Results 2,561-2,580 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes (16 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: LEADER is a multi-annual programme with a total budget of €250 million over the period 2014-2020.  €225 million of this funding has been allocated as core funding to the 29 Local Action Groups (LAGs) that deliver the LEADER programme around the country. This funding is allocated to the LAGs for the full period of the programme rather than on an annual basis, to allow full...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Enhancement Programme (16 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: Men's Sheds provide a valuable service, strengthening communities by bringing people together and helping to tackle social isolation.  Recently a number of Women’s Sheds have emerged, and in order to support this positive development, I ring-fenced funding under the 2019 Community Enhancement Programme(CEP) for both Men's and Women's Sheds.  This...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: My Department did not incur any expenditure on social media monitoring in 2018 and 2019.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: In response to the Deputy, as of 29th May, 17,100 volunteers have signed up for Covid-19 volunteering with 47,270 hours being the number of hours volunteered. The reports available at the following link provide the detailed breakdown in each county. There are two reports: - New volunteers who registered from 8thMarch (by county). That report picks those who picked Covid (15,025) and then...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: My Department is committed to the successful delivery of a range of programmes and schemes which are benefiting rural and urban communities. Programmes such as the Community Services Programme (CSP), which currently supports more than 400 community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model. Funding is provided as a fixed annual contribution to the cost of a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: The Government is aware of the challenges currently faced by community and voluntary organisations and is committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these. Community facilities are funded from a range of different sources across different Government Departments and agencies. Supports provided by my Department help people to participate in the development of their...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Cycle to Work Scheme (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: The Department of Rural and Community Developmentwas established on 19thJuly 2017 to provide a renewed and consolidated focus on rural and community development in Ireland. Please see the following table in relation to the number of persons that availed of and the costs incurred by my Department regarding the cycle to work scheme: Year No. of Applications Total...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: In April 2020, my Department allocated funding of €267,960 to the 22 Volunteer Centres and 7 Volunteer Information Services to support their contribution to the Community Call response to the Covid-19 challenge. This funding was provided to Volunteer Ireland to distribute to each Volunteer Centre and Volunteer Information Service under a three month funding agreement. This is a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Local Improvement Scheme (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: The Local Improvement Scheme, or LIS, is a programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in rural areas which are not under the normal maintenance of the Local Authorities. The scheme is funded by my Department and is administered through the Local Authorities. As the Deputy will be aware, there was no dedicated funding available for this scheme for a number of years...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: LEADER Programmes (9 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: A total of €168.7 million has been allocated to the Local Action Groups (LAGs) around the country for core project funding under the 2014-2020 LEADER programme. Table 1 below provides a breakdown of the amount allocated to projects for each LAG under the 2014-2020 LEADER programme, the value of projects approved to date, and the amount paid to date in respect of projects. The figures...

Covid-19 (Rural and Community Development): Statements (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: I thank Deputy Harkin for her comments. I will make two points regarding community centres. We tried to fund them, where possible, through the Dormant Accounts Fund. That was not so much for the day-to-day running, because the community services programme does that where we pay for the manager and staffing. That is already there and we did not cut that back in any way. We have actually...

Covid-19 (Rural and Community Development): Statements (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: I have to be honest.

Covid-19 (Rural and Community Development): Statements (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: I ask the Acting Chairman for just one second. If one scheme has caused me nothing but trouble in my Department, it has been LEADER. I have done everything in my power to make it easier for the LEADER companies to operate. I have changed every rule they asked to have changed. If a change is within the rules and it can be made at central government, I would not be afraid to make it. I...

Covid-19 (Rural and Community Development): Statements (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: On that report, as the Deputy knows six towns were picked. I looked for one in Galway and one in the Gaeltacht. We got an initial report back. We sent it back because we wanted them to find what they were actually seeking. I hope to have the report published in the next two weeks. I did not want to publish it; I was waiting for the new Government to come in and do so. I will publish it...

Covid-19 (Rural and Community Development): Statements (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: It might have been talked about, but nobody did anything. It was me who did it last year. I put the funding in place. I gave €100,000 each to the local authorities. A lot of people talk over there and over here, but I did it.

Covid-19 (Rural and Community Development): Statements (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: I will try to answer the Deputy's questions as quickly as I can. In regard to the stability fund, all I can say is that Pobal is dealing with the applications. Over 1,000 applications were received and it is going through them at the moment. These organisations are in difficulty and I want to try to get the funding out as quickly as possible. I have asked Pobal to prioritise this and deal...

Covid-19 (Rural and Community Development): Statements (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: The Deputy is referring to the outdoor recreational scheme. I have worked with Waterways Ireland and I must compliment it on fantastic projects in Leitrim and in the Border counties with which we have collaborated. That has worked out very well. This is a fantastic scheme. One thing that has worked very well in the past few months when people have been restricted to 2 km and 5 km is the...

Covid-19 (Rural and Community Development): Statements (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: On the town and village renewal scheme, on this occasion I am examining the scheme in the context of social distancing in public realms. In light of the rules around social distancing we need to introduce new rules and regulations. I have asked the local authorities to make provision for this when submitting their plans. The Deputy raised the issue of the stability package. He is...

Covid-19 (Rural and Community Development): Statements (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: We do not fund free legal aid. That is a matter for the Department of Justice and Equality. I have overall responsibility with regard to Pobal, but it deals directly with the Department of Justice and Equality. The Deputy wrote to the Minister for Justice and Equality. I will ask my officials to raise the Deputy's concerns with the Minister again. I am glad the Deputy raised the issue...

Covid-19 (Rural and Community Development): Statements (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: I am always concerned about what is happening in rural Ireland and I can stand over my record. The investment made by this Department in rural Ireland has been substantial over the last number of years. There is no doubt about the fact that my Department has helped to create jobs in the context of the rural regeneration scheme. One can go to many parts of rural Ireland where people would...