancer patients. The Government also acknowledges the importance of access to medicines and has made...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Medicinal Products (10 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree wholeheartedly with the Senator on this. I assure her that the Minister for Health appreciates the importance of ensuring patients in Ireland have prompt and equitable access to the latest drugs. This is why the State has made considerable investments in new medicines in recent years. Over €3 billion of public funding was spent on medicines for patients in Ireland last year....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Crime Prevention (10 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator. This is a really important question on an area I worked in previously and in which I have some experience. On behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy Helen McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, I thank the Senator for raising this matter. Our approach to youth justice in Ireland is that children who come into contact with the criminal justice...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Crime Prevention (10 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree with everything the Senator is saying. The Minister of State, Deputy Browne, has been proactive in terms of addressing issues such as looking at a review of YDPs. Generally, the uplift in funding has been welcomed but those figures presented by the Senator are significant. I note that the Department of Justice is partnered with the University of Limerick on a trial approach. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (10 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: As part of the combined response to the discovery of oiled seabirds off the South-East coast in early May this year, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department liaised with the coastguard and the relevant local authorities in relation to both the response to and investigation into this pollution event. The NPWS has also been in contact with non-governmental organisations...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (10 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I am committed to fair procedures in all that I and my Department does. As this question relates to an issue before the courts, I am precluded from making any other comment on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (10 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The establishment of a structured stakeholder forum is an action in the Strategic Action Plan for the renewal of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). It is hoped to establish the stakeholder forum by the end of Q1 2025 with a wide range of stakeholders. The NPWS would welcome the participation of the organisation referred to in the forum.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2024: Second Stage (9 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí go léir. I thank all the Deputies. I will try to skim over some of the issues raised before I go to the closing speech. Deputy Bacik made a point as I came into the Chamber about the Labour Party's Bill. A number of aspects of the Bill have been addressed, including the model tenancy agreement, the non-registration of tenancies, tenancies...

Seanad: Nithe i dTosach Suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Schemes (9 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an gceist seo a ardú. I thank the Senator for raising this question and for keeping it firmly on the agenda during his tenure in the Seanad. They are important schemes. The first home scheme, launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, other eligible home-buyers and...

Seanad: Nithe i dTosach Suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Schemes (9 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator for his positive comments. The schemes we are discussing have been transformative. The 4,000 approvals under the first home scheme and the upping of the targets for the vacant property refurbishment grant from 2,000 to 4,000 show the scale of demand for those schemes. We want to see our ambition realised. We have been losing the vernacular buildings dotted all over the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Hare Coursing (9 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Coursing Meeting held by the Irish Coursing Club in Clonmel on 3rd, 4th & 5th February 2024 was monitored by NPWS staff. All reports of this event are now available on the NPWS website.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (9 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 398 to 402, inclusive, and 424 together. Under the terms of the Birds Directive (Directive 2009/147/EC) all Member States of the EU are bound to take measures to protect all wild birds and their habitats. The Directive prohibits, inter alia, the deliberate killing or capture of wild birds by any method, the removal of nests or the taking of eggs. There are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (9 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 413 and 414 together. While my Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is responsible for legislation and policy around invasive alien species in Ireland, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has the statutory responsibility for the protection, development, and management of Ireland’s rivers and streams together with 128,000 lake hectares....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Natural Heritage Areas (9 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I can confirm that I have received a request from the organization referenced to attend a meeting and my Department will be in touch to agree a date.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tourism Industry (9 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department acquired lands at the site mentioned in December 2023 with vacant possession. I have been advised that the previous owners of the lands had a bare licence arrangement with an individual for use of some of the lands as an airstrip. This arrangement was terminated and communicated to the individual in June 2023, by the previous owners, when the lands were going on the market...