Results 41-60 of 2,737 for speaker:Christopher O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Sites (1 Oct 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: My role with regard to the protection and management of our architectural heritage is set out in the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), as are the roles of local authorities and the responsibilities of owners. Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, gives primary responsibility to local authorities to identify and protect the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (30 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: The National Parks & Wildlife Service led the response to the recent Asian Hornet operation, which led to the location and safe removal of two Asian Hornet nests. Monitoring is still being carried out to ensure that the immediate threat has been neutralised. A workshop with beekeepers is planned in the coming weeks to discuss the lessons learned from this first nest and to determine...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (30 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: The proper operation and maintenance of domestic wastewater treatment systems, including septic tanks, is the responsibility of the property owner. Owners must ensure that their systems are working effectively and do not pose a risk to human health or the environment. Grant assistance is available in specific circumstances to support householders where defective systems pose the greatest...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Investigations (30 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 543 and 544 together. The River Allow is within the Blackwater River (Cork/Waterford) Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Under Regulation 27 of the European Communities Birds and Natural Habitats Regulations (S.I. 411/2011, as amended), the competent authority in relation to fin fish species in the first instance is Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Projects (30 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Under my Department, the National Built Heritage Service (NBHS) provides two main grant schemes to support for the protection of eligible heritage buildings and historic structures. These include capital grants for conservation works as well as financial assistance for owners to obtain conservation advice for their historic structures. The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Policy (30 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I refer to the reply to Question No. 264 of 18 September 2025 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rural Recreation Policy (30 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: The Barrow Blueway Project is a significant initiative that will support communities and create exciting opportunities for recreation and ways to experience interesting places from new perspectives. Waterways Ireland is responsible for the delivery of the canal-side works elements while the roadside works elements are being undertaken by Kildare County Council. Kildare County Council is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fisheries Protection (25 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Inland Fisheries Ireland is the state environment agency tasked with the protection, management and conservation of the inland fisheries resource in Ireland. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees and implements the national water quality monitoring programme. Both agencies are under the aegis of the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications and, as such, I am not in a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fisheries Protection (25 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 286, 288 and 289 together. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is working closely with other State agencies as part of an inter-agency group to collaborate on the investigation into the fish mortality incident at the River Blackwater Special Area of Conservation. The NPWS is surveying and monitoring any impact on the protected species which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fisheries Protection (25 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Article 6 of the Habitats Directive requires, inter alia, that any plan or project that is likely to have a significant effect on a Natura 2000 site must be subject to appropriate assessment. Competent authorities may only agree to a plan or project after having ascertained that it will not have a significant impact on the integrity of a Natura 2000 site. Queries in relation to appropriate...

Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (24 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Before we move on to Leaders' Questions, it has to be noted that I sat next to the Minister, Deputy Burke, during the debate. He offered full respect to each and every one of the Opposition speakers without interrupting once, yet in the single ten-minute slot in which he had to speak, he was interrupted and heckled. That is absolutely ridiculous. This is an ongoing trend and it has to be...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (24 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: The Minister, Deputy Browne, apologised that he could not make it here to deal with this question personally, but we work collaboratively within the Department anyway. I will absolutely undertake to try to get more detail and a timeline. Regarding the cause of the issue, septicity is the cause of the odour. The untreated sewage at this point remains stagnant en route to the treatment...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (24 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for raising this issue. I imagine that he experienced frustration during the summer and has probably waiting for an opportunity to highlight this matter in the Dáil. Perhaps he could provide some feedback on whether this malodour was at a heightened level during the summer months. We had a pretty dry June and July, with high temperatures and low...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (24 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I refer to my reply to Question No. 664 of 17 September and Question No. 1176 of 8 September which set out the position regarding the Asian Hornet. Coordinated efforts were undertaken to deal with the immediate threat posed by the arrival of Asian Hornet. Medium-term actions will be carefully developed pending the outcome of this first phase where eradication is the key objective. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Ireland (23 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Waterways Ireland is a North South Implementation Body established under the British Irish Agreement of 10 April 1998. It is funded by my Department and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland as Sponsor Departments. Section 4.4 of the Public Service Agreement 2024 – 2026 commits the parties to the agreement “to remain in process with a view to resolving the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Schemes (23 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: Under my Department, the National Built Heritage Service (NBHS) provides two main grant schemes to support for the protection of eligible heritage buildings and historic structures. These include capital grants for conservation works as well as financial assistance for owners to obtain conservation advice for their historic structures. The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (23 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: The general principle is that legislation cannot be read to take effect retrospectively unless explicitly set out in the SI itself, and for very defined reasons. There are no such savers in Statutory Instrument No. 374 of 2024, European Union (invasive Alien Species) Regulations 2024.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (23 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 390 to 393, inclusive, together. I refer to my replies to Question No. 264 of 18 September and Question No. 1216 of 8 September 2025 which set out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (23 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 394 and 395 together. Decisions on any further expansion of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Farm Plan Scheme in 2026, will be taken in light of existing demand and budgetary outcomes. The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department is reviewing a number of existing farm plans that are due to expire in 2025 to assess the potential...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (23 Sep 2025)

Christopher O'Sullivan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department received planning permission to construct a new visitor centre for the Burren National Park, at No. 1-2 Riverview, Corofin, on 11 January 2024. The NPWS and Clare County Council are working together to secure funding and progress this project through detailed design in preparation for the later construction phases.