Results 1-20 of 1,970 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (19 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The Gearagh is primarily owned and managed by the ESB and enjoys extensive legal protections as a Special Area of Conservation, a Special Protection Area and a designated Nature Reserve. The publication of a management plan for the site is a matter for the ESB. However, the National Parks and Wildlife Service has contributed extensively as a stakeholder to the ESB's proposed management...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (19 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: A household may apply for social housing support to one local authority only, which may be the authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which it has a local connection. However, the local authority may agree, at its discretion, to assess the household for support without the need to meet the normally resides or local connection criteria. Some local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (19 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) aims to retrofit a local authority home to a BER of B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this programme out to 2030. An annualised breakdown of the total funding provided and the number of properties upgraded under the Energy Efficiency Retrofit programme for the years...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: EU Regulations (19 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The EU Nature Restoration Regulation provides an opportunity for transformative change in relation to achieving nature restoration in Ireland and the EU as a whole. Healthy ecosystems provide food and It is difficult to calculate an accurate cost of compliance with the Regulation due to a myriad of factors, including current available data, quantification of areas affected/to be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Projects (19 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department, through the National Built Heritage Service (NBHS), provides direct financial assistance for the protection of eligible heritage buildings and historic structures through two grant schemes which are, in the main, administered by the local authorities. These are the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) and the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS). The HSF is for conservation of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Issues (18 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Waterways Ireland is a North/South Implementation Body established under the British Irish Agreement of 10 April 1998. It is funded by my Department and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. The information requested is not held in my Department. Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Issues (18 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Waterways Ireland is a North South Implementation Body established under the British Irish Agreement of 10 April 1998. It is funded by my Department and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. I am informed that Waterways Ireland has identified the existence of more than four hundred alleged encroachments on its property and has established a dedicated team to review each...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks (18 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), is funded as part of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Vote – Vote 34. Capital allocations for 2025 are therefore generally not available in advance of the Budget and the confirmation of funding availability for 2025 for the entire Department. The attached table sets out a list of capital works projects to which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (9 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department has committed, in its Strategic Action Plan 2022-2024, to establish a stakeholder forum and work is ongoing at the moment to deliver on this commitment. It is envisaged that the forum will be chaired by the Director of Engagement and Corporate of the NPWS and that it will meet twice a year. Membership of the forum will be open to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Regulations (9 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Statutory Instrument 421 of 2023 amended the Open Seasons Order (OSO) (Birds), which is the first amendment since 2012. I have no plans to amend the Open Seasons Order (Birds) in 2024. For details of the Open Seasons Order, see the link below: www.npws.ie/legislation/irish-law/open-seasons-order

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Sites (9 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department has engaged locally with representatives of the relevant stakeholders and positive discussions about the issues have taken place. I am aware that the scale of the works will be significant and due to the site being located within a Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Site this will make the works more complex. The NPWS...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Waterways Ireland (9 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Boat tours, including those operated by the company identified, are licensed by Waterways Ireland. Waterways Ireland has confirmed that they are committed to environmental stewardship and the promotion of sustainable practices across their network. Their existing licensing framework for tour operators is flexible to accommodate various types of vessels, including those using alternative, more...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Protection (9 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I understand that the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department conducted an investigation in relation to the sale of electronic traps by a retailer. Upon notification of the legal status of the traps, the retailer promptly removed them from sale and quarantined them until their UK-based manufacturer could collect them. The decision to prosecute is taken carefully on case by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Monuments (9 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Monuments Service is the focal point for the 1972 World Heritage Convention in Ireland and as such, keeps the UNESCO World Heritage Centre informed of all pertinent matters relating to Ireland's two World Heritage Properties, Brú na Bóinne and Sceilg Mhichíl. The 2023 Progress Tracker for Brú na Bóinne’s Management Plan can be viewed at:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Animal Welfare (9 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 843 and 844 together. The National Parks & Wildlife Service in my Department is responsible for the regulation, inspection and licensing of zoos in Ireland. The European Communities (Licensing and Inspection of Zoos) Regulations 2003 provide the legislative basis for the inspection and licensing of zoos in Ireland. These Regulations give effect to EU...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (9 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 850, 851 and 859 together. My Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is responsible for the implementation of legislation around invasive alien species including the new European Union (Invasive Alien Species) Regulations 2024 which were introduced in July of this year. These new regulations give full effect to the EU IAS Regulation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Licences (9 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department has made contact with the applicant to inform them that their licence issued to their email address on 2 July 2024. The licence was also available on the applicant's account via my Department's new Heritage Licensing Portal. The applicant has since confirmed that they received their licence on that date.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Capital Expenditure Programme (9 Sep 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department awarded €29,993.55 for the site in question under the Community Monuments Fund. A full list of awards for 2024 can be found at the link below. www.gov.ie/en/publication/fbbef-community-monuments-fund-lis t-of-awards-2024/

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (23 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: My Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, both of which prohibit activities to introduce or spread invasive species. Managing invasive species within the boundaries of Ireland’s National Parks system is one of the important areas of work undertaken by the National Parks and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Policy (23 Jul 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: There are many measures in place and in progress in east Cork for the protection of natural habitats and biodiversity. These are delivered not only by my Department but also a wide range of Government Departments and other bodies including the local authority and civil society organisations. The measures include legal or statutory protections set down in law, for example the EC Birds and...