Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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18. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he is in discussions with other Departments regarding the transfer of further rural and community functions and schemes to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19155/18]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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It is a tragedy that when the Minister's Department was established, it was given so few functions. Some 99% or 99.5% of the functions and spend in rural Ireland do not come within the Department's remit; therefore, despite the Minister's best efforts, his effect on the well-being of rural Ireland is, by definition, limited. Has he asked for more powers and functions? There are functions in other Departments which should rightly have been transferred to the Minister's Department.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Taoiseach’s decision to establish the Department of Rural and Community Development in July 2017 was an important one for communities throughout the country. It underlines the Government’s commitment to ensuring the economic recovery can be felt by every community and that we will build greater resilience for the future. My Department has an important role to play in enabling economic development through the creation of jobs and the infrastructure required to support them and supporting communities to become sustainable and desirable places in which to live, work and raise families. To help bring this about, the Department is working with our colleagues across government to create the conditions to support increased economic opportunities and local employment in all areas of the country; to deliver schemes and programmes that support the revitalisation of towns and villages; to improve access to services and social networks that ensure a high quality of life; to enable communities disadvantaged by location or social issues to reach their full potential now and in the future; and to support all communities to be able to have a voice in shaping their own futures and addressing their common goals. The Department is doing this through the delivery of a variety of programmes, including flagship programmes such as the Leader and the social inclusion and community activation, SICAP, programmes, the revitalising areas by planning, investment and development, RAPID, programme, the town and village renewal scheme, the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme, the CLÁR programme, the local improvement scheme, LIS, the Dormant Account Fund, the seniors alert scheme and the communities facilities scheme.

My Department is also playing its part in the roll-out of the national broadband plan which aims to provide high speed broadband access to all areas of the country.

With regard to the addition of further functions to my Department, it is vital that any Department representing rural Ireland and communities across the country have the mandate to make a difference for these communities. I am satisfied that my Department has a very strong mandate in that regard. To that end, we have seen the transfer of responsibility for the community services programme from the Department for Employment Affairs and Social Protection from the start of 2018. While there are other schemes within the remit of other Departments that could, in time, also be considered for transfer to my Department, my immediate focus is on delivering the significant programme of work ongoing in the Department. In budget 2018 my Department secured in excess of €220 million to fund the schemes I have outlined. The creation of the rural regeneration and development fund and its allocation of €1 billion as part of Project Ireland 2040 presents a huge opportunity for my Department to create further opportunities for growth and development in rural Ireland.

I look forward to working with my Cabinet colleagues and other stakeholders in making a difference to the rural economy and communities throughout the country.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Sadly, after a very long reply from the Minister, the answer to my simple question appears to be no. The Minister has not sought further schemes. Previously, when we had a community and rural development policy, it included the rural social scheme, responsibilities for the Gaeltacht and the islands, Waterways Ireland and drugs policy which is tied up with the RAPID programme and social deprivation. Would the Minister like to have these responsibilities back? Would he consider bringing a memorandum to the Government asking that they be transferred to give his Department the clout it needs? He knows in his heart and soul that trying to make representations to other Ministers is not half as effective as having control. Will he consider asking for these functions by bringing a memorandum to the Government stating this is where they rightly should be, given the precedent that this is where they were in the past?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy is correct that some of the schemes he mentioned would probably fit in my Department. However, as he knows, we put this new Department together in the last year. I am happy with it and the results of the schemes I have established. I can give the Deputy some figures in that regard. When I am at the Cabinet table I watch the decisions being made and make sure everything is rural proofed. I make sure Ministers are accountable to rural Ireland and I am very pleased with the way my colleagues have responded. At the end of this week we will produce an update on the report on the action plan-----

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Please do.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy should not worry - it is being forward. It is so positive we did not want to bring all of the good news out so fast. Some 93% of the actions have been delivered on. It will be out on Friday.

Employment has increased throughout the country. Of the 56,200 jobs created last year, 84% were created outside Dublin. Two thirds of the jobs were created with the assistance of IDA Ireland and 50% of them were created outside Dublin. I am delighted with the projects. Some 281 were funded under the town and village renewal scheme; more than 900 Leader projects were funded, while over €20 million has been allocated for 370 projects under the rural regeneration infrastructure scheme. A total of 900 projects have been approved under the CLÁR programme. The local improvement scheme has been reintroduced with a budget of €17 million, while 1,100 road projects have been completed across the country. I provided some funding for the Atlantic economic corridor to ensure the local authorities would have a dedicated person in place to deal with rural Ireland issues.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister is over time.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I am very pleased with my Department and particularly the €1 billion I have available for the rural regeneration scheme. We have a very strong, good, efficient and hard working Department.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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They say that when one cannot answer a question, one should just keep talking. Does the Minister agree with me that issues such as rural transport, responsibility for the greenways which I believe would be far more appropriate to the Minister's Department in the context of rural recreation, marine leisure which, again, is just another form of rural recreation, the farm assist scheme, a sister scheme of the rural social scheme, the community employment and Tús schemes which are community schemes and policy on the Traveller community would be much better placed in his Department? Despite what he has said - obviously he must defend the citadel - it would show a real commitment to communities, both urban and rural, if these functions were transferred to the Minister. Would he like my assistance and that of the Opposition in getting these schemes transferred to his Department? Would he like us to start a vigorous campaign to ensure he will be given these enhanced powers? Does he want our help or not?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I never refuse the Deputy's help. Any time he can help me I always take it. I will be honest with him. Yes, some of the schemes he mentioned would fit in my Department. I have already looked for some of them and some of the Departments want to give some of them to me. However, there is one problem. I need to have two things if I am to take over the schemes - money and staff. If I do not get the money or staff I need, I do not want the schemes. We took a scheme from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. It gave us the scheme and the money, but we had to employ our own staff. We did that, which is fine but, in the future, the simple answer is that if any scheme is to be given to my Department, I do not want it if I do not get the funding and the staff I need. Of course, I will take it if I receive the funding and the staff I need. Some of the projects mentioned by the Deputy such as the greenways and so forth would fit perfectly in my Department. I have no difficulty with this, provided there is the funding and staff available.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Taoiseach will fix it for the Minister.