Results 2,681-2,700 of 4,407 for speaker:Claire Kerrane

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: National Action Plan on the Development of the Islands: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: I thank all the officials for coming in this morning and Ms Nic Aongusa for her opening statement. I have only two questions. The first relates to the policy document itself. This is a ten-year plan. It will be an important policy moving forward and it will matter a lot. We can tell from the engagements we have had how important this policy is to people who live on the islands and what...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Infrastructure Ireland Projects and Related Issues: Discussion (6 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: That is fine; I will not even need it. Some of this might be slightly repetitive so the witnesses might bear with me. I live off the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge road. Obviously, the receivership of Roadbridge has come as a great blow to the area. I know from travelling up and down to Dublin how busy the route and the N5 road is. That road is also dangerous in a number of spots and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Infrastructure Ireland Projects and Related Issues: Discussion (6 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: I very much appreciate that. If it is the case the project will have to be retendered, that will, obviously, lengthen the process and the delay. The issue for many people living along that stretch of road relates to the current standard of the road, not least in Frenchpark, which I have raised with TII's head of road safety and on which we have engaged a number of times. There is a very...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Urban Development (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: The position for the person in that head office will be advertised next week. When does the Minister foresee that local authorities will begin recruiting? When does she see that part of the process being finalised?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Strategies (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: 80. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the forthcoming progress report on the Our Rural Future strategy considering the strategy commits to reporting every six months and the policy was launched almost one year ago; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17892/22]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Strategies (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: What is the status of the forthcoming progress report? I acknowledge it is published and I read it with great interest. I will raise two aspects of the report. It has many references to the acceleration of broadband and also refers to the success of the remote working hubs, with which I entirely agree. There are two matters. One relates to the ability to accelerate the broadband...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Strategies (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: It is welcome to see so many of those actions either delivered or well under way. I welcome that. I will speak on two aspects of that progress report, in particular. The very first measure relates to broadband. The report references the acceleration of the broadband programme, which was a commitment in the programme for Government. The Minister will know that National Broadband Ireland,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Strategies (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: It is important that the Minister has a real level of direct engagement with NBI, even though it is not exactly her Department's remit. Given how crucial the roll-out of broadband in a timely manner is, and its importance to rural communities, it is important she engages regarding it. I know that she is doing so. The target that was missed last year was significant. When we look at the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Urban Development (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: 79. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update regarding the placement of town regeneration officers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17895/22]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Urban Development (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: I wish to ask about the establishment of town regeneration officers as outlined in the Town Centre First policy.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Urban Development (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: I understand that these town regeneration officers will be recruited local authority by local authority, which more than likely means that someone external will be brought in. That is welcome because we will need someone within the local authorities to focus on this and drive the Town Centre First policy, which is a good policy. If it does what it is supposed to, it will make a significant...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: 70. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on the engagement by her Department regarding the arrival of Ukrainian refugees; the role her Department will play in responding to the crisis at Governmental level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17897/22]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: I ask the Minister of State about the engagement his Department has had on the arrival of the Ukrainian refugees. I ask him to outline the engagement he has had to date and the role his Department will play in supporting the refugees who have come here and who will come here in the coming weeks.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: It is important that we recognise the effort that has been made by the community and voluntary sector and by ordinary people in communities across the State who have come together to prepare buildings and welcome the Ukrainian refugees. I have seen it in my constituency. Roscommon Lions Club, along with Roscommon County Council and other volunteers, came together to work on what was...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: I also want to ask about vacant properties. This is something that has been raised and been in the ether in recent weeks and the idea of people doing up homes and opening them up for the refugees has been touted. Homes will be needed if buildings like those in Donamon fill up. There are a great number of vacant properties across the State and I wonder if there has been engagement between...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Policies (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: 68. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on the development of a rural-proofing mechanism, as outlined in Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, considering she previously advised that consultants would provide their recommendations by the end of March 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17896/22]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Policies (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: I raise the rural-proofing mechanism or model that was committed to in Our Rural Future, which is a very important and practical tool that is needed to ensure our rural communities are considered when it comes to policies across government. Can the Minister give us an update on that?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Policies (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: I thank the Minister for that update. Did she receive an initial draft of that report? If so, has she gone through it? She said the final draft that will follow is imminent. What does she expect the next steps will be? This will be an important piece of Our Rural Future and an important mechanism going forward when it comes to policies right across government as, before they are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Policies (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: It is welcome that things are moving with the rural-proofing model. It will be important moving forward as many people are now moving back to rural communities. In my area, there is an increase in the population that I have not seen in my lifetime. We need to make sure everything that can be done is done in order that people moving back to rural areas, or moving into rural communities, are...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Offshore Islands (5 Apr 2022)

Claire Kerrane: 114. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will report on the forthcoming island development strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17894/22]