Results 3,761-3,780 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Seniors Alert Scheme (5 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: The Senator has a great concern about rural issues. I am glad to receive his acknowledgment. We brought in a few new schemes in the Department, for Tidy Towns, the shows, the men's sheds, all organisations that deal with the problems the Senator is talking about, namely, rural and urban isolation. He is quite correct. I want to see this scheme rolled out. We did put a fair bit of money...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff Data (5 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: The Department of Rural and Community Development was established on 19th July 2017 to provide a renewed and consolidated focus on rural and community development in Ireland. I can confirm that my Department has no staff seconded to work in other EU member states' public sector. There is no specific scheme available in the Department for such secondments.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (5 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: The first call for applications for the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund closed at the end of September. €1 billion is committed to the Fund over a 10 year period to support rural economic development and help build strong communities. There was an excellent response to the first call, with nearly 300 applications received. Applications for the Fund are currently being...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Services Programme (5 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: The Community Services Programme (CSP) supports around 400 community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model with funding provided as a contribution to the cost of a manager and an agreed number of full-time equivalent positions (FTEs). Some €44m will be provided under the programme in 2018. My Department recently carried out an early consultation...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (5 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: My Department's staff are based in two locations in Dublin and Ballina Co Mayo, aside from a small number of regional inspectors based in a number of locations around the country. In Ballina, my Department shares accommodation with the Department of Employment and Social Protection and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, which is the anchor tenant for the building....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (5 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: The project in question was funded under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme which is part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development and provides funding for the development of new outdoor recreational infrastructure or the necessary maintenance, enhancement or promotion of existing outdoor recreation infrastructure in Ireland. On 28 May last, I launched...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Town and Village Renewal Scheme (4 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: The National Town Centre Health Check initiative was undertaken by the Heritage Council in conjunction with a number of partner organisations. The Heritage Council comes under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. While there is no specific allocation set aside by my Department for town centre health checks, the preparation and development of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Contracts Data (4 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: My Department was established on 19 July 2017. I have listed in the following table the external consultants commissioned to undertake work on behalf of my Department from that date, to-date. In each case the reports/material produced were for internal or stakeholder use only, and not for external publication. Title Company Cost € Date published Provision of Technical Support for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (4 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: The Revised Estimates for 2018 in respect of the Department of Rural and Community Development sets out gross capital expenditure of €87.5m; this is supplemented by some €7.7m capital carried forward from 2017. €65.7m of my Department's capital allocation has been spent to end November 2018, with €29.5 million in capital expenditure due to be utilised before the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes (4 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: LEADER is a multi-annual programme which has a total budget of €250 million over the period to 2020. Total expenditure on the LEADER programme since it commenced - effectively in 2016 when the majority of Funding Agreements were signed - amounts to over €34 million. This comprises: - €1.47 million in preparatory costs incurred by the LEADER Local Action Groups (LAGs) to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes Data (4 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: LEADER is a multi-annual programme which has a total budget of €250 million over the period to 2020. Funding to cover the full period of the programme has been allocated to each of the individual Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver LEADER. Table 1 provides a breakdown of the number and value of projects approved by each Local Action Group to date, together with the total...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes Data (4 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: Projects under the LEADER programme are approved by the Local Action Groups (LAGs) which administer the programme in each LEADER sub-regional area. Expenditure on LEADER projects is drawn down as the projects are implemented and the promoters submit claims for payment to the LAGs. Grant funding can be drawn down on a phased basis and a maximum of five phased payments are permitted. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (4 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: The Current and Capital allocations for the schemes referred to by the Deputy, as provided for in the 2018 Revised Estimates Volume, are outlined in the following table, together with latest details of expenditure incurred under each of the schemes in question. Scheme/Programme Current Allocation Current Expenditure to date Capital Allocation Capital Expenditure to date Town and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Development Programme (4 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not available within the timeframe required to respond to this question. However, I have my officials to collate the information requested and I will forward it to the Deputy in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Improvement Scheme Data (4 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: The Local Improvement Scheme, or LIS, is a programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in predominantly rural areas. The scheme is funded by my Department and administered through the Local Authorities. I re-launched the scheme in September 2017, following a number of years when no dedicated LIS funding was available. I allocated a total of €17.4 million to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (4 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not available within the timeframe required to respond to this question. However, I have my officials to collate the information requested and I will forward it to the Deputy in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Initiatives (4 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: I refer the Deputy to the reply to her parliamentary question 2018, in which I outlined the key objectives of my Department in relation to improving the quality of life in urban and rural communities and the main policy and programme supports currently being delivered by my Department. In relation to next year’s funding allocations, Budget 2019 has provided a 51% increase in Capital...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ministerial Meetings (4 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: I am providing the Deputy with the following table listing the public events I attended by county since 1 May 2018. In addition, my diaries are published and made available on my Department’s website on a quarterly basis. Month 2018 County Public events Minister Michael Ring attended by county since 1 May 2018 May Event 03.05.18 Kildare Opening of new Library, Athy 04.05.18...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Contracts Data (4 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: I can confirm that my Department has not awarded any contracts or tenders to the company in question.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: National Indemnity Scheme for Landowners (4 Dec 2018)

Michael Ring: The introduction of a National Indemnity Scheme has been, and continues to be, a key priority for my Department to support the continued provision of access to the countryside for recreational users on a permissive access basis. My Department has been working to develop a scheme to indemnify private land owners with regard to the use of their lands for recreational purposes. In this...