Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman and members of the select committee. I am pleased to be able to join the committee in considering the Revised Estimates for 2018 for the Department. As the Minister has done, I emphasise the importance of the current context and the urgent need for Ireland to put in place on a sustainable basis plans for long-term national development. I welcome the national development plan and the national planning framework and look forward to working with my colleagues to achieve the objectives set out in the plans.

During my appearance at the committee last November I set out my responsibilities as including oversight of the works of the Western Development Commission; functions related to the Department's input on rural broadband under the national planning framework; an overview of a number of funding schemes under the community programme; responsibility for the Charities Regulatory Authority, excluding the appointment of members of the board; and the Control of Dogs Act. I also have responsibility for the Atlantic economic corridor task force. In that regard, I am sure the committee will welcome the inclusion of the corridor in the national development plan and the national planning framework.

On broadband, members will be aware that our goal in the national broadband plan is to achieve 100% coverage of high-speed broadband across Ireland. My colleague, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, is working to progress this objective. My Department is working with local authorities to ensure there are no local barriers to deployment and identify priority areas for roll-out. A provision of €2 million has been allocated from the Department for this task in 2018.

The Department also has lead responsibility for developing the relationship within the State with the community and voluntary sector and setting the policy framework. This sector has €12.7 million budgeted for in 2018. The Department's community and voluntary support programmes provide a cohesive framework of support for the community and voluntary sector by giving support to volunteer centres and volunteer information services nationwide, as well as a number of national organisations such as Volunteer Ireland and Young Social Innovators. The funding for all of these organisations is designed to strengthen and foster voluntarism in Ireland, building strong support for volunteering locally from the bottom up. That is key to the Department's citizen engagement objectives and supports the spirit of participation within communities. The scheme to support national organisations in the community and voluntary sector, SSNO, is a key element of the State's support for the role of the sector. The SSNO provides multi-annual funding towards the core costs of national organisations in the sector, with a focus on organisations that provide support for those who are disadvantaged.

The Revised Estimates provide for an allocation of just over €4.4 million in current funding in 2018 for the Charities Regulatory Authority. The charities regulator is Ireland's national statutory regulator for charitable organisations. It is an independent authority that was established on 16 October 2014 under the Charities Act 2009 and that now comes within the remit of the Department. The general function of the regulator is to regulate charitable organisations operating in Ireland so as to increase public trust and confidence in the management and administration of charities. The regulator is independent in the performance of its statutory functions.

I am delighted to be working with the Minister, Deputy Michael Ring, in the new Department. I am very conscious of the critical role the Department must play in supporting Ireland's overall national development, especially rural and community development.