Results 141-160 of 24,541 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Community Development Projects (9 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: The Government's five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector, Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, was published in 2019.  This is a whole of government strategy led by my Department, which is implemented collaboratively with the sector through the Cross Sector Group (CSG) on Local and Community Development. The CSG also sets priorities in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (8 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: As Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Rural Transport I recognise the importance of boosting connectivity in County Clare. In the new Programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, this Government has committed to continuing the roll-out of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (8 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: As Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Rural Transport I recognise the importance of boosting connectivity in Counties Galway and Roscommon. In the new Programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, this Government has committed to continuing the roll-out of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan. The National Transport Authority...

Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Deputy Roche for his comments and also for the work he and the development company do in his area. The budget for SICAP this year was €52.5 million, which represents an increase of €1.5 million on last year. At its core, it is about supporting and working with community groups, becoming more involved in areas and helping people to be able to avail of other Government...

Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I support the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and Deputy Aird regarding the LIS. It is an important scheme and I commend the Minister on his proactivity in trying to get extra funding. It is important. Deputy Aird is right. It is even an issue in my constituency of Cork South-Central, which has a rural part. A considerable number of people are enquiring. Last week we did one because of the...

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Rural and Community Development Matters: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Senator Rabbitte for the question. She is right that it is an issue that needs to be continually addressed and evolved. As she knows, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and I have announced 175 new charging points around the country as part of the wider plan to build a reliable charging network. The NTA has announced 186 sites for electric vehicles, one of which will include buses. I...

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Rural and Community Development Matters: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I join the Deputy in thanking and paying tribute to the Waterford Area Partnership, which does great work. On the day we met them, one would have to be blown away by the wonderful array of services and supports available. Regarding the question on the community centres investment fund, CCIF, that is the Minister, Deputy Calleary's responsibility. I am sure we will look at all applications...

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Rural and Community Development Matters: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: The national forum of women's sheds met with officials from our Department on 25 June to discuss how it might be further supported to become a national organisation. Meetings were also attended by the Department of Health and engagement is ongoing. Women's sheds under the LEP were awarded €76,000 but the Minister and I are working to put in place a mechanism to support them because...

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Rural and Community Development Matters: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: First, the regulator is independent. Second, there is frustration around some cases taking a longer time than normal for registration and completion of the process. The Charities Regulator has a duty to go through each case individually and to assess it minutely and carefully under the Charities Act. In some more complex cases, there is a delay. There has been an increase in allocation to...

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Rural and Community Development Matters: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: All I can say is the regulator has been given an additional €470,000 to enable it to perform its statutory duties. A number of additional staff have been appointed to assist in terms of compliance, enforcement and registration functions. The increase in staff allocation takes into account the additional responsibilities the regulator has because of the implementation of the Charities...

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Rural and Community Development Matters: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I join the Minister in complimenting the Senator on the work she did around social farming during her tenure in the Department of Health. Where a local development company identifies a need, social farming initiatives are funded under the PsyCap programme. In certain parts of the country, such as County Kerry, great work is being done. In other areas, social farming is funded by the HSE....

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Rural and Community Development Matters: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank the Chair for raising the issue of the next generation mobile library vehicles. Our Department is expending €2.6 million on 12 next generation mobile library vehicles. I highlight to the committee a genuine position, which is that each of those vehicles has to be specially constructed. That leads to difficulties with delivery time because of global supply chain issues. Our...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: As Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Rural Transport I recognise the importance of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan. In the new Programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, this Government has committed to ensuring that public transport operators provide safe and accessible access for all passengers. To address specific...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: As Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Rural Transport I recognise the importance of boosting connectivity in County Donegal. In the new Programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, this Government has committed to continuing the roll-out of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan and continued investment in new town bus services. In...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: Mortgage Interest Rates (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this very important issue. I am taking the matter on behalf of the Minister. As Deputy McGrath will know, the formulation and implementation of monetary policy is an independent matter for the European Central Bank, ECB. As it sought to combat excessive inflation, the ECB increased official interest rates on ten occasions, to 4.5%, in the period 2022 to...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: Mortgage Interest Rates (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: The Deputy is right to raise the matter. It is an issue vexing many of our neighbours and friends. The Government is acutely aware of the impact of the rising interest rate environment and the strain it has caused for some borrowers, and has responded with various initiatives to assist those affected. Following engagement with the then Minister for Finance in 2023, the mortgage industry...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: Data Centres (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Deputy Burke for his contribution and comments, and I will take his remarks back to the Minister. As I said earlier, next month the Minister will bring a policy document on private wires to Cabinet. However, private wires alone will not solve the issues currently facing the data centre sector in Ireland. To date, Ireland has attracted the best data centre and tech companies in the...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: School Accommodation (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Deputy Smith for raising the issue and I hear his remarks and concerns regarding the provision of school places at primary level in Portmarnock. The Department uses data from a range of sources, including child benefit data, enrolments and information on new residential developments to plan for school placement needs. I will take the points Deputy Smith has made back, and I ask him...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: School Accommodation (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I apologise because I was not given copies of the script.

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: Data Centres (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Deputy Burke for raising this very important matter. He is right to highlight the relationship between data centres and electricity demand, which is a global challenge. There is the additional demand for energy by data centres and the need to ensure we are competitive. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment. I will first set out...