Results 4,341-4,360 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Other Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: On a serious note, I reiterate that I do not pick the schemes. I will look at the local authorities, and Deputy Ó Cuív supports me on this. They look for the local contribution and charge an administrative fee for the scheme. I looked at one scheme recently which cost €21,000. The Department had allocated €26,000 and the council had taken €3,000 to...

Other Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: That is something that needs to be looked at. An issue which Deputy Ó Cuív raised has raised before, which I have raised with officials, and Deputy McLoughlin also brought up is the charges per square metre for roads. I want the Department to do some work on this because I want to see the €10.7 million this year, or the €17.7 million last year, put into roads. The...

Other Questions: Seniors Alert Scheme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: The number of approved participants in the seniors alert scheme in 2017 in the areas in question were 276 in Sligo and 182 in Leitrim. Following the launch of a new scheme which took effect on 1 November 2017, my Department conducted a very successful nationwide public awareness campaign aimed at older people, their extended families and friends who may not have been aware of the scheme....

Other Questions: Seniors Alert Scheme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I took this scheme on board last year because, as the Deputy notes, we had many problems in the countryside, especially with criminal gangs who were targeting elderly people. People must be safe in their homes. The initial take-up was not large. In 2015, 1,321 took up the scheme. In 2016, it was 7,301 and, because of the Department's campaign which targeted local radio and newspapers...

Other Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: The local improvement scheme, LIS, is a programme for improvement works on small private and non-public roads. The scheme is funded by my Department and administered through the local authorities. In September 2017, following a number of years when there was no dedicated funding for the scheme, I approved €10 million in funding for it. I allocated a further €7.4...

Other Questions: RAPID Programme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I cannot disagree with anything the Deputy says. I would love to have more funding. I will have to try to get more. This is a very important scheme. The day any Government or society forgets about the people in need, who need to be targeted, supported and helped, is a sad one. That is why the scheme is up and running now. I have had it reviewed and can now consider ways of targeting to...

Other Questions: Banking Sector (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 31 together. The programme for a partnership Government includes a commitment to investigate a new model of community banking for Ireland, including an investigation of the German Sparkassen model for the development of local public banks that operate within well-defined regions. A project team comprising officials from my Department and the...

Other Questions: Banking Sector (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I thank Deputy Penrose. I want to be fair to him because he has been raising this for a long time. I really mean it when I say the report has been produced and will be before the Government in the next two weeks. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, and I have read the report. We have to bring it before the Cabinet. We will publish it as quickly as possible after it...

Other Questions: Banking Sector (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: All I can tell the Deputy is that we want to get this to the Cabinet. We want to get the report published. I would love to see more competition in the banking market. I will try to get my job done, get the report to the Cabinet as quickly as possible, have it published and then see where we are.

Other Questions: Community Services Programme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: That is fine. I thank the Acting Chairman.

Other Questions: Community Services Programme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: Yes.

Other Questions: Community Services Programme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I inherited a budget of €45 million for this year, although it was subsequently increased to €46 million. I will negotiate with the rest of the Government for further funding for next year. We must remember that the programme has only been running since 1 January. I would like to see further funding for it, but the problem lies with the existing budget. For new schemes to...

Other Questions: Community Services Programme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I have already seen it happen. I asked Pobal to review a number of its decisions with which I was not happy. It is reviewing them. It receives a great deal of criticism, but it has a professional team and makes good decisions 99.9% of the time. I support it in that regard. I need to examine the appeals mechanism and will do so. I have spoken to Pobal about this matter and, to be fair, it...

Other Questions: RAPID Programme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: Officials in my Department are carrying out a review of the RAPID programme, with a view to developing an expanded and enhanced programme to support disadvantaged communities. The overall aim is to ensure communities get the most benefit from any available funding and that funding is delivered to those who need it most in as efficient a manner as possible. Matters being considered include...

Other Questions: RAPID Programme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I accept the Deputy's comments. That is why I am reviewing the scheme. As the Deputy has been fair, I will be fair in response. The scheme had not been open since 2008. When we set up the new Department last year, I was anxious to receive funding. A criticism made by local authorities and LCDCs was that I had allocated the funding too late. What I am hoping to do with the new scheme is...

Other Questions: Tidy Towns Committees Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I thank the Deputy for his comments. The Tidy Towns is probably one of the best schemes in the country. I know the Acting Chairman's county has done well in the Tidy Towns over the years. I was delighted to allocate the €1.4 million and I did this in recognition of the work that people do in a voluntary capacity. To go back to the question I was asked, I call on all sporting...

Other Questions: Tidy Towns Committees Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: The Deputy has put it up to me. I responded last year because I have seen the work they do in every county, town and village. To me, it is not a grant or money for them. It is an investment in the country, given what they do for the community and the country. I had responsibility for the national parks at one time and I saw the dumping that is happening in towns and villages,...

Other Questions: Community Services Programme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 22 together. The community services programme, or CSP, was transferred to my Department on 1 January 2018. The programme supports 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. Some...

Other Questions: Community Services Programme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: With regard to the review, we only got this programme at the end of last year and we took it over from 1 January. My first priority was to make sure that the programme continued. As the Deputies said, this is a very important programme and I did not want any delay in regard to it continuing and the programme being put in place, so that was my priority. We need a review of the scheme, and I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: CLÁR Programme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: 11 o’clock The 2017 CLÁR programme provided funding under four measures. Measure 1 provided support for safety measures around schools and community facilities, measure 2 supported play areas, measure 3 concerned targeted community infrastructure needs and measure 4 provided first response supports. My Department received more than 500 applications across the four measures....