Results 141-160 of 1,404 for at speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Electoral Process (5 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree with the Senator. Certainly, in terms of accessibility, the view from the meetings I have had with our franchise section and with access groups is that significant improvements have been made regarding public accessibility and ensuring premises are fully accessible for people with visual impairments and physical disabilities.That is critical. As I said, the objective is to maximise...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Development Contributions (5 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Boosting supply is key to addressing the problem at the heart of the housing system. Housing for All has set an average annual delivery target of 33,000 homes per year over the period up to 2030. In this context, it was noted early last year that some permitted developments were not being commenced. This appeared to be due to increased housing construction costs. Construction inflation,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Policy (5 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. It certainly brings to light a whole range of challenges from extractive industries in the supply chains of materials. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications. While we are transitioning away from carbon intensive fuel sources at pace, coal is still a critical fuel source for...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Regeneration Projects (5 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Senator Garvey for raising this issue. I certainly recall those programme for Government discussions. I brought the town centre first policy. I tried to replicate it from the Scottish experience. It was a critical component of the programme for Government, as is tackling vacancy. The programme for Government commits to examining ways to ensure that unused or underused building...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Regeneration Projects (5 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The one-stop shop idea is a good one. Separately this year, through the Heritage Council, we are funding the roll-out of architectural conservation officers in counties that do not have them. That is hugely important because these staff play a vital role in animating many of these properties back into use. The living city initiative, which focused on issues with accessibility, was a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (5 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 392 and 393 together. An administrative error was made when the veterinary report for the Freshford Coursing Club meeting was being completed. A figure of 2 was entered into the incorrect line - 'number of hares identified as pregnant' - rather than on the correct line - "number of hares examined for injuries", directly below. The 2 hares in question were...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Policy (5 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The Building Regulations 1997-2022 set out the legal requirements for the construction of new buildings (including houses), extensions to existing buildings as well as for material alterations and certain material changes of use to existing buildings. Their aim is to provide for the safety and welfare of people in and around buildings. The minimum performance requirements that a building must...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Strategies (5 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: No reviews have been undertaken of the National Landscape Strategy to date, and I have no plans at present to prepare an updated strategy. Implementation of the National Landscape Strategy is implicit in many of the actions taken across the built and natural heritage sphere, and I believe that the current work being undertaken across Government in the context of the land use review will...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: It must be made clear that this Bill, as well as the current Act of 2000 recognises the pivotal importance of meeting the climate challenge and the central role that planning can play in these efforts. My Department has a broad remit over the built environment, planning, the marine environment and national biodiversity policy, as well as Met Éireann’s role in climate science and...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I might try to reply to all of the points raised. With reference to Deputy Ó Broin's point on the deferral of the approval of the revised national planning framework, that is the case, and the Government decided that today. Pursuant to section 20C(5)(b) of the Planning and Development Act, as amended, the Government has published a statement explaining why the Government has decided...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Deputy Matthews. I have certainly given that commitment. We see the word "environment" as being sufficient. In the broader context, and given the commitments I have already outlined on biodiversity and climate specifically, and on strengthening the Bill, we will certainly give consideration to looking at this and specifically at the word "climate". I think "environment" is...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: These amendments seek to provide that a planning authority may extend a permission where the permission is subject to judicial review and it is satisfied that the proposed development did not materially convene the development plan when permission was granted. I ask Deputy McAuliffe to withdraw the amendments as I am already bringing forward amendments to Part 4 to provide that a planning...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Architects Register (29 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: While the law as it stands does not provide for a general definition of the role of archaeologist, the work of archaeologists is subject to statutory regulation in a number of ways. Archaeological excavation cannot be undertaken lawfully except where permitted by a relevant licence or consent issued under the National Monuments Act 1930, as amended. Since the early 1990s it has been the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: International Agreements (29 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The EU Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy) establishes a common framework for the protection of inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater. River basin management planning, structured in six-year cycles, along with its associated Programme of Measures, is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: International Agreements (29 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Landscape Strategy was devised in 2014 to give effect to the European Landscape Convention. Implementation of the National Landscape Strategy is implicit in many of the actions taken across the built and natural heritage sphere. The current work being undertaken across Government in the context of the land use review will supplant and overtake that strategy. In parallel, my...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Section 12(6) states: Where, in the opinion of the planning authority, an appliance, apparatus or structure for which a licence has been granted under this section or section 254 of the Act of 2000 causes an obstruction, or becomes dangerous, by reason of the increase or alteration of traffic on a road, the widening of a road or any improvement of or relating to a road, the planning...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I do not think it is a fault of the legislation. If the provisions here are not any different it is because they are there to ensure utility companies reinstate the surfaces as they were. Again, it is a matter of application at the level of each local authority, I imagine.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: We discussed this at length yesterday in terms of the exceptional reasons. It is important to align it with the general consenting timelines for local authorities. That is the rationale behind it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: On delivery, I can see the point the Deputy is making as things happen quickly and it is important to be in front of all such change. That is critically important. The main population elements of the census take about a year but it is important, as the Deputy has said, to have all the of the census data in order to do the NPF properly. Even though it is a standard plan for ten years, a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Yes and it can be reviewed at any time. As the Deputy has said, there are so many outside factors which can influence such a plan.