Results 1,961-1,980 of 4,726 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Facilities (10 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the replacement 92-bed community nursing unit, CNU, at St. Vincent’s hospital in Athy, County Kildare. I know the Senator has raised this on many occasions and I am happy to provide this response on behalf of the Minister for Health. The hospital, first built in 1844, provides rehabilitation,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Facilities (10 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I again thank the Senator for continuing to keep this issue firmly on the agenda. I am sure this bit of friendly pressure has helped in terms of delivering this project. The current national development plan, NDP, provision is fully allocated annually, underpinned by a strong pipeline of capital projects being progressed by the HSE and the Department of Health, including several new...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Provision (10 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I always bring good news to the House. I am very familiar with Stanley Street. It is in a beautiful part of Dublin city. I was in Stoneybatter last week and it, too, is a wonderful and historic part of Dublin. It is also an important part of the city's sustainability. Building on the successful model of social housing, including public private partnerships, PPPs, introduced in recent...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Provision (10 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I again thank the Senator. I will certainly take these issues back to the Department and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. The use of PPPs is a good model and a good way of delivering. As I outlined earlier, the figures that I gave will deliver social housing to more than 2,500 individuals and families. Work is ongoing to progress further phases under the programme. It is proposed to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Facilities (3 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: The Deputy made an important point with the connection between home care packages and that a significant proportion of the patients are over the age of 75. The Deputy is correct that we are talking about people's lives and that these are real and significant challenges. I will give a supplementary response on the emergency department performance at UHL. I will provide a copy to the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Housing Schemes (3 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I reiterate that demand for the grants has been consistently high, which is testament to their success since first being introduced in 2007. With 136,000 grants given up to the end of 2022, a lot of people are being helped. There is no doubt there are significant challenges, as Deputy McAuliffe said, brought about largely by increased demand, with an ageing population, and the additional...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Facilities (3 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: Generally, a Minister or Minister of State is on Front Bench cover on a given day and will take a range of questions, whether Commencement matters or Topical Issues, during that day. I am glad Deputy Quinlivan was contacted and informed the matter would not be taken by the Minister for Health or one of the Ministers of State from that Department. This issue of who responds to questions has...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Housing Schemes (3 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: Yes, I am indeed.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Housing Schemes (3 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I am not sure if I can, but I will try to-----

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Housing Schemes (3 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provides funding to local authorities under the housing adaptation grants for the older people and people with a disability schemes to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. These grants are available to people with an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Senator for raising the issue. I will be responding on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. I agree wholeheartedly with the Senator. As far as I am aware, we have the lowest rate in Europe for the employment of people with disabilities in the workplace. There are a number of significant barriers for people with disabilities that we must address. The Department of Social...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Senator Byrne again for raising this issue. I agree wholeheartedly with her. As I outlined in my opening statement, the Government has made significant strides forward but we realise we have much more to do to address the issues of underemployment of people with disabilities. I met recently with residents in RehabCare in Kilkenny. Again, there is a great deal of frustration out...

Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (27 Sep 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 37: In page 32, line 29, after “provisions” to insert “of”.

Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (27 Sep 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: No.

Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (27 Sep 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: With the indulgence of An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, I will deal with the constituency issues first before I speak to the amendments. On the points raised by Deputy Cronin in respect of the Obelisk, it is a good time for me to advertise some of the grant schemes in our Department and, in particular, the community monuments fund and built heritage grant schemes. They will be coming back...

Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (27 Sep 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I move amendment No. 31: In page 30, between lines 1 and 2, to insert the following: “(f) any battlefield;”

Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (27 Sep 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank the Deputy for the good intention behind this amendment. I wholeheartedly agree we all have a duty to protect our heritage. As has been confirmed multiple times during the Bill's passage through the Oireachtas, the enacted Bill will not only give effect to many aspects of the Valletta Convention, but it is the main vehicle the State will use to give effect to the convention. It...

Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (27 Sep 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I recall our discussions on the public access issue, although that is obviously not within the scope of this Bill. To reiterate, I am confident the Bill addresses much of what the Valletta Convention asks signatory nations to set out to achieve. Critically, the Bill will strengthen the protection of our heritage. That is significant.

Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (27 Sep 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I again thank the Deputy for his proposals outlined in amendments Nos. 25, 26 and 72, but I ask him to consider withdrawing them as I intend to propose a range of amendments relating to the use of national and local newspapers for the purposes of section 18 general list notices in either hard copy or electronic format. Amendment No. 71, unfortunately, is not considered workable. As mentioned...

Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (27 Sep 2023)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy. There is such a plethora of information-sharing platforms. In many cases, the way people get their information nowadays is changing dramatically. Thankfully, there is still generally quite a good readership of local newspapers, especially in rural areas, as the Deputy said. I have given a commitment to, and we are proposing, a range of amendments...