Results 11,441-11,460 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is a programme for improvement works on small private/non-public roads. The scheme is currently funded by my Department and administered through the Local Authorities. In 2017, I allocated a total of €17.4 million to County Councils around the country under the LIS scheme under two tranches. The table below sets out the funding provided to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dog Breeding Industry (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 55 together. My Department has overall policy responsibility for the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. Under the Act, Guidelines are in place for Dog Breeding Establishments and these are currently being revised by my Department. A draft was published as part of a public consultation process which ended in February 2017. The Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: CLÁR is a targeted capital investment programme for rural areas which have experienced significant levels of depopulation. The programme was originally launched in October 2001 but was closed for applications in 2010. I re-opened the scheme in 2016 to support the development of these, frequently remote and significantly depopulated, rural areas through small-scale capital projects...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: On 20 April I launched the new Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, or SICAP.  This is a five year programme covering 2018 to 2022, and is a major investment to support the most disadvantaged individuals and communities in our society. For 2018, the national allocation for the programme is €38 million.  I am confident that over the five year term of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dormant Accounts Fund Administration (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 58 together. I refer to my reply of 27th March 2018 to previous questions on this matter, which set out the position with regard to the review of the Dormant Accounts Disbursement Scheme 2013-2016 and the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Dormant Accounts Fund. In summary, the Comptroller and Auditor...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Leader Programmes Funding (2 May 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 2014-2020, including both national and EU funding. The programme is administered by Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver funding in accordance with Local Development Strategies that have been produced for each LAG...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Voluntary Sector (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: My Department's community and voluntary supports and programmes provide a cohesive framework of support for the community and voluntary sector. €3.5m is being provided in 2018 under this programme to support 21 Volunteer Centres, 8 Volunteer Information Services and a number of volunteer-supporting organisations, such as Volunteer Ireland. Volunteer Information Services...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: RAPID Programme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: In 2017, with funding of €2 million, the RAPID programme supported almost 300 projects nationwide in amounts ranging from €300 to €64,500. For 2018, €2 million has again been allocated to the programme. An additional €4 million is also included under the RAPID subhead. This includes funding of €3.5 million which is specifically for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Action Plan for Rural Development Implementation (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme is a key part of the Action Plan for Rural Development. The Plan contains over 270 actions across Government to help rural Ireland achieve its full economic and social potential. Since the launch of the Action Plan for Rural Development in January 2017, I have allocated €21.6 million to 281 projects throughout the country under the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Leader Programmes Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: LEADER is a multi-annual programme for the period 2014-2020 which has a total budget of €250 million over the programming period.  LEADER is administered by Local Action Groups (LAGs) which deliver funding in accordance with Local Development Strategies that have been agreed for each LAG area.  Each LAG has been given a funding allocation for the duration of the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Brexit Issues (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: The Action Plan for Rural Development, which was published in January 2017, envisaged that a piece of research would be commissioned on the impact of Brexit on rural areas. However, in the time 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 and the Border...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Banking (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 62 together. The Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to investigate a new model of community banking for Ireland, including an investigation of the German Sparkassen model for the development of local public banks that operate within well-defined regions. A project team comprising officials from my Department and the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Recreation Scheme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme provides funding for the development of new outdoor recreational infrastructure and for the maintenance, enhancement or promotion of existing outdoor recreational infrastructure. In 2017 the scheme facilitated the development of numerous greenways, blueways, walks and other trails across the country. A total of €13.6 million was allocated...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: In 2017, I made €812,000 available, on a once off basis, towards the running costs of Agricultural shows around the country, in recognition of the impact which bad weather had on those shows during the summer months. 120 shows each received funding of up to €7,000 through the Irish Shows Association. I also announced a once off funding scheme in November 2017 to mark the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dormant Accounts Fund Administration (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: My Department commenced the process of preparing the 2018 Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan in February.  In order to initiate the process, I wrote to Ministers in February requesting that their Departments identify potential projects or programmes which might be included in the Action Plan.  Following the receipt of initial proposals from other Departments and agencies, my...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Leader Programmes Applications (2 May 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 2014-2020, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Development Programme Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: Under the National Development Plan, the Government has committed to providing €1 billion for a new Rural Regeneration and Development Fund over the period 2019 to 2027. The fund will provide the opportunity for co-funding of suitable investment projects in towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000, and outlying areas. The objective of the new Fund is to drive...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regional Development Initiatives (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: The Programme for Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development both contain a commitment to progress the concept of an Atlantic Economic Corridor. The overarching objective of the Atlantic Economic Corridor proposal is to maximise the assets along the western seaboard and connect the economic hubs, clusters and catchments of the region to attract investment, support...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Telecommunications Services Provision (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: The Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce was established in July 2016 to examine broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits in Ireland and identify tangible actions to improve the quality of these services. The Taskforce Report was published in December 2016, and included 40 actions to alleviate barriers to mobile phone reception and broadband access. An Implementation Group was established...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Leader Programmes Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: Funding for the LEADER Programme in my Department’s Vote provides for expenditure on project payments, administration costs of the Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver the programme, costs associated with their engagement with communities to generate projects, and LEADER operational costs incurred directly by my Department. The original allocation for the LEADER programme in 2017...