Results 25,861-25,880 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: As I have informed the Deputy previously, my Department administers and delivers a wide range of programmes and measures, descriptions of which are available on its website at www.pobail.ie. While expenditure under these programme areas takes place countrywide, it is not possible to give a county-by-county breakdown of that expenditure. For example, a number of my Department's programmes are...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The RAPID Programme aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion within 46 designated RAPID areas. This Department, with the support of Pobal, has overall responsibility for the co-ordination of the RAPID programme. It is a matter for individual Departments to report progress with their projects under the RAPID...

Priority Questions (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I deal with the questions sent to me.

Priority Questions (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I was not aware of the Leader question——

Priority Questions (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: No, I will ask my Department why it was ruled out of order. It happened to me several times.

Land Access. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: In its report on the national countryside recreation strategy, Comhairle na Tuaithe made the following recommendations. The Attorney General should be requested to examine restating and/or reflecting in legislation the current common law position on the protection of landowners' property rights where recreational access is allowed on their land. The Law Reform Commission should be requested...

Land Access. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: We are, and although what has happened over the past two to three years seems slow, it has brought the debate on tremendously. We had a useful and positive debate at the ICMSA tent at the ploughing championships. I am aware of the Scottish situation and have examined that of New Zealand, which is pursuing the community approach. New Zealand has more state land than we do. In Scotland...

Land Access. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I agree with the Deputy. My experience is that with few exceptions, and usually there is an historical reason for those exceptions, farmers have no difficulty with people walking on open land. They have a difficulty where active farming is taking place and where there is machinery, sheds and so forth, but the walkers tend to favour open land or defined walks. We have moved 90% of the way...

Regional Development. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I am arranging for a copy of the speech in question to be forwarded to the Deputy. The full context of what I meant by the sentence referred to by the Deputy is clear from the full speech. My view on the matter is that this maxim would apply equally to all regions.

Regional Development. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I was speaking at the forum about the general issue of rural and regional development. With regard to Shannon, my Department is represented on the interdepartmental committee. My point is that we have a problem and it must be dealt with. However, only to see problems and not see solutions and to highlight all the problems in a region does no favours for the region in terms of attracting...

Regional Development. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I met with the Atlantic Connectivity Alliance. Its representatives sought a meeting and it was promptly given. I also conveyed, in my own way, to Shannon Airport representatives that I would be willing to meet them. I cannot force somebody to seek a meeting with me. Many positive things are happening in the region. The Limerick tunnel is being built, the Ennis bypass has been completed,...

Employment Support Services. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: As the Deputy will be aware, the rural social scheme, RSS, is a supplementary work scheme for self-employed farmers and fisherpersons who earn an inadequate income from their farm holdings or fishing. The scheme aims to provide income support for farmers and fisherpersons who are in receipt of certain long-term social welfare payments and to provide certain services of benefit to rural...

Employment Support Services. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: This is a case where the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence. A couple with one child on this scheme gets the flat rate and loses social welfare payments. Deputy Ring is suggesting that widows, widowers and single parents should be an exception to this rule and should keep receiving their social welfare payments.

Employment Support Services. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Many couples and single people think that is grossly unfair and cannot understand why they are not allowed hold on to social welfare payments while receiving money through the rural social scheme. Deputy Ring suggests that this is the case on FÁS schemes and he is correct, but it is done to encourage lone parents and so on back into the workforce. The difference with the rural social...

Employment Support Services. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: That was decided independently. Any Leader company that can get more money will not say no, but this issue depends on one's perspective as one can argue both sides. I should not be asking the Deputy questions but can he see the argument of a single person or a couple with a child who will receive less from the scheme than a single parent with a child? There is another aspect to this that...

Employment Support Services. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I provided that where one member of a couple has a part-time job that pays less than €12,500 the allowance will not taper because the idea was to benefit families that engage in farming. I am open to the Deputy's idea but there are two sides to the coin. I hope the Deputy is equally open to the argument that 2,500 people will put to me if I introduce double payments, suggesting what is...

Employment Support Services. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I am trying to be helpful to the Deputy.

Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Mar is eol don Teachta, ar 28 Meán Fómhair 2006 leag mé os comhair an Oireachtais dréacht-rialacháin a bhain le húsáid na Gaeilge agus an Bhéarla ag comhlachtaí poiblí i bhfógairt béil réamhthaifeadta, ar stáiseanóireacht agus ar chomharthaíocht. Bhí deis agam na dréacht-rialacháin sin a phlé le baill an Chomhchoiste Oireachtais um Ghnóthaí Ealaíona, Spóirt,...

Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Ní bhaineann na rialacháin seo le comharthaí bóthar agus, ar ndóigh, níl siad deimhnithe fós. Más buan cuimhne an Teachta, nuair a bhí an comhchoiste Dála ar bun, mhol an Seanadóir Ó Tuathail dul i gcomhairle leis na comhaltaí poiblí agus d'iarr sé orm scríobh chucu. De bharr an rud a tharla nuair a chreid mise nach raibh mórán bunús le dul i gcomhairle, cuirim i gcás,...

Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla. (1 Nov 2007)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Níl na hainmneacha sin ná comharthí bóthar clúdaithe sna dréacht rialacháin. An feidhm atá ag mo Roinn maidir le comharthaí bóthar ná an méad atá san Acht teanga maidir le comharthaí bóthar d'áiteanna sa Ghaeltacht agus gur muid a leagann síos an leagan údarásach Gaeilge. Tagaim go mór leis an Teachta, is mór an náire chomh leisciúil, mí-chúramach agus atá...