Results 1,461-1,480 of 25,975 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (15 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it allows me an opportunity to update the House on the current position in respect of the provision of a new school building for Drogheda Educate Together Secondary School, ETSS. Drogheda ETSS is a coeducational post-primary school under the patronage of Educate...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (15 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Senator Keogan for raising this important matter. The Department will continue to keep the patron and school updated as the project progresses and on interim accommodation, pending delivery of the permanent project for the school. I have no doubt this is a matter Senator Keogan will take up directly with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, but I will also draw it to her...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Climate Change Policy (15 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am taking this important matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and I thank Senator Byrne for raising it. This Government takes the issue of climate change very seriously and has put in place a number of initiatives to address the changes that we, as a nation, need to make to address the climate crisis. These include amendments made in 2021 to the climate Act, the requirement for...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Climate Change Policy (15 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Senator Byrne made very cogent points. There is a whole-of-government approach to this issue. Changes to the climate system as a result of human activity have already resulted in an observed global average temperature increase of more than 1°C since pre-industrial times. That goes without saying. Further increases in global average temperatures are projected to cause significant...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Rural Schemes (15 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. I thank my local colleague, Senator Conway from County Clare, for raising this important matter. The LIS, which we all know as the local road improvement scheme, is a programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in rural areas that are not normally maintained by local authorities but...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Rural Schemes (15 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Given the value of the scheme for people living in rural areas, the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, was pleased to be in a position to increase the allocation for the LIS in 2023 alone to almost €30 million. This is a record investment that signifies her commitment to the scheme. More than €120 million has been invested in the LIS since 2017. The figure I have for the allocation...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Rural Schemes (15 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: I once again thank Senator Conway for raising this important matter. I note the point he raises about the funding, and it is one I will take back to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. She is aware of the importance of LIS funding to rural communities, which provides access not just to people’s homes and farms but also to outdoor amenities such as lakes, rivers or beaches. She remains...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regional Development (15 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: The National Planning Framework is a long term national-level strategy for the planning and sustainable development of urban and rural areas, with the objectives of securing balanced regional development and a sustainable ‘compact growth’ approach to the form and pattern of future development. The National Planning Framework recognises that continued investment in Dublin and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Programme (15 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Government Legislation Programme for the Spring 2024 Session was published on 16 January. As set out in the Legislation Programme, my Department has three priority Bills for publication, namely: The Land Value Sharing Bill: the aim of which is to permit the State to secure a proportion of the uplift in land values resulting from zoning and designation to facilitate provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (15 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding. The Act provides that housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reviews (15 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 117 together. Housing for All commits to reviewing the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme and a report on the review has been prepared by my Department. The review was informed by engagement with external stakeholders, including the Department of Health, the HSE, the Disability Federation of Ireland and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (15 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: My Department and the Department of Transport (DoT) jointly established a working group in December 2021 under ‘Housing for All’ to consider opportunities for Transport Orientated Development (TOD) in major urban centres. The group comprises membership from my Department, DoT, the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the Land Development Agency (LDA). Transport Orientated...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Housing for All commits to reviewing the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme and a report on the review has been prepared by my Department. The review was informed by engagement with external stakeholders, including the Department of Health, the HSE, the Disability Federation of Ireland and the Irish Wheelchair Association. Written submissions were...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: I apologise for being delayed. I thank the Acting Chair and Members for their indulgence. I will speak to amendments Nos. 40 to 46, inclusive, in the name of the Labour Party, Civil Engagement Group and Sinn Féin Senators as they have been grouped for discussion. These amendments relate to the requirement for the mayor to present a draft of the mayoral programme for consideration by...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Members for their contributions. Amendments Nos. 47 to 66, inclusive, have been grouped for discussion so I will speak about them as a whole. Amendments Nos. 47 to 50, inclusive, seek to change how council members and others are to be appointed to the advisory and implementation committee. The role of the committee will be to support the mayor in preparing and implementing their...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Amendments Nos. 75 to 80 on the transport subgroup are similar to the amendments proposed to section 33 and many of the same points apply. I feel that the membership of the subgroup as provided for is appropriate, so I do not propose to accept amendment No. 75. Amendment No. 76 seeks to include a representative of the Climate Change Advisory Committee in the subgroup. That committee was...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Yes. Just to give context, though-----

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Sorry.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: To give context, under the climate action legislation - to give it its formal name the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, 2015 - section 14B of that Act requires that all local authorities are now required under a statutory basis to prepare climate action plans. Limerick City and County Council are currently preparing theirs. It is about to be finalised. It went out on...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: I have given a commitment on that.