Results 14,381-14,400 of 15,117 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Animal Breeding (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department has overall policy responsibility for the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. The Act provides a robust regulatory framework for the licensing, monitoring and inspection of dog breeding establishments by local authorities and, where a serious and immediate threat exists to public health or animal health and welfare, for the closure of such establishments. Following a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department administers a number of schemes and programmes that support communities around the country and details can be found here. In general the schemes administered are competitively assessed with reference to the scheme outline. My Department does not generally support private individuals or households directly. As such, the eligibility requirements set out in the details supplied...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The CLÁR programme provides targeted investment for small scale infrastructural projects in defined rural areas. The 2025 CLÁR programme was launched on April 4th and is now open to applications. As part of the conditions attached to the CLÁR programme, an applicant must hold a lease for a period of at least 15 years. This condition is in line with many other rural...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Contracts (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department currently has no contracts with the company referenced.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: While the provision of school facilities is a matter for my colleague Helen McEntee, Minister for Education, I am also very aware of the importance of sensory gardens in our communities. My Department supports such facilities through the CLÁR Programme, the Local Enhancement Programme, the LEADER programme, the Community Recognition Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. In some...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Enterprise Sector (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Social enterprises are businesses that work primarily to improve the lives of people. Their core objective is to achieve a social, societal, or environmental impact. As outlined in the National Social Enterprise Policy, Trading For Impact, launched last July, social enterprises in Ireland do not take any specific form or legal status. According to the baseline data collection exercise on...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: While the provision of school facilities is a matter for my colleague Helen McEntee, Minister for Education, I am also very aware of the importance of playground facilities in our communities. My Department supports such facilities through the CLÁR Programme, the Local Enhancement Programme, the LEADER programme, the Community Recognition Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. In...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) is a major capital investment programme which seeks to support large-scale, ambitious projects which can achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. To date, the RRDF has allocated €588 million for 243 projects across Ireland. The Programme for Government recognises the importance of investing in our rural...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) was introduced in 2016 and is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme over €177 million has been allocated to almost 1,800 projects nationally. Of this, Kerry has been allocated almost €7 million for projects throughout the county. In line with...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dormant Accounts Fund (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Dormant Accounts Fund (DAF) Growing Social Enterprise Fund was launched by my department in 2024 to provide capital grant supports to assist social enterprises achieve their social, environmental or economic objectives. The scheme will provide social enterprises with funding across two strands: Strand A providing funding of between €1,500 and €15,000, Strand B providing...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2025 was announced in November 2024, with funding of €7 million to assist thousands of community groups across the country by providing capital and current supports. The LEP is targeted to the specific challenges facing local community groups and delivers immediate, tangible supports where they are needed most. Under the Local Enhancement...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Legislative Measures (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: A high level stakeholder group was established in 2024 to consider the policy and legislative matters currently under the remit of my Department, specifically the Dog Control Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. The stakeholder group meets regularly and its remit includes considering the need for legislative change. This requires in depth analysis and consultation to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: In recent months, we have again seen the benefit of well-resourced community facilities. In the aftermath of storm Éowyn, communities were able to get some relief through local community buildings, many of which were repurposed as Community Emergency Response Hubs. I believe that the Hubs were an important part of the response on the ground and I want to ensure that communities are...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Charities Regulatory Authority (the ‘Charities Regulator’) was established in October 2014 pursuant to the Charities Act 2009. The Authority is the State organisation responsible for registering and regulating all of Ireland’s charities, with the mandate to promote good governance practice. My Department has been assigned responsibility for the Charities...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Government's five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector, Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, was published in 2019. The strategy reaffirms the Government’s commitment to supporting the sector and addressing some of the burdens faced by service providers. The implementation of the strategy is being overseen by the Cross-Sectoral Group on...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: In 2019, my Department published Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities - A five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland 2019-2024. The implementation of the strategy is being overseen by the Cross-Sectoral Group on Local and Community Development which supports my Department in the prioritisation of objectives and actions to be progressed within...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Policies (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Programme for Government commits to the development and publication of a successor policy to Our Rural Future, Ireland's national rural development policy, which reaches its conclusion at the end of 2025. My Department recently conducted an online public consultation survey to inform the development of the new policy. This survey is the first step in an extensive consultation process...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Community Centre Investment Fund has provided in excess of €109 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. Over €33 million has now been approved for in excess of 770 projects nationwide under the 2024 fund. However, given the very significant level of demand, not all applications were...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Community Centre Investment Fund has provided in excess of €109 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. Over €33 million has now been approved for in excess of 770 projects nationwide under the 2024 fund. However, given the very significant level of demand, not all applications were...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: In 2023, the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) was replaced by the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP). The LEP 2025 was launched last November with €7 million available to assist thousands of community groups across the country by providing capital and current supports. The LEP is targeted to the specific challenges facing local community groups and delivers immediate, tangible...