Results 3,041-3,060 of 6,611 for speaker:Seán Kyne

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Dog Breeding Industry (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: I am delighted to meet groups that are interested in animal welfare, which is an important area. I accept it is not ideal that responsibility for this matter is spread across three Departments. There were discussions with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on foot of the public consultation process. There is a lot of co-ordination and collaboration across Government...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Western Development Commission (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: The Western Development Commission, WDC, operates the western investment fund, which contributes to the development of the region by investing through equity or loans in business startups, growth-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises and community-based measures to encourage enterprise development. The western investment fund was established as a revolving fund. The WDC uses the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Dog Breeding Industry (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 89 together. I thank the Deputy for her continued interest in this important area. My Department published new guidelines for dog breeding establishments in July. These will come into effect on 1 January 2019. I want to see the highest standards achieved by dog breeding establishments and these guidelines will help to do this. They form part...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Dormant Accounts Fund (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: I thank the Deputy for her question. The 2018 Dormant Accounts Action Plan, which was published in July, approved funding of up to €39.7 million for 45 different measures across ten Departments. In line with the provisions of the Dormant Accounts Acts, the measures identified in the action plan target social, economic and educational disadvantage and people with a disability. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Dormant Accounts Fund (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: The plan published is across ten Departments so the initiatives really are for the ten Departments. I have listed some of the measures for the Department of Rural and Community Development. The Deputy should ask each relevant Department whether it has the funding in the Estimates process. Over the summer, the Minister, Deputy Ring, departmental officials and I had discussions with the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Dormant Accounts Fund (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: I agree it is a very complex system, which is why we have tried to get to the bottom of it. I again put on record the work done by staff in the Department in trying to get to the bottom of this. We had meetings over the summer with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe. I thought it was going to be easier to be able to spend the money but, unfortunately, there is still the process with regard to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Innovation Fund Ireland (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: The Social Innovation Fund Ireland (SIFI) was established in 2013 following on from the recommendations of a 2012 report of the Forum on Philanthropy and Fundraising. Its mission is to provide growth capital to Ireland’s best social innovations, investing in solutions to social problems and creating jobs. SIFI finds and backs innovative solutions to critical social issues in Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Telecommunications Services Data (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: The Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce was established in July 2016 to examine broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits in Ireland and identify tangible actions to improve the quality of these services. The Task Force Report was published in December 2016, encompassing 40 actions to alleviate barriers to mobile phone reception and broadband access. An Implementation Group was...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Cross-Border Projects (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: The Minister for Rural and Community Development is a member of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC). However, his colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has primary responsibility with respect to the North South Ministerial Council relating to Agriculture and Rural Development.  The North South Ministerial Council has been unable to meet...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Charities Regulation (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: The Charities Regulator is an independent authority which was established in October 2014 under the Charities Act 2009. The key functions of the Regulator are to establish and maintain a public register of charitable organisations operating in Ireland and ensure their compliance with the Charities Acts. In line with section 40 of the Charities Act 2009, all organisations which had been...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Action Plan for Rural Development Implementation (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: The Programme for Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development both contain a commitment to progress the concept of an Atlantic Economic Corridor. The Atlantic Economic Corridor has been recognised in the National Planning Framework as a potential key enabler to the regional growth objectives of the NPF.  The Atlantic Economic Corridor Taskforce was...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Action Plan for Rural Development Implementation (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: The Programme for Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development both contain a commitment to progress the concept of an Atlantic Economic Corridor. The Atlantic Economic Corridor has also been recognised in the National Planning Framework as a potential key enabler to the regional growth objectives of the NPF. The Atlantic Economic Corridor Taskforce was established in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Public Participation Networks (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: My Department provides funding and support to 31 Public Participation Networks (PPNs) nationwide. This year, funding of up to €50,000 has been provided to each local authority to support the work of the PPNs, supplemented by a minimum of €30,000 per annum from each authority’s own resources. In addition, my Department continues to support the on-going development of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Ministerial Correspondence (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: A detailed response to the correspondence referred to was issued to the Deputy on 10 August last.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Service Provision (25 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: My Department has combined the original two Regional Broadband Action Groups into a single country-wide Regional Action Group to remove barriers to the installation of telecoms infrastructure and accelerate the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan once a contract is signed with the successful tenderer. The Group currently meets on a monthly basis and has successfully facilitated the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Functions (20 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: My Department has not established a working group for a National Stray Dog Strategy. I understand that an hoc working group, under the auspices of Veterinary Ireland, has been established to identify a strategy to reduce the stray dog population in Ireland. Accordingly any terms of reference are a matter for the working group.

Future of the Post Office Network: Motion (18 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: Like many of the Deputies this evening, I pay tribute to the postmasters across the country for the service they have given over many years. In April this year, An Post announced its renewed vision for the post office network which centres on the availability of new services in a modernised and revitalised network. The announcement was supported by an agreement reached between An Post...

Future of the Post Office Network: Motion (18 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: He will be back.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Petroleum and Gas Exploration (18 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: Details of all petroleum exploration authorisations granted are published on my Department's website on a quarterly basis. In addition, I am required to lay before the Oireachtas under the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960 half-yearly reports detailing all petroleum authorisations granted during the period of the report. The last such report was in respect of the six-month...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Petroleum and Gas Exploration (18 Sep 2018)

Seán Kyne: The vast majority of people in this House understand and accept the threat to our planet and the real, visual impact that we see in different parts of the world. That is why the Government wants to reduce the use of fossil fuels. I have been at pains to point out that the Bill the Deputy has proposed will not do anything to reduce the use of fossil fuels. It will mean we will be entirely...