Results 2,581-2,600 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

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

Michael Ring: I can use the same statistics as the Deputy. There are more people working and living in rural Ireland now than since the foundation of the State.

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

Michael Ring: I do not have responsibility. I will raise the issue at Cabinet and ask the relevant Minister to respond to the Deputy. All I can do is raise the matter at Cabinet. I must say that meat plants are important to rural Ireland and to the agricultural sector. It is very important that we have meat plants but it is equally important that they operate in a safe manner. I will raise the...

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

Michael Ring: I thank Deputy Cairns for her comments. As I said earlier, my Department is represented on several groups, along with the Department of Justice and Equality, that address migrant, immigration and Traveller rights issues. All of the issues that Deputy Cairns has raised arise at these forums. We have the Roma strategy and strategies for the different groups. We fund these from my...

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

Michael Ring: The State will not be able to fund everything and there is no point in pretending. We have a great many organisations and groups. Let us consider the community services programme and the funding that my Department provides. We can see all the groups. People would be amazed with all the groups. Maybe that is one of the things we should be looking at. We have a €5 million...

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

Michael Ring: The Deputy is correct. I did not get the chance to publish the new policy on rural Ireland, although I have it ready and I want to put on the record that I am hopeful that I will publish it in the next fortnight. When I was drawing up that new policy, one of the big issues I looked at was the pilot scheme I carried out for towns and villages. We picked six towns and villages and we gave...

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

Michael Ring: I refer to the mná tí in the Gaeltacht areas. I know my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Senator Kyne, has been talking to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, to see if anything can be done. I will respond to Deputies Sherlock and Conway-Walsh about this. Deputy Conway-Walsh raised LEADER as well but she has the same...

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

Michael Ring: I thank the Deputy for his comments about the Department, in particular with regard to funding for community groups. Deputy Noonan has given me an opportunity, for which I have waited a long time, to compliment a colleague of mine, the Minister of State, Deputy David Stanton. He has shown great bravery, courage and commitment to the role in the Department of Justice and Equality....

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

Michael Ring: I thank Deputy Feighan for his kind comments regarding his town of Boyle. I was glad to hear him speaking about the schemes, including the town and village scheme and the rural regeneration scheme, because it annoys me sometimes when I hear people knocking rural Ireland, not being factual about rural Ireland and not being truthful about the previous Government regarding the investment of...

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

Michael Ring: We will need to get written responses to the issues Deputy Conway-Walsh and others raised because I do not have the time. I want to be associated with her words of sympathy to Alan Duffy and his family. Regarding what happened in America, the Deputy asked me what I had done on racism. My Department funds national organisations that fight against racism. I am totally appalled at what...

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

Michael Ring: I will not be able to answer all of the questions in one minute, but I will do my best to answer some of them. Deputy Calleary raised the issue of the stability fund. The Deputy is correct. My plan is to roll it out as quickly as possible. The funding is in place and more than 1,000 applications have been received. I want the funding to be paid out as quickly as possible. We did have to...

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

Michael Ring: That is grand.

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

Michael Ring: I welcome the opportunity to address the Chamber today to update Deputies on the work of my Department as part of the national efforts to address the challenges presented by Covid-19. Community organisations, charities, social enterprises and the volunteers who assisted them have been an integral part of our country's response to the pandemic. While elements of our society and economy...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: The CLÁR programme provides funding for small scale infrastructure projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population.  Details of the designated CLÁR areas can be found on my Department's pages on the gov.ie website at www.gov.ie/en/collection/ab7580-clar-funding-area-maps/. 0; There are no designated CLÁR...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1040 and 1048 together. The CLÁR programme provides funding for small scale infrastructure projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population. This year, the supports provided through CLÁR have been tailored to help rural communities respond to the new COVID-19 environment, including through the addition of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Improvement Scheme (3 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...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: I launched the 2020 CLÁR programme on 26th May.  The programme provides funding for small scale infrastructure projects in rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population.  This year, the supports provided through CLÁR have been tailored to help rural communities respond to the new COVID-19 environment, including through the addition of new...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Services Programme (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: My Department is committed to continuing to support organisations funded by the Community Services Programme (CSP) during this time.  Due to the COVID-19 crisis some CSP supported organisations are unable to operate their services, nevertheless, both my Department and Pobal are allowing the maximum level of flexibility possible, in order to ensure that organisations...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: The Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and is committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach. The Community and Voluntary Sector Covid-19 Stability Scheme is intended to be a targeted once-off cash injection for organisations and groups currently delivering...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Voluntary Sector (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: The Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and is committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach. The Community and Voluntary Sector Covid-19 Stability Fund will provide a targeted once-off cash injection for organisations and groups currently...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Enterprise Sector (3 Jun 2020)

Michael Ring: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 public health emergency, we have seen many social enterprises significantly step-up and diversify their activities to adapt to local needs as part of their valued contribution to the Community Call. However, I am also keenly aware that many social enterprises find themselves in financial difficulty as their trading activities have been...