Results 12,541-12,560 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes Data (28 May 2019)

Michael Ring: The Great Western Lakes feasibility study referred to by the Deputy is funded under the Co-operation strand of the LEADER programme. The Co-operation strand supports Local Action Groups (LAGs) to come together to jointly deliver a LEADER project. Funding of €9,750 was approved for the project in question, which is a joint project between the LAGs in counties Mayo and West Galway. ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (28 May 2019)

Michael Ring: The CLÁR programme is an important part of the Action Plan for Rural Development and the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 Rural Regeneration Programme. CLÁR provides funding for small capital projects in rural areas which have suffered high levels of population decline. The programme was first launched in October 2001 and the areas originally selected for inclusion in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Action Plan for Rural Development Implementation (28 May 2019)

Michael Ring: The Action Plan for Rural Development was published in January 2017 as a whole-of-Government initiative to support the economic and social progress of rural Ireland. The coordinated approach of the Action Plan is achieving benefits in terms of increased employment in the regions and increased investment in projects and communities across the country. Since 2015, there has been an...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Indemnity Scheme for Landowners (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: Sport Ireland Trails, formally the National Trails Office, holds an insurance policy covering approved national way-marked ways and looped walks to protect landowners against claims for loss or damage from recreational users of those trails. The insurance policy covers trails that meet a specified standard and includes all trails currently included in my Department's walks scheme. As the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Indemnity Scheme for Landowners (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: I am keen to introduce some form of protection for landowners. Like me, however, every Deputy across the floor knows that that must be done through legislation. Let us not pretend that a scheme can simply be introduced. If it were that easy-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Indemnity Scheme for Landowners (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: I did not interrupt the Deputy. If it were that simple, it would have been in place for the past 20 years, but it is not that easy or simple. We must introduce legislation. We are holding discussions with the Attorney General. We are also examining other ways of doing this. This is a significant decision. We are trying to protect the landowners and I want to ensure that we get this...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Indemnity Scheme for Landowners (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: The Countryside Council has representatives of landowners and a number of organisations, including farming organisations. It will meet again next week. I expect that it will assist me on the question of legislation in whatever way is necessary. My first priority is the landowners. They must be protected. The Deputy was right to raise the example of people letting out their Labradors...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme Funding (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: Data on funding allocated to SICAP since it began in April 2015 was provided to the Deputy in Parliamentary Question No. 279 tabled on 18 April. The allocation shows an increase to €38.03 million in 2018, up from €37.44 million in 2017. The 2019 allocation remains the same as in 2018. Funding for SICAP from 2020 onwards is subject to the budgetary process. I assure the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme Funding (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: Funding of €119 million has been provided over three years, including €38 million this year. That is a substantial amount. I would not like the Deputy to think that it is not. My capital budget is €80 million. A total of €38 million is going into SICAP. I agree with Deputy Curran because he is talking my language. I would like to see the figure doubled if I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme Funding (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: Deputy Curran speaks about this every time he is in the House and he is right about inner city Dublin. We have put €5.5 million this year on top of other funding as part of SICAP. That is joined-up thinking because there was a specific problem there that we dealt with. I hope we can run other pilot schemes. There is no doubt that the funding we put in place for inner city Dublin...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: The rural regeneration fund seeks to support ambitious and strategic projects that have the potential to transform rural economies and communities. The Government has committed €1 billion over ten years to the fund. A total of €315 million is allocated to the fund for the period 2019-22. The first call for applications to the fund closed in September 2018. There was a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: I know that many people in west Cork object to a lot of things when they happen. I will give the Deputy the facts. Kinsale Library was funded, as was Banteer Community Sportsfield. Unsuccessful projects included those in Ballyvourney, Bandon, Macroom and Bantry, which were not shovel ready, while the Kanturk link road, Schull harbour, Ballinspittle and Skibbereen did not score well...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: There is one thing about them, which is that, unlike the Deputy, they did not object to everything that went into west Cork. I will put this on the record-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: I want to tell the Deputy what shovel ready means. It means that the project is ready to go when it gets the grant aid. The county council sent us an application for a project and told us that it would be ready in the fourth quarter so it wanted us to allocate money for a project that would not commence until December of next year. That is not shovel ready. Shovel ready means that a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development Funding (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: The development of Ireland's regions is a shared priority across Government and a core objective of Project Ireland 2040. The main EU funding streams for cohesion policy and regional development include: the European Regional Development Fund, which is managed by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; the European Social Fund, which is overseen by the Department of Education and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development Funding (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: My role is very simple. When funding is coming from Europe and being allocated to each Department, my role as Minister for Rural and Community Development is to rural-proof the spending of same at Government level. It is my job to make sure that rural Ireland and, as Deputy Curran consistently argues, the community sector, are given due consideration. The community sector is very...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development Funding (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: That is why we provided funding for the Atlantic Economic Corridor, AEC, taskforce, which is advising the Government. The Deputy is correct in what he says but Commissioner Hogan understands the issues here. Indeed, at one time, he had responsibility for this Department and understands the difficulties and problems. He will be supporting us in every way he can. The Deputy is quite correct-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development Funding (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: I do not have that power-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development Funding (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: All I can say is that he has done an excellent job and I wish him well but the decision in that regard is above my pay scale. The Deputy is quite correct to point out that it is important that we continue to focus on the rural and community sectors. My Department must focus on accessing whatever funds are available at a European level. The current Commissioner has an understanding of what...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: EU Programmes (29 May 2019)

Michael Ring: The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, SICAP, 2018-2022 receives co-funding under the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning, PEIL. Funding of up to €60 million for the programme has been approved by the European Commission, with €30 million in ESF funding being matched by €30 million Exchequer co-funding. A number of steps must be...