Results 10,981-11,000 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Rural Recreation Policy (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: The Deputy knows I have never been afraid to come into this House. I have been a Member of this House for a long time. I believe in procedure. As the Deputy is aware, the Department of Rural and Community Development is less than a year old. It took quite a while to set it up. I am proud of my achievements in setting up a new Department within a short period. The Deputy will recall that...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Rural Recreation Policy (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: The Deputy is quite correct when he says that just one meeting was held last year. I intend to meet that organisation very shortly.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Rural Recreation Policy (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: I know that the committee is chaired by my Department. I will meet it in the near future to discuss my proposals. I have no difficulty with that. The Deputy is quite correct when he says that a review of the organisation was carried out. I will meet it shortly to discuss the best way to move forward. I guarantee the Deputy that this meeting will take place in the coming weeks. I will...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Rural Recreation Policy (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: This new Department was set up last year. The Government committed in the programme for Government to double the number of walks covered by the walks scheme. Approximately 1,900 farmers are involved in the scheme at present, which I intend to review. We need to review it to see how we can bring more farmers and more walks into it. That is one of my priorities for this year. We have given...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Rural Recreation Policy (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: I am going to ensure that more farmers are included in the scheme for the coming year.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of funding in my Department. I am committed to working with stakeholders, particularly local authorities, to provide vital services to communities throughout the State. This involves fully using the funding that is provided. The total amount of capital funding allocated to my Department in 2017 was approximately €77 million. This...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: Deputy Ó Cuív forewarned me earlier in the year. I have been in the Department for six months.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: No, I was not the overall Minister. I believe I did brilliantly with respect to the Leader programme.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: If the Deputy looks at the underspend in the Leader programme and local authorities, he will see that I provided the funding. Deputy Ó Cuív is always quick to point out the inadequacies of my stewardship as Minister but he has a short memory. I can go back over underspends if the Deputy wishes to discuss them. In 2008, the Department of which the Deputy was Minister handed back...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: The Deputy was finishing up in the Department.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: As I said, the Deputy forewarned me last year. Please God, I will be in the Department for the coming year. I guarantee the Deputy that he will not ask me questions about an underspend next year. I considered the option of pre-paying the local authorities again but I did not believe it would be wise to do so given all the questions the Deputy was asking. He was probably correct because I...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Banking Sector (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: A 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, similar to the Kiwibank model in New Zealand. The programme for Government also includes a commitment to investigate the German Sparkassen model for the development of local public...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Banking Sector (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: I understand the Deputy's frustration and that of many individuals and businesses who are trying to secure loans from and work with the banks. The programme for Government included a commitment to investigate what could be done to provide community banking. I am pleased a report on the issue has been completed. I received a copy of the report and the Minister for Finance and I will bring...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Banking Sector (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: I might want to bring Deputy Penrose into the Cabinet meeting with me. Certainly, this will be brought to the Cabinet as quickly as possible. I do not disagree with what Deputy Penrose has said, but at the same time we gave a commitment and I was given the responsibility to put the matter out for consultation. I did my part of the job. It is now a matter for the Department of Finance and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: The community services programme was transferred to my Department on 1 January 2018. The CSP supports community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model. Funding is provided towards the costs of employing a manager and a specified number of full-time employees. The funding allocation for the programme in 2018 is €46.2 million. My immediate...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: Deputy Ó Cuív will have to agree that we need a review of this programme. I have only taken over this scheme in the past three weeks. I certainly need a review to see where the programme is going and what it is about. The budget for this year is €46.2 million.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: This supports over 1,600 positions. As Deputy Ó Cuív knows more than anyone, the community services programme provides vital services for the community. I truly believe this programme is one that I need to review in the coming months to see how it fits in with other programme, as I said in my earlier reply. There is one thing I want to do. I know Deputy Ó Cuív tried...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: Those involved in some of these schemes tell me that the main difficulty they have is getting people to come on to the schemes.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: That is what they are telling me. We are near full employment. Yet, these schemes are vital to rural Ireland and to communities that need the services. I have taken over the programme this year. I am pleased that I have taken over this programme. These are social enterprises - Deputy Ó Cuív knows that. We are giving a subsidy to these social enterprises. They are supposed...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Greenways Development (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Ring: Policy responsibility for the development of greenways is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. However, the Department of Rural and Community Development also supports the development of greenways through the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme. Both Departments are committed to working together to ensure that the impact of the support...