Results 10,761-10,780 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Information and Communications Technology (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: I propose to take Questions Nos. 561 and 562 together. The Supervalu Tidy Towns competition is now in its 59th year and is a positive and exciting competition for the many communities involved. A very successful National Awards Ceremony took place on Monday, 25thSeptember 2017, in the Helix Theatre, Dublin, where Birdhill, Co. Tipperary, was declared the overall winner of the competition for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Leader Programmes Expenditure (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: The total amount of funding provided for Ireland's LEADER Programme for the period 2014-2020 is €250 million, of which €220 million has already been allocated. The allocation for County Cork for the period of the programme is just over €13.938 million. For the purposes of the LEADER Programme, County Cork is divided into 3 sub-regional areas, with a Local Action...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: The 2017 CLÁR programme was launched on 31 March last, with a closing date of 5 May. The programme provides funding for small scale infrastructural projects in disadvantaged rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population.  Funding for the 2017 CLÁR programme was available this year under four separate Measures:Measure 1: - Support for School and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: RAPID Programme (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: RAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development) is aimed at funding projects which will enhance the lives of residents in disadvantaged urban areas. The current RAPID programme is being rolled out by the Local Community Development Committees and each Local Authority administrative area received an allocation of €64,500 for RAPID for 2017. The following table sets...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Road Improvement Schemes (4 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: On 21st September, I announced the provision of €10 million for a Local Improvement Scheme (LIS).  This is a nation-wide scheme which supports improvement works on private and non-public roads. My Department wrote to Local Authorities in August to establish the level of demand for an LIS scheme this year. The Local Authorities were advised that any requests for funds...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme Administration (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: I propose to take Questions Nos. 632 and 633 together. The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State. The Programme was rolled out in April 2015, and will run until 31 December 2017. Its aim is to tackle poverty, social exclusion and long-term unemployment through local engagement and partnership...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: On 21st September, I announced the provision of €10 million for a Local Improvement Scheme.  This is a nation-wide scheme which supports improvement works on private and non-public roads. My Department wrote to Local Authorities in August to establish the level of demand for an LIS scheme this year. The Local Authorities were advised that any requests for funds...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Improvement Scheme Administration (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: On 21st September, I announced the provision of €10 million for a Local Improvement Scheme which supports improvement works on private and non-public roads. My Department wrote to Local Authorities in August to establish the level of demand for an LIS scheme this year. The Local Authorities were advised that any requests for funds would be subject to their capacity to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Banking Sector (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: The Programme for a Partnership Government envisaged that An Post, the Irish League of Credit Unions and other interested stakeholders would be asked to investigate and propose a new model of community banking, based on particular overseas models. My officials have been working actively with the Department of Finance over the last number of months to progress these commitments. In...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Charities Regulation (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: The Charities Regulatory Authority (“Charities Regulator”) was established on 16 October 2014, pursuant to the Charities Act, 2009. Since its establishment, significant progress has been made in resourcing the Regulator, from a staff number of 10 on establishment day to 30 at the end of 2016. The current staff count is some 40. The 2017 budget for the Regulator is...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ministerial Functions (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: The Rural and Community Development (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order (S.I. No 432 of 2017)) of 3 October 2017 delegates the following functions to my colleague, Mr. Sean Kyne, T.D., Minister of State: - in the area of Rural Development, responsibility for the oversight of the work of the Western Development Commission and the Atlantic Economic Corridor Taskforce; - Functions...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: The CLÁR scheme previously provided funding to support micro enterprises to convert from single phase to three phase electricity. However, the scheme was closed for new applications in 2009. In addition, the former Farm Electrification Grant Scheme (FEGS) provided support for the installation of three phase electricity supply on farms. I understand that this scheme ceased operation...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: As part of the Government’s programme to support rural development, a number of initiatives including CLÁR, the Rural Recreation Scheme, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, and REDZ (Rural Economic Development Zones) were launched by my Department during 2016.  In general, these initiatives were implemented through the Local Authorities. All funding was made available in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Offices (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: The Department of Rural and Community Development was established 19 July 2017. As of 10 October 2017, there was 109 staff employed in my Department, although discussions are ongoing to finalise the Department’s full staffing complement. There is currently 41 staff in the Department's core offices in Dublin, and 60 in Ballina.  There is 8 staff in an Inspectorate service that is...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: I am advised that the organisation referred to by the Deputy does not appear on the Register of Charities and therefore is not a registered charity.  The Register of Charities is publicly available for inspection on the Charities Regulator’s website www.charitiesregulator.ie. Under the Charities Act 2009 the Charities Regulator is independent in the performance of its...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Lobbying Data (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: Since the establishment of my Department,  the Department of Rural and Community Development, in July this year, I have not been lobbied in relation to the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill.  However, on 5 October last, correspondence was received to my office from the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA) in relation to the Public Health Alcohol Bill (2015)...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regional Development Policy (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, on behalf of the Government, is currently coordinating the preparation of a new National Planning Framework for Ireland to guide national, regional and local planning and investment decisions for the years ahead. The Minister has published a draft of the Framework, "Ireland 2040 - Our Plan", for public consultation. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Authority Functions (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: The report of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce, which was published last December, recommended the assignment by each Local Authority of an officer with responsibility for broadband and mobile phone services. The function of this officer is to act as a single point of contact for telecommunications operators on the roll-out of telecommunications infrastructure, as well as to increase...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Action Plan for Rural Development (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: The Action Plan for Rural Development, which was published in January of this year, envisaged that a piece of research would be commissioned on the impact of Brexit on rural areas. Since the publication of the Action Plan, a number of papers and commentaries have been published on the potential impact of Brexit on Ireland, including rural Ireland.  In addition, a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Seniors Alert Scheme (10 Oct 2017)

Michael Ring: My Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme, which encourages support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme towards the purchase by a registered...