Results 1,781-1,800 of 4,716 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

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

Malcolm Noonan: Waterways Ireland is a North South Body responsible for the management and maintenance of more than 1000km of Ireland's inland waterways. They include the Shannon, Shannon Erne Waterway, Erne System, the Barrow, the Royal and Grand Canals and the Lower Bann Navigation. It is funded by my Department and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. The information requested is not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waterways Ireland (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Deputy and Deputy Feighan for the work they have done on this matter. As I said, the process is ongoing and the tender package is being prepared around the new environmental impact assessment, EIA, for the project. We will await the outcome of that. One thing I was conscious of at the launch of the strategic plan was that Waterways Ireland is showing a level of ambition for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I again agree wholeheartedly. There is no doubt there is a race on and it is not just on in Ireland, but right across Europe and globally. The resources the Deputy spoke about are therefore required across the world. Ireland is competing in a very competitive market for the expertise required. The Department has worked on giving certainty to the sector. The delivery of offshore...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waterways Ireland (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Deputy for asking this question. He and I were both present at the launch of Waterways Ireland's ten-year strategy down the street from Leinster House. It presents very exciting opportunities, including, as the Deputy said, regarding the potential for our navigable waterways to be economic drivers in rural communities in particular. The navigation to Lough Allen through the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waterways Ireland (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I again agree wholeheartedly with everything the Deputy has said. The potential here is immense, especially for parts of rural Ireland and the Border counties. It could provide a viable and vital economic driver for the region. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and I are deeply committed to supporting the work of Waterways Ireland in trying to achieve that, along with partners. The tourism...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: The Maritime Area Regulatory Authority was established, and its functions commenced, on 17 July 2023. Up to year-end 2023, the focus of operations is to build on the pre-established work of my Department, embedding both the governance structures and the consenting regime of the agency. A recruitment process is currently under way to enable MARA build expertise in its people, processes and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy. This is critically important for the State and our ambition in offshore renewables. I assure the Deputy the Government is ensuring the resources required for MARA to deliver on that ambition are put in place and there is support to do so. As I said, it has gone from a standing start when its functions commenced on 17 July this year towards looking at...

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

Malcolm Noonan: Again, by way of reassurance, when local authorities were in the stewardship of the provision of water and wastewater services there were always design build operate, DBO, contracts in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services. It is the case, as I stated at the start, that this for the delivery of project management for Uisce Éireann. The utility that is Uisce...

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

Malcolm Noonan: Again, there is a commitment to a referendum on the public ownership of water. Uisce Éireann as a public utility is enshrined in legislation, and that would have to be changed through subsequent legislation. That is the case. I will go back to the point of the DBO projects. I refer to the scale of the challenge for water and wastewater delivery. In this House, we speak on a daily...

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

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 40 together. The company referenced has been successful in an Uisce Éireann public procurement process and is one of eight companies placed on a framework for the provision of project management services in the delivery of the capital investment plan. The framework covers technical and project management services across water and wastewater. ...

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

Malcolm Noonan: The purpose of the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023 is to provide for the number of members of Dáil Éireann and the European Parliament, the revision of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies and the number of members to be elected for each of such constituencies in the light of the results of census 2022, and having regard to European Council decision of 22 September 2023...

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

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senators for their contributions. Before closing, I will respond to some of the points they raised. The overarching thing I will say relates to the point made by Senator Boyhan on the draft research programme and the 12 January deadline. We might be able to write submissions with the Christmas pudding. It is important. I cannot stress how important it is that political...

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...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Local Authorities (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: The problems and the challenges that the Deputy has outlined really stem back to the local authorities. I think there needs to be unity between the two local authorities in terms of the delivery. I know-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Local Authorities (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I appreciate that. On the chapter on future focus, the report states that the task force has been active in its consideration of further improvements to social and affordable housing delivery, including greater use of modular housing, more effective partnerships with AHBs, higher density brownfield development, greater diversity in house and apartment size, greater urgency around the use...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I will provide some more examples of affordable purchase homes being made available. Hampton Gardens Close in Balbriggan includes nine one-bedroom apartments and nine two-bedroom ground-floor duplexes costing between €170,000 and €220,000. Hawkes Road in Bishopstown, Cork, has 35 two- and three-bedroom homes for €246,000 to €289,000. At Dun Emer in Lusk, there...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department, working with our partners, is looking at all these issues. On 18 July, as the Deputy is aware, the CREL - cost rental equity loan - working group approved additional supports for AHBs to deliver cost-rental homes by increasing funding up to 45% for capital costs. As I mentioned, Project Tosaigh is designed to manage planning permissions and deliver these projects at scale....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Local Authorities (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department participates directly in the Galway task force, including in the four meetings that were held this year. Alongside this, we work with local authorities and other agencies on responses to homelessness and we have regular engagements on the delivery of new social and affordable housing. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has personally engaged with all of the chief executives...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Local Authorities (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I have the 2022 report in front of me, which I read through last night. As I mentioned in my reply, we are working from a low base in Galway. The Deputy has raised this issue on more than one occasion in the House. I refer to the targets for Galway city for 2022. For Galway city, the target was 305, with delivery of 150. The county target was 230, with delivery of 224. The report...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (7 Dec 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I was not aware of this specific issue with modular developments. My response to his first question was in terms of general delivery. If there are specific cases the Deputy has brought forward to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, we would appreciate if he could also bring them forward to us. I know there are planning regulations around the development of modular homes. I appreciate some...