Results 11,181-11,200 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I want to tell the Deputy something. He knows who was Minister of State. I have reopened all the schemes he closed down when he was Minister.

Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I know Deputy Ó Cuív was happy with that. I reintroduced all the schemes that Deputy Ó Cuív and the Government of which he was a member closed down. I used the term "shortly" in my reply. I have set out a deadline for the local authorities. I have written to them. I have set out a schedule for when the applications will come in, when they will be dealt with and...

Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: That is correct - and a good one he was.

Other Questions: Action Plan for Rural Development (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I do not talk raiméis, unlike the Deputy across the way, and I want to put that on the record as well. The schemes I will roll out include the CLÁR programme, the rural recreation scheme, the town and village scheme and the local improvement scheme. Deputy Ó Cuív is the very man who doubted me in the context of my budget. He kept criticising the budget. Why can he...

Other Questions: Action Plan for Rural Development (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The Deputy knows the plan was published on Friday last. He knows we got €1 billion extra for rural development over the next ten years.

Other Questions: Action Plan for Rural Development (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The Minister for Finance and I will sit down together in the coming weeks. The existing schemes are all staying. I will be looking at opening new schemes and programmes. We intend to have the announcement ready for July. Deputy Ó Cuív knows the announcement was made on Friday - he was a Minister for long enough. He cannot expect me to have the plans drawn up and ready to go to...

Other Questions: Action Plan for Rural Development (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: For the first round of the CLÁR programme, I will use the existing rules and schemes from last year. However, I will look at the extra funding. I am looking now at new schemes now that I know I have a budget for next year, the year after and the year after that. Now, I will be able to put these schemes in place. Deputy Ó Cuív should give me a little time to sit down with...

Other Questions: Seniors Alert Scheme (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 38 together. I thank the Deputies for posing these questions. I launched a new seniors alert scheme that took effect on 1 November 2017. A successful nationwide public awareness campaign aimed at older people and their extended families and friends who may not have been aware of the scheme was rolled out. The key features of the new scheme...

Other Questions: Seniors Alert Scheme (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I was really pleased by how the scheme worked last year. It is a scheme for the most vulnerable in society, people living in rural areas who were frightened in their own homes. I put the funding in place to ensure that the scheme would work. The Deputy asked about Pobal. It asked people to make applications and it dealt with that process. I did not get involved in it. I made sure the...

Other Questions: Seniors Alert Scheme (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: There is an allocation of €2.7 million for the scheme this year. I will monitor the scheme during the year and if demand is outpacing the funding available, I will examine ways of increasing the funding. Some of the changes we made to the scheme helped. People no longer have to be living alone, there is free monitoring for the first year and there is self declaration of limited...

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The Revised Estimates for Public Services 2018 provide for gross expenditure of €231.5 million, comprising €144 million current expenditure and €87.5 million capital expenditure, in respect of the Department of Rural and Community Development. An additional €7.7 million in capital funding is carried forward from 2017 to supplement capital spending. My...

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I do not have that information to hand. I can give it to the Deputy before the committee meeting next week. We will be discussing our Vote at that meeting and I will have all that information. The Deputy referred to the underspend last year. I will not get into another political row but the Deputy understands underspends. During the good times there were major underspends in the Deputy's...

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I do not have that information.

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: If the Deputy has it I do not know why he is asking for it-----

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: -----but I will get it for him.

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: Why is the Deputy wasting Question Time if he knows the answer? That is not the question tabled today but if he wants the information I will get it to him later. However, as I said, I guarantee that there will be no underspend this year. I will ensure the money is spent.

Other Questions: Leader Programmes Data (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: Leader is a multi-annual EU co-funded programme to support rural development. Ireland has an allocation of €250 million under the programme over the period 2014-20, including both national and EU funding. The programme is administered by local action groups, LAGs, which deliver funding in accordance with local development strategies that have been agreed for each LAG area. As of...

Other Questions: Leader Programmes Data (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I will speak slowly because I would not like the Deputy not to be able to understand what I am saying. They understand me everywhere else but just in case the Deputy does not understand what I am saying-----

Other Questions: Leader Programmes Data (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: That is okay. I will give him ten minutes if he wants. I have no problem with that at all. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle can give him as long as he wants to give him. The Deputy knows better than anybody else that people make applications to Leader companies, which approve them. They then come to my Department where they submit receipts and bring in the paperwork. I cannot do any more than...

Other Questions: Leader Programmes Data (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: To date, 738 projects have been approved, to the value of €20.8 million. A further 318 projects seeking €16 million have been approved. I sat down with Deputy Ó Cuív and Deputy Kyne. We met the group there and, to be fair to them, they wrote to me afterwards to tell me that they hope to spend and to have the programme up and running shortly. I hope that they will....