Results 2,741-2,760 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes Administration (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: LEADER is a multi-annual programme with a budget of €250 million over the period 2014-2020.  €220 million of this funding was allocated to the 29 Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver the programme in LEADER areas across the country.  The remaining €30 million was allocated for projects which are approved at a national level. I recently allocated an additional...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund Administration (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund seeks to support ambitious and strategic projects which have the potential to transform rural economies and communities. The Government has committed €1 billion over 10 years to the Fund and €315 million is allocated to the Fund for the period 2019-2022.   The first call for applications to the Fund closed in September...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund seeks to support ambitious and strategic projects which have the potential to transform rural economies and communities. The Government has committed €1 billion over 10 years to the Fund and €315 million is allocated to the Fund for the period 2019-2022.   €52 million was allocated to the Fund for 2019. ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme Data (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) provides funding to tackle poverty and social exclusion at a local level through local engagement and partnerships between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations and public sector agencies. The current Programme which commenced in 2018 has supported over 43,000 individuals on a one to one basis and over...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Action Plan for Rural Development (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: The Action Plan for Rural Development has been the key vehicle for delivery of the Government’s support for rural development over the last three years.   My Department is currently developing the next phase of rural policy for Ireland, to follow on from the Action Plan which reaches the end of its 3-year lifecycle at the end of 2019. The new 5-year policy will be...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Budgets (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: Gross expenditure of €291 million has been provided to my Department under the Further Revised Estimates for 2019 and €308 million is budgeted for 2020. The most recent aggregate expenditure information available relates to payments processed and paid by 27th November. Almost €245 million of my Department's allocation had...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Initiatives (5 Dec 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 Government and the Community and Voluntary Sector through a Cross Sectoral Group (CSG) established for that purpose.  The sector participated in comprehensive consultation with my Department to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Budgets (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: The Further Revised Estimates for 2019 in respect of the Department of Rural and Community Development provides for gross capital expenditure of €138 million. The most recent aggregate expenditure information available relates to payments processed and paid by 27th November. Almost €104 million of my Department's capital allocation had...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund Data (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund seeks to support ambitious and strategic projects which have the potential to transform rural economies and communities. The Government has committed €1 billion over 10 years to the Fund and €315 million is allocated to the Fund for the period 2019-2022.  €52 million was allocated to the Fund for 2019. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: As advised in previous responses to the Deputy, CLÁR funding has been provided for a range of measures to be delivered by schools and communities, including for the enhancement or development of Play Areas and Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs).  The  conditions attached to the CLÁR programme require that such facilities should be available for wider community...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes Funding (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: The allocation under the LEADER 2014-2020 Programme to the Local Action Group (LAG) in Donegal is €12.9 million. This allocation covers both project expenditure and the administration costs of the LAG. Significant progress has been made to date in Donegal, which I welcome. The LAG has so far allocated over 64%, or €6.18 million, of its project budget to 140 applicants,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: The LEADER programme, which my Department administers, is also through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is the Department with lead responsibility for negotiations on the CAP reform process. Proposals for new regulations for the CAP 2021-27 were launched in June 2018 by the European Commission. However, given the nature of the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (5 Dec 2019)

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. Since I reintroduced the Scheme in 2017, I have granted over €48 million to the Local Authorities to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Town and Village Renewal Scheme (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: The 2019 Town and Village Renewal Scheme was launched in April of this year. There was a strong level of interest in the scheme and on 31st of October I announced details of 156 projects that have been approved for funding of €15 million. I intend to launch a further call for proposals under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in the new year. Details of the application process...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Town and Village Renewal Scheme (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: A pilot scheme to encourage increased residential occupancy in rural towns and villages was launched in October 2018. The six towns participating in the pilot are: - Boyle, Co Roscommon; Callan, Co Kilkenny; Ballinrobe, Co Mayo; Banagher, Co Offaly; Castleblayney, Co Monaghan; and Cappoquin, Co Waterford. Funding of up to €100,000 is being made available to each of these towns to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: CLÁR is a targeted capital investment programme for rural areas which have experienced significant levels of depopulation. I re-opened the programme in 2016 and, since then, over 1,400 projects have been approved for CLÁR funding of almost €33 million. This includes more than €855,000 for 55 projects in County Limerick. This year, I approved 179 projects to the value...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund seeks to support ambitious and strategic projects which have the potential to transform rural economies and communities. The Government has committed €1 billion over 10 years to the Fund and €315 million is allocated to the Fund for the period 2019-2022. The Fund provides an unprecedented opportunity to make a significant impact which...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme is part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development and provides funding for the development of new outdoor recreation infrastructure or the necessary maintenance, enhancement or promotion of existing outdoor recreation infrastructure in Ireland. Earlier this year, I launched the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme for 2019...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff Data (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: The Department of Rural and Community Development does not have any persons employed on an agency basis. The Department has four agencies under its remit. The number of staff employed in each agency as of 3rd December 2019 is given below. Agency Number of Persons Employed Agency Number of Persons Employed Charities Regulator ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Isolation (5 Dec 2019)

Michael Ring: I am satisfied that my Department delivers an effective package of supports which strengthen rural and urban communities across the country, including dealing with the issue of isolation, and that this will continue moving forward. Funding priorities are reviewed and monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure our supports remain targeted at those most in need socially and economically. ...