Results 81-100 of 341 for does speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Third Level Staff (12 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: ..., Deputy Harris, and regret that neither he nor the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, is available this morning. Like the Senator, the Minister is well aware that insecure employment can and does have a detrimental impact on individual well-being and people's ability to plan for the future, as highlighted in the recent report from IFUT. Beyond that, it is also important to acknowledge...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (12 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is an Executive Agency within my Department with responsibility for, inter alia, the management of our National Parks. The NPWS does not employ personnel specifically with climate action expertise. While there may be staff who have such expertise it is not an essential requirement for any role in the NPWS and therefore we do not hold a record of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (12 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 435 and 436 together. My Department does not have responsibility for hedgerow surveys. Teagasc has undertaken hedgerow mapping on a national scale, and a number of local authorities have commissioned hedgerow surveys at county level. The Local Biodiversity Action Fund (LBAF) operated by my Department provides funding to assist local authority biodiversity...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Water Services (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: ...and resources. It has to be the case that we use these DBOs to deliver the projects. Again, I want to give reassurance that Uisce Éireann is a publicly owned utility and will remain so. However, it does use the services of private companies for project management and project delivery of its capital programme.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: ...eastern side of the country. A total of 5,149,139 people are now resident in the State, the highest the population has been for 171 years. The population is such now that the ratio of Members to population, at 32,182, is outside the constitutional upper limit of 1:30,000. While this does not make the composition of the Thirty-third Dáil unconstitutional, since it was formed on the...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: Yes, but the commission will be able to offer guidance to returning officers. Addresses can be quite vague. It could be listed, for instance, as Swords, County Dublin. It does not necessarily need to be a specific address. Again, to give assurance on that, we have given a commitment to trying to change the legislative element of that, but the commission will issue guidance to returning...

Committee on Public Petitions: Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (30 Nov 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: ...that improvements can be made that reduce both roof and building loss, while of course ensuring that human safety is paramount. This guidance is expected to reduce damage in cases where fire does break out, which should reduce insurers’ losses and, ultimately, premiums. My officials have followed up the survey of fire officers that was previously mentioned with a repeat survey...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (29 Nov 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: ...Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023, as they currently stand, give effect to the recommendations of An Coimisiún Toghcháin in respect of the total membership of the next Dáil and for the revised Dáil constituencies. The Bill does not provide for revisions to our European Parliament constituencies. On Second Stage and Committee Stage, my colleague, the Minister for...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (29 Nov 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: ...any such arises. While I accept that the amendment is well-intentioned and acknowledge that the establishment of permanent and independent Electoral Commission with statutory responsibility for constituency review does change the field in this manner, I would nonetheless make the case that there is still a merit in this function remaining with the Minister for a number of reasons. First,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Projects (21 Nov 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: .... The project is funded under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) via Kildare County Council, with match funding of 25% provided by Waterways Ireland. In this regard, my Department does not hold the information requested on the estimated cost to date for this project. This information should be sought directly from Kildare County Council as Project Manager. Waterways...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (14 Nov 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: ...Wildlife Service, NPWS, is an executive agency within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with responsibility for, inter alia, the management of our National Parks. The NPWS does not employ staff as qualified arborists and does not have such a grade or title of position. While there may be staff who have such qualifications it is not an essential requirement for any...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Derelict Sites (9 Nov 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: ...encourage local authorities to continue to support that. In summary, local authorities need to be proactive and central government, including the Department, will respond as required. This matter does, however, require a proactive approach by local authorities.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (7 Nov 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: ...on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) aims to regulate and monitor the international trade in certain species of animals and plants, and to ensure that trade does not threaten their survival in the wild. Ireland became a CITES Party in 2002 with the NPWS of my Department being the CITES Management Authority in Ireland. The CITES Convention is...

Seanad: Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (11 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: ...It makes it explicitly clear that the exclusion of certain things, the definition of "demolition" or "archaeological excavation", for example, only related to the requirement for an EIA under section 34. It does not apply to the general licensing or notice requirements under chapter 6 of part 2 of the Bill. If the approach proposed by the Senators was adopted it could leave the...

Seanad: Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (11 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I consider this amendment to be unnecessary and it is ambiguous in its language and intent. For example, what exactly does making oneself available involve in a strictly legal context? What has been proposed here is simply not workable. I am sure the Minister of the day will be more than happy to discuss the operation of the enacted Bill with all interested parties and especially with any...

Seanad: Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (11 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: ..., the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA, may, at the request of the Minister or the applicant on its own initiative, take over a licence application made under the Foreshore Act 1933. If MARA does so, any determination that has been made regarding the application under the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 can be adopted by MARA to avoid duplication...

Seanad: Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (11 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: ...jurisdictions. These amendments address that issue. Part 21 of the Planning and Development Act sets out certain types of developments in the maritime area that require planning permission. It does not contain any specific exemptions for developments that may already have other consents, particularly in the outer maritime area beyond the foreshore. Consequently, notwithstanding that...

Seanad: Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (11 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: ...a councillor to take over that temporary absence. That is my understanding of it. I think the Senator is referring to the case where a councillor is temporarily absent for a specified period but does not replace that seat with a temporary replacement on the council.

Seanad: Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (11 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: .... Second is an amendment to the formula calculating the amount of rates to be levied under section 4(2) to include reference to a date on which such calculation is made. There is currently ambiguity in that the section does not identify the valuation list on a specific date to be used in the levying of the rate. The rate is to be calculated on the last day of the previous local...

Seanad: Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (11 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: ...that time would then find, through no fault of their own, that he or she has to obtain a MAC and recommence the entire process, delaying the project considerably. The Dáil amendment as proposed does not eliminate the need for a MAC but allows that an application for a MAC must be made within two years of the grant of planning consent. The Senators are also proposing that amendment...