Results 1-20 of 171 for at speaker:Francis Noel Duffy

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Apr 2024)

Francis Noel Duffy: 322. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are plans to expand the number of places for special education class provision at preschool, primary and secondary level for those with complex needs, beyond autism spectrum and those with rare diseases that meet the needs in the growing south Dublin area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18028/24]

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Apr 2024)

Francis Noel Duffy: We should go to the vote at this point.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2024)

Francis Noel Duffy: The first three words of section 44(1)(a) are "distributes planned population". Who has planned the population? Where is that coming from? I would like the Minister of State to answer the question of who will plan the population. It is very strange language to state that somebody has planned the population and we will work off that basis. It does not make any sense at all, language wise....

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Francis Noel Duffy: I think the problem with this is that wording. Those four words are leaving the door open. Something should be changed with those words because if you leave them there, it means an authority can be impractical. That is what it can do. That is what the law will say. If this local authority wants to be impractical, it can be because that wording has been left there to say that, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (5 Mar 2024)

Francis Noel Duffy: 319. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the situation at a school (details supplied); and when this unacceptable situation will be addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10633/24]

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Francis Noel Duffy: Deputy Ó Broin has probably said it all. I believe this is an obligation on the local authority to put together a housing development strategy. One part of the strategy is about compact urban development sites. We have a lot of towns and a number of cities. In itself, building in compact urban sites is sustainable - brownfield sites - and it is about making that work. If the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Francis Noel Duffy: I will speak to amendment No. 199 first if that is okay. It is relative to considerations on the national planning statement. From what I can see, it covers three pages in the Bill and it does not mention biodiversity anywhere in those three pages. The Bill states that "the Minister shall have regard to", which does not necessarily mean he or she has to. The definition mentions looking at...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Francis Noel Duffy: Going back to amendment No. 199, it is in the national planning statement, if one is made, that there is no regard for biodiversity. It is not in that section at all. It can be covered elsewhere but a Minister reading this would not have to have regard to biodiversity.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Francis Noel Duffy: Yes. There is no regard for it at all.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Francis Noel Duffy: I will withdraw the amendments and hopefully bring them back on Report Stage. Hopefully the Minister of State can bring biodiversity into both national planning statements. This is about what is missing. There is no biodiversity in this, the word is not used at all in the section on urban development zones either. It should be included or referenced back to the national biodiversity...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (13 Feb 2024)

Francis Noel Duffy: It does not make any sense. It references "climate change adaptation and mitigation". If we leave out "mitigation" it leaves a reference to the taking of measures to manage the impact of climate change. We are mitigating climate change at present so why can we not say it? I do not get why we cannot say it if we in this country are mitigating climate change. Why can we not stick in the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Nov 2023)

Francis Noel Duffy: ...level of commencements for this period since records began. Is the Minister confident we will continue to deliver the Housing for All targets of cost-rental, affordable purchase and social and private homes at the pace required to meet our chronic demand issues?

Defective Dwellings Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (9 Nov 2023)

Francis Noel Duffy: I have a short closing speech. I thank the Deputies and Minister of State for their positive comments today and for their insight into and understanding of the matter, which demonstrate the urgency of implementing the provisions of this Bill. There has never been a greater need for this Bill than now, not least because of remediation costs, loss of property value and the inability to...

Defective Dwellings Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (9 Nov 2023)

Francis Noel Duffy: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am delighted to introduce the Defective Dwellings Bill to this House on Second Stage. I look forward to seeing the progress of this Bill to pre-Committee Stage scrutiny at the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, where we can have a more thorough discussion of it with the Minister, departmental officials, relevant...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Future of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Francis Noel Duffy: We have one map going and I assume there will be various maps. I am curious about how long it will take to map out the country. From my engagement with the wind industry here and elsewhere - I was at the wind trade show recently - the industry is desperately worried that we are so far behind. We are ten years or more behind where we should be. Other countries have gone well beyond where...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Future of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Francis Noel Duffy: I rarely speak for this long. I have another question that is combined with the last one. It is on a similar point. I taught in a school of architecture. I talked about energy and the fact that we were importing €6 billion worth of energy when we have the capacity to export it. It is phenomenal that in a generation or two, we could be doing very well as a country by exporting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consideration of the Citizens' Assembly Report on a Directly Elected Mayor of Dublin: Discussion (Resumed). (26 Oct 2023)

Francis Noel Duffy: I thank the witnesses also who have taken the time to attend. I have found the conversation quite instructive. It is interesting to hear the different points of view. I do not really have a question because I believe we are still talking and asking what the mayor should do. All of the points are very interesting. I will make some points. I do not normally make statements. I believe...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consideration of the Citizens' Assembly Report on a Directly Elected Mayor of Dublin: Discussion (Resumed). (26 Oct 2023)

Francis Noel Duffy: I would like to make a point in response to what Mr. Geissel is saying about policy. From my experience as a councillor - I am not sure if anybody wants to talk to their experience as a Deputy - it is very difficult to interpret much of the information that is given to us as part-timers. When I was the chair of the transport and planning strategic policy committee, each year we had four...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consideration of the Citizens' Assembly Report on a Directly Elected Mayor of Dublin: Discussion (Resumed). (26 Oct 2023)

Francis Noel Duffy: As has been discussed, if there was that person, they could champion things. I know from my experience, however limited that is, and knowing the power Ministers do or do not necessarily have, that, for example, with housing or transport, a mayor could sit in with the Department or the NTA. I have found that the NTA is a closed shop. Stuff was passed by the regional assembly and there was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consideration of the Citizens' Assembly Report on a Directly Elected Mayor of Dublin: Discussion (Resumed). (26 Oct 2023)

Francis Noel Duffy: On the SPCs, I do not want to be pushing against the local authorities but the existing legislation mandates the local authority to sit a certain number of times a year and it is very tight. I remember telling some of the first-time councillors that if they really wanted to push an agenda, they needed to go off and do their research, they needed to follow it up with the director, and they...