Results 10,601-10,620 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Priority Questions: Commemorative Events (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: I will not debate with the Deputy about the Redmondites and John Bruton and we are not going to rewrite the history of this. However, it must be agreed the commemoration was a very successful event. Everybody has been complimented, including the Minister, the State agencies, the local authorities and the general public. The whole country and community responded and everybody agrees it was...

Priority Questions: Commemorative Events (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: We have to be fair. The Government was not afraid to deal with the commemorations over the last year and it did an excellent job. There was consultation with everybody and it worked out very well. The Deputy is correct that Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil or anybody else does not own republicanism. I come from a very strong republican background. My grand-uncle was killed in 1921. He...

Priority Questions: Arts in Education Charter (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: The Creative Ireland programme which the Taoiseach and the Minister launched in December places a special focus on enabling the creative potential of every child. Building on the Arts in Education Charter, this will involve the development of an integrated plan, creative children, to enable every child in Ireland access tuition in music, drama, art and coding by 2022. Departmental officials...

Priority Questions: Arts in Education Charter (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: It was the first time I had read it.

Priority Questions: Arts in Education Charter (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: That is a fair question. There are five pillars in the programme, one of which is that every child in Ireland will have access to the arts by 2022. The Arts Council has increased its funding for Creative Ireland. It is at an early stage. There will be a launch of the arts in education initiative in the autumn and the launch will include details explaining how it will be rolled out. The...

Priority Questions: Arts in Education Charter (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: Part of the programme will be to bring artists into schools and this is a good idea. I know about the scheme because I have heard the Deputy speak about it in the House and I listen to her. She spoke about the pilot programme in Cavan and Monaghan. Every scheme will be looked at and the best of everything will be taken, including what local authorities have to offer, what the private...

Priority Questions: Film Industry Tax Reliefs (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: The Government supports the Irish audiovisual industry through the Irish Film Board and through section 481 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 - the film tax relief scheme. This twin approach of direct funding and tax expenditure measures maximises the benefits of the Government’s support to the audiovisual industry. The Irish Film Board is the national development agency for...

Priority Questions: Film Industry Tax Reliefs (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: I can outline the number of projects certified for film tax relief from 2013 to 2017. There were 66 in 2013, 66 in 2014, 65 in 2015, 76 in 2016 and 21 in 2017 to date. To be fair to the Deputy, she raises this question in the context of concern about taxation. The Department is anxious to know if somebody is misusing the scheme. If the Deputy can give such information to the Department,...

Priority Questions: Film Industry Tax Reliefs (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: I accept that the Deputy raises this question in the best interest of the industry. The Deputy wishes to support that industry, as does the Government. We do not wish to see people being displaced as a result of initiatives that are in place. This is to help and support people into the industry and to get the industry to take on trainees and support and train them. I appreciate and accept...

Priority Questions: National Monuments (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: I have already recorded in the House my sincere appreciation to the members of the group for the report entitled, The Moore Street Report - Securing History, that it presented to me at the end of March. The Moore Street consultative group which was independently chaired by a former departmental Secretary General included local and Oireachtas political representatives, 1916 relatives,...

Priority Questions: National Monuments (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: The Minister does appreciate the Deputy's support in this. He has been very helpful in regard to what is happening at Moore Street. The report, as the Deputy knows, has been published on the Department's website for everybody to see. The new group has been set up and it is chaired by Dr. Tom Collins. I am told the progress to date has been very positive. The committee will examine how to...

Priority Questions: National Monuments (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: I will get the Department to drop the Deputy a line on that matter. As he knows, I have only filled in for the Minister.

Priority Questions: National Monuments (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: I will get the Department to drop a line to the Deputy this evening.

Priority Questions: National Monuments (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: No, but I believe it is unfair to be handed the files two minutes before coming in.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Post Office Network (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: I thank the Deputy very much for her good wishes. I am glad to be back on questions that I understand. A Programme for a Partnership Government made a number of commitments in regard to the post office network that were assigned to my Department. The commitments in question have now been completed or are significantly advanced. Following an extensive deliberations process, I presented...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Post Office Network (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: Above anybody else, the Deputy knows how Government works. She was long enough in government. She knows about delegated orders, responsibility and what happens when somebody is given a task. As a Minister of State, I was given the role of looking at the post office hub working group which I chaired. I made a recommendation to Government. I was delighted that the Government accepted that...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Post Office Network (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: As I said, the report was accepted by Government. My Department is going to pay the cost of that, which is €100,000. We hope to have services put in, like a peace commissioner service, a one-stop shop for communications, ICT training, expert advice services, collection of motor taxes and so on. In the private sector we have already seen somebody else taking one on in Kildare. When...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Post Office Network (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: I accept what Deputy Joan Burton said about no closures of post offices. There have been very few in the lifetime of this Government. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív's Government nearly closed more post offices than there are post offices now. I do not have the figures but I will have them for him the next time.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Post Office Network (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: Wait a minute-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Post Office Network (20 Jun 2017)

Michael Ring: Deputies Joan Burton and Éamon Ó Cuív, who were both senior Ministers in government, know about semi-State companies and that An Post is a semi-State company that is now doing a root and branch review of the whole post office network. I have done my report to Government on the hub. We are now waiting for An Post to come to the Government with whatever proposals it will come...