Results 12,901-12,920 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: RAPID Programme (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: On the RAPID programme, to be fair it was closed in 2003 and reopened again in 2011. A value-for-money report was done on that programme, which stated that if we were ever to do another RAPID programme again it must be done a different way. There was a community facilities programme and a RAPID programme so I amalgamated both of them and brought it into the community enhancement programme....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: RAPID Programme (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: The Deputy is on the same hymn sheet as I am. I want to make sure this funding is targeted to the areas where it is needed most. The Deputy asked about consistency. This is the reason I asked for the review. I went through a number of counties looking at the way they were allocating the funding. Some counties seemed to have a different way than did other counties. I needed to get...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fire Safety (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: Community centres are cornerstones of community life in many towns, villages and urban areas. They bring people together in safe spaces for social, educational and other purposes. I acknowledge that it is very important that community facilities be safe for the groups and individuals that use them. Where upgrades to community centres are needed, whether for fire safety or other reasons, a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fire Safety (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: I want the Deputy to be clear that I do not have a baseline in my budget for community halls all over the country. The Deputy, among others, the Taoiseach and a number of people came to see me. They had a problem in Hartstown and now there is a problem in Huntstown. I have put aside a small sum in my Department to assist these communities. In Hartstown we are waiting for the local...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fire Safety (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: The Deputy should remember that this is the Department of Rural and Community Development and that it deals with urban, as well as rural areas.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fire Safety (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: I have been in and out of many areas in urban as well as rural locations. This is a new problem that has developed. While the Deputy says it is a Government problem, the Government does not own some of the community halls. They may be owned by the church, local authorities or communities. A lot of the schemes and community organisations operating in them are being funded by the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Initiatives (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: In August 2019 I launched Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: a five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland. The strategy was co-produced by the Government and the community and voluntary sector through a cross-sectoral group established for that purpose. The strategy sets out 11 high level objectives and associated actions which will empower...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Initiatives (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: I do not agree with the Deputy that it is a top-down approach. It is from the bottom up. I am someone who very much believes in that. On social enterprise and specifically this strategy, many people have talked about this for 20 years; I am the only Minister who has actually brought it in. Moreover, I put my money where my mouth is. I have allocated some funding this year for the public...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Initiatives (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: The Deputy's question is fair. The 1960s to the 1980s were different times. Communities now have many difficulties, including health and safety and claims. There are many things which arise. When someone is in charge of or part of a voluntary group or board, he or she has a big responsibility. That is not right, really. There are pressures which come from outside. People in these...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: The local improvement scheme, LIS, supports improvement works on private and non-public roads which are vital to the functioning of every day life in rural Ireland. The scheme is administered by the local authorities who identify the roads to be included under the scheme each year. Since I reintroduced the scheme in September 2017, I have allocated over €48 million to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: I do not like to say this to the Deputy, but the roads in Wexford cannot be that bad. I allocated €329,878 to Wexford and the total paid out to date is nil. Wexford has not drawn down one penny from the LIS scheme this year. The Deputy cannot expect me to consider giving any more LIS money when the local authority has not drawn down one penny. I will outline some other figures in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: Deputy Ó Cuív is beside Deputy Browne. Maybe I should do two things. The local contributions from owners or householders have been capped at €1,200 and I have reduced the percentage to be paid by the householder. The Deputies mentioned Mayo but there is a bigger demand in counties such as Mayo, Galway and Leitrim. It is not about the size of the county but where there is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund Expenditure (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: The RRDF 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 and €315 million is allocated to the fund for the period 2019-2022, with €52 million allocated to the fund for 2019. Following the conclusion of the first call under the fund...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund Expenditure (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: I am quite confident that all my funding programmes are on profile. I know I will not spend all the money for the rural regeneration scheme but I am confident a substantial amount of that money will be spent between now and the end of year. Many projects, including some in my county and the Deputy's county, are completed and the money will be drawn down between now and the end of the year....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund Expenditure (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: The amount has been increased.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund Expenditure (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: I am very pleased with my officials and we have done well. I am very proud of the Department as we will have a second call for the RRDF. None of the other schemes has had a second call. The Deputy asked a question and in the next two to three weeks I intend to have an announcement regarding the fund. There are some issues on which the Deputy and I disagree but there also some on which we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund Expenditure (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: I need to keep the schemes moving. As the Deputy knows, officials do not like us spending money in advance as at some stage, it will catch up with us, like it did with LEADER. The RRDF is fantastic but it takes time. We need a year or two of allocations so it can level out. I am very proud of the way the Department has worked. There was a scheme last September that was closed in August...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Improvement Scheme (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 28 together. Since I reintroduced the local improvement scheme in September 2017, I have allocated over €48 million to local authorities for improvement works on private and non-public roads. The scheme is administered by the local authorities which identify the roads to be included in the scheme each year. I have secured €10 million...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Improvement Scheme (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: To be fair, County Cavan was allocated €269,254, but, to date, not one penny has been drawn down from my Department. It is sad that it has to telephone local authorities to ask them to draw down money. County Monaghan was also allocated a substantial sum of approximately €250,000, but, to date, not one penny has been drawn down. I was delighted to be able to reintroduce the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Improvement Scheme (24 Oct 2019)

Michael Ring: In response to Deputy Troy, Longford County Council has not drawn down any of the funding allocated to it this year, although Westmeath County Council is a credit, having drawn down 100% of its allocation. As Deputy Brendan Smith said, my Department reintroduced the LIS. However, I have been saying since its reintroduction that I need support from local authorities and other Departments....