Results 41-60 of 4,927 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Vacancy and Dereliction: Discussion (21 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: -----while there is this drive now to tackle vacancy and dereliction, we may lose some of the unique fabric of our towns in the rush to do that.

Seanad: Statement by the Taoiseach (16 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: In the minute I have I want to focus, unsurprisingly, on nature, heritage and cultural institutions. I am just back from Geneva with some of the representatives of the Children and Young People's Assembly on Biodiversity Loss where we presented at the human rights, democracy and rule of law forum. I appreciate the support the Taoiseach gave to me as Minister of State with responsibility for...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Human Rights and International Standards for Traveller and Roma Communities: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (16 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: I welcome Mr. Herrick and Dr. Elliott here this afternoon. I apologise; I was probably the cause of the delay in starting the proceedings because we had the Taoiseach with us in the Seanad. Since its inception, this committee has deliberated with many public Traveller rights organisations. In terms of the challenges we face, this is one of the strongest worded reports we have received....

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Human Rights and International Standards for Traveller and Roma Communities: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (16 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: May I ask one more question? I thank the Chair. Responsibility for Traveller accommodation is not being taken away from local authorities. There does not seem to be an appetite to create a national body to oversee Traveller accommodation. In many ways, the local Traveller accommodation consultative committees, LTACCs, have an important function. Perhaps we need a clearer definition of...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Human Rights and International Standards for Traveller and Roma Communities: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (16 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: I have two very quick questions and I appreciate that it has been a useful engagement. I have to tip out to a meeting shortly. I have a question relating to Ireland's Presidency of the European Union. Every member state that has an incoming Presidency is keen to tie up infringements and other issues around human rights in the run-up to it. Does Mr. Herrick see an opportunity to press the...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Human Rights and International Standards for Traveller and Roma Communities: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (16 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: It is encouraging to hear that. That aside, from what we have been listening over the past couple of months, Ireland's reputation and its leadership of equality and human rights in law and in principle is one thing, but the reality of the situation for Travellers and Roma in Ireland is something very different. It has to manifest itself in a way that is meaningful in the lives of Travellers...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Human Rights and International Standards for Traveller and Roma Communities: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (16 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: I have a quick final question on a local issue. We have discussed Traveller heritage and celebrating Traveller culture. It is most welcome to hear there is positive news around Traveller pride, etc. Does Mr. Herrick have any anecdotal evidence that there are young Traveller families hiding their identity because of systematic discrimination? I know from speaking to Traveller families that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the witnesses. It is one of those days. I have the witnesses all to myself.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: I am just off the airplane from a UN event on climate in Geneva. I apologise that I have not done my homework. I have a couple of questions from my own perspective. The first is for both Chambers Ireland and IBEC. Do they have concerns at the absence of both marine protected area legislation and defined areas for MPAs in light of the ambition around offshore renewables? There is now a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: It is the availability of all data relevant and necessary to move the project along that is important. In relation to the Climate Change Advisory Council report this morning and yesterday's EPA report on water quality, we cannot disassociate the challenges around biodiversity and water quality, particularly with the storm events we are having and that resilience we need to build into our...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: It would be useful to have the business sector advocating for this, as well as the typical sectors on the environmental and NGO side of it, because this has a very significant impact on the cost of doing business and on business generally. It would be wonderful to see greater advocacy in that space from IBEC and Chambers Ireland.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: Is it the citizens' assembly?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: For sure. Business for Biodiversity Ireland does a lot of good work in this space as well. Some of the work we did previously was with the NPWS and Intel around water management. There is a good opportunity there for the business sector and corporates to be involved in biodiversity restoration projects, which is something that is increasingly entering that space. I have a final...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: Absolutely. That is what this committee is about. If there is an opportunity when we have that session, it might be useful to welcome Chambers Ireland back to discuss this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: As there are no other members here, I will adjourn the meeting. I thank our witnesses for coming in. I had the opportunity all to myself to ask all the questions but, unfortunately, we will have to adjourn until Wednesday, 22 October 2025.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Child Protection and Family Support: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: It has been a very useful session following on from the session last week with the National Traveller Women's Forum and addressing some of the issues, particularly around ethnicity. I find in our community in Kilkenny that there seems to be a very disparate approach in terms of who is leading on Traveller development work. At times, across the country, that disparate aspect is leading to...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Child Protection and Family Support: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: Yes, it is that family approach and the wraparound services-----

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Child Protection and Family Support: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: -----and a consistency of approach that I find is quite frustrating for people. Then again, the other issue and a chronic challenge with youth work we encounter routinely from meeting with Youth Work Ireland is the inability to even recruit workers because of pay within the sector. That, in itself, is having a knock-on effect. I know a lot of youth organisations across the country are...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Child Protection and Family Support: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: Are there specific programmes for breastfeeding support for Traveller women? I know the breastfeeding rates among Traveller women are very low, and low nationally and generally, but are there specific programmes there in relation to that?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Child Protection and Family Support: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

Malcolm Noonan: Over the past months, we have consistently dealt with the issue of suicide rates among the Traveller community. I know the main role in suicide prevention lies with the National Office of Suicide Prevention, NOSP, and the HSE. Does Tusla have a role in training social workers in culturally appropriate interventions, from a postvention point of view where there has been a suicide event in a...