Results 81-100 of 4,718 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógail) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Defective Building Materials (22 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. As the Deputy is aware, the defective concrete blocks, DBC, grant scheme is neither a redress nor a compensation scheme, rather a grant scheme of last resort to enable affected homeowners to remediate homes. The scheme facilitates the remediation of existing houses that have been damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks. The construction of new...

Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (22 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. There is very little I can disagree with in anything they have said.

Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (22 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I will say the point critically here. We are at the end of a political cycle and we can see the quietness around Leinster House today. This is a three-party coalition. There is no commitment in the programme for Government on Seanad reform. It is not there. Critically from all of our perspectives, it is important as we look towards our manifestos for the upcoming general election to...

Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (22 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to bring the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024 before the House. There are three main components in the Bill. First, it proposes a significant extension of the franchise for electing the six “University” members of Seanad Éireann to graduates of designated institutions of higher...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (22 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Housing for All commits to delivering a total of 18,000 Cost Rental homes over the period to 2030. As of Quarter 2 this year, more than 2,180 Cost Rental homes have been delivered since the launch of the new tenure in late 2021, and a very strong pipeline of future delivery is now in place. The continued development of Cost Rental homes is supported by my Department through a mixture of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (22 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 provided for the development of a deposit protection scheme to be operated by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). However, significant changes have taken place in the rental market since this legislation was passed. It should be noted that, unlike many other jurisdictions examined, Ireland already has a well-established quasi-judicial dispute...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (22 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act), which was commenced on the 22 of June 2023, contains the enhanced grant scheme and the related Regulations were adopted on the 29 of June 2023. The DCB Scheme is neither a redress nor a compensation scheme, rather it is a grant scheme of last resort to enable affected homeowners remediate their...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (22 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: In 2021 a new holistic approach was applied to the Local Authority Energy Efficient Retrofit Programme (EERP), designed around the Programme for Government's commitment led by the Department for the Environment, Climate and Communications that calls for the 'retrofit' of 500,000 homes to a B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent BER standard by 2030, of which, approximately 36,500 are expected to be local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (22 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Minister O'Brien received Government approval on 8 October 2024 to increase the overall grant scheme cap and grants rates that are set out in the 2023 Regulations. The Government made the Order to increase the overall scheme cap on 22 October 2024- this will mean that the total grant funding available under the scheme will rise by 10% to €462,000. Minister O'Brien will very shortly...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Ireland (22 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Waterways Ireland proposes to update the Shannon Bye-laws and Canal Bye-laws which are more than 30 years old and no longer fit for purpose. The needs of users have changed, environmental landscape and health and safety considerations have developed significantly and the waterways themselves have been transformed over the past thirty years. The purpose of updating the Bye-laws is to make the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (22 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I refer to the reply to Question No. 59 of 19 September 2024, which sets out the position in this matter. In addition, the NPWS of my Department met with the ESB most recently at Inniscara on 19 September 2024 and provided comprehensive feedback on the draft Management Plan, which it expects will be taken into consideration prior to its finalisation and publication by the ESB in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Schemes (22 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The Historic Structures Fund (HSF) aims to support owners of heritage buildings in maintaining the fabric of their structures. It is funded by my Department and administered by the Local Authorities in a manner consistent with the terms of the relevant circular, including that works are undertaken within the required timeframe and adhere to the required conservation standards. Where a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Projects (22 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 466 and 472 together. With regard to the total number and location of heritage/listed buildings, a building acquires so-called ‘listed’ status through its inclusion by a local authority on the Record of Protected Structures (RPS). Each local authority maintains a separate RPS and at present these are not consolidated into a single national...

Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying: Motion (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank all the Deputies for their contributions. As we have seen from the debate, it is a very complex and emotive but hugely important issue we as legislators have a responsibility to debate and tease out. This is what this report is about. Again, I respect the points made by Deputy Nolan and the issuance of the minority report. All the Deputies have spoken about the need for evenly...

Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying: Motion (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, as she cannot attend today. I welcome the opportunity to speak about this important issue on behalf of the Minister. I thank the committee members, its Chair, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, and Vice-Chair, Deputy Kenny. We have spoken about this on a few occasions as the committee was ongoing. This is an important and...

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Sports Facilities (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the sports capital and equipment programme, SCEP, which is now renamed the community sport facility fund, and the large scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF. At the outset, I should note that the provision of recreational and sporting infrastructure in Dublin city...

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Sports Facilities (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: They are very valid points. Critically, this lies with Dublin City Council and its elected members. They develop very proactive sports and play policies. One day I toured some of the pocket parks and play facilities with Dublin City Council which is doing really innovative work. It is increasingly trying to fit them in smaller sites. Weaver Park is a great example. Those small...

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Disadvantaged Status (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: In response to Deputy Murphy, an extensive consultation was carried out in regard to the OECD review and it met with school leaders, teachers, parents, student organisations, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Children's Rights Alliance and Social Justice Ireland. It was broad and comprehensive. I agree with the three Deputies. Deputy McAuliffe made the point that we should be looking...

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Disadvantaged Status (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Deputies Murphy, Donnelly and McAuliffe for bringing this important issue to the fore. The Government is committed to supporting all children and young people to achieve their potential through education and address the barrier of educational disadvantage. In government, the Minister, Deputy Foley, has secured approximately €170 million in funding to provide free school...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (17 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: 3 o’clock I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Education, who is otherwise engaged. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which gives me the opportunity to set out the position with regard to school places, including for children and young people with special educational needs, in north Kildare for September 2025 and onwards. The...