Results 3,521-3,540 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Community Development. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Last year, funding was provided by the Exchequer. Eventually, I told companies that, unless the cohesion process was completed, I would withdraw that funding. None of the 2007-13 programme's money was used last year. A new programme is being rolled out, the advantage of which is that, despite starting in 2009, it will still finish in 2013. There could not be a better time for launching a...

Community Development. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: An external pre-report on the new Leader programme report also examined what occurred under previous programmes. Sometimes, I wonder about the worth of so many evaluations. I have yet to see an evaluation that states something is rubbish. The evaluation groups always ask for additional processes. While I may have the wrong attitude, I am impressed when the ordinary people of an area and...

Community Development. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: In line with the commitment given in the Agreed Programme for Government, and on foot of the cohesion process recently completed by my Department, there is now one integrated local development company in any given area of the country and fewer local development companies overall. These new, more coherent delivery arrangements provide full county coverage and enable rural businesses and...

Community Development. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I do not know whether the Deputy had a question, but well said anyway. I could agree with him more. On becoming Minister of State with responsibility for the Gaeltacht, one of the first things I did was to say I would cut down on the number of people giving out grants in the Gaeltacht. At that time people could go to Leader, the partnership companies, the enterprise board and Údarás. I...

Community Development. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I agree with Deputy Ring. It is true that if I ask an average partnership how much it is getting from my Department, and for example the answer is €1 million and I then ask how much the turnover is I will probably be told it is €3 million or €4 million and that it is great to have leveraged out this extra €3 million. The disappointing aspect is that it was leveraged out from other...

Community Development. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It would be a lot cheaper and it might give us better answers and allow us to build up a consensus on where we go.

An Clár Forbartha Áitiúil. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Tá suim €49.6 billiún sonraithe sa Phlean Forbartha Náisiúnta 2007-2013 ar mhaithe le cuimsitheacht shóisialta, ar a n-áirítear thart ar €417 milliún don chlár forbartha áitiúil do chuimsitheacht shóisialta. Soláthar €57.44 milliún a bhí ar fáil don chlár sin i Vóta mo Roinne i 2008. Tá socruithe idirthréimhseach i bhfeidhm do 2009 chun a chumasú do na struchtúir...

An Clár Forbartha Áitiúil. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Téann na ceisteanna sin ar ais go dtí an phlé a bhí ar bun againn ar ball i dtaobh cé dó atá na heagraíochtaí seo — do na fostaithe nó don phobal. Faoi láthair, tá beagáinín le cois 100 duine fostaithe ag Údarás na Gaeltachta agus 60, nó níos mó, fostaithe ag Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta, gan daoine ar scéimeanna a bheith san áireamh. Nílim ag caint ar dhaoine ar...

An Clár Forbartha Áitiúil. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: An rud atá ar bun agam, tá sé ar bun agam féin. Ní raibh an chúirt athbhreithnithe seo, an rud a dtugtar an bord snip air go minic, in aice liom fós. Ní shin leithscéal domsa gan an leas is fearr a bhaint as an tairgead atá ar fáil. Rud eile, an bhfuil éinne, go fadtéarmach, in ann mhíniú dom, ó tharla gur eagraíocht é Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta a bhfuil...

Rural Transport Services. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 25 together. In many rural areas there are no public transport services at night. While in the more developed rural areas there may be hackney or taxi services, these are at the discretion of the providers and do not always provide a guaranteed service to rural people. Against this background in May 2007 I introduced a new evening transport service, on...

Rural Transport Services. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: People with free travel will travel free on this scheme. Therefore, they are not being charged. We have not got the report, but I understand we will have it shortly and we will make it available. We have made money available for January, February and March this year. From what I hear anecdotally, my argument is the opposite. It would appear from what is happening on the night-time scheme...

Rural Transport Services. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I presume that the information being sought by the Deputy will be in the report. I will watch very carefully for that. I am only going on the anecdotal evidence that I have, but it seems to be mainly older people using the service. That may not be borne out in the report, but I will have to wait and see. All these statistics are being ascertained. I have not got the name of the person or...

Rural Transport Services. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I approved the terms of reference and I will arrange for them to be sent to the Deputy. I made one amendment to the terms of reference, so I remember them quite clearly. I believe they were adequate for the purpose.

Rural Transport Services. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It could be tempting fate for any Minister to say before Tuesday that he has the funding for anything. We should do the evaluation here. I believe the concept is right. When one compares what is spent by the State on urban transport with rural transport, one finds that the money spent per capita on rural transport is minuscule. Despite the impression that is often given, it costs much...

Rural Transport Services. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: That is a very good idea. We will publish the report, and with the blessing of the committee chairperson and the Deputy, I will come in to the House and debate it. We must try to see if we can extend the services. I would give it a priority if I could prove that I could go further with similar money and serve more people. I am willing to debate creative ideas like that proposed by Deputy...

RAPID Programme. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The RAPID programme aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion within 46 designated RAPID areas across the country. It is a matter for individual Departments to report on the provision of funding and progress on delivery with respect to projects under their responsibility in the RAPID areas. Pobal collects data from...

RAPID Programme. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: To give the Deputy a very straight answer, I am not sure. It is a valid question and I have often asked it myself. It is very hard to determine. Consider, for example, the case of a community council that keeps asking a local council to fix the pavement. When it gets fixed, it is impossible to prove whether it would have happened anyway or whether the community council was an agent in...

RAPID Programme. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I believe the figure was €7.8 million and is now €6.5 million, indicating a shortfall of €1.3 million. That fund was not very big in the beginning. I still believe we can have a very good programme this year. The leverage fund only covers the small projects as the big projects are covered by the Departments from their own funding. It is not within the scope of the RAPID leverage...

Community Development. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Government is committed to providing essential public services in rural areas to secure a proper environment for economic development, promote social inclusion and support dispersed, viable rural communities. To this end, the programme for Government contains a series of commitments to strengthen and underpin public service provision in rural areas across a range of Departments and...

Community Development. (29 Jan 2009)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I have agreed with much of what Deputy Ring has said today. However, sometimes we make a song and dance in defending services which are not used by anybody. Some years ago, for example, Eircom announced that it was removing a public telephone box in my constituency. In response to a telephone call from a local resident, I made a representation for its retention. The Eircom representatives...