Results 4,361-4,380 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

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

Michael Ring: I reject what the Deputy says. I will just give him two pointers. I will outline what Deputy Pringle's council, Donegal County Council, did only last week. Every council agreed to the rules and regulations of the local improvement scheme, LIS, except Donegal. I will tell the Deputy what his county did. Every county was given an allocation of LIS funding, and each county was told to...

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

Michael Ring: In the Leader programme, Deputy Pringle's county got €1,475,000. Under the town and village renewal scheme it got €1,159,000. Under the CLÁR programme it received €245,488. Under the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme it got €104,000. Under the local improvements scheme - listen to this, loud and clear - it got €3,384,000, the most money given...

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

Michael Ring: I will send Deputy Pringle these figures, because I think he would understand how this scheme runs. Donegal got one of the highest allocations in the CLÁR programme last year. What is wrong with Deputy Pringle? Does he want me to give it all to Donegal? Donegal got €878,000 and 92% has been spent. Deputy Pringle should tell the county council to spend the other 8%. Donegal...

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

Michael Ring: The year 2018 is very special for the SuperValu Tidy Towns Competition as it marks the 60th anniversary of what has been a very successful Government initiative. The work done by the Tidy Towns committees down through the years has played an important part in the improvement of the appearance of villages, towns and cities around the country. To assist committees to mark the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Functions (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: The Taoiseach’s decision to establish the Department of Rural and Community Development in July 2017 was an important one for communities throughout the country. It underlines the Government’s commitment to ensuring the economic recovery can be felt by every community and that we will build greater resilience for the future. My Department has an important role to play in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Functions (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: The Deputy is correct that some of the schemes he mentioned would probably fit in my Department. However, as he knows, we put this new Department together in the last year. I am happy with it and the results of the schemes I have established. I can give the Deputy some figures in that regard. When I am at the Cabinet table I watch the decisions being made and make sure everything is rural...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Functions (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: The Deputy should not worry - it is being forward. It is so positive we did not want to bring all of the good news out so fast. Some 93% of the actions have been delivered on. It will be out on Friday. Employment has increased throughout the country. Of the 56,200 jobs created last year, 84% were created outside Dublin. Two thirds of the jobs were created with the assistance of IDA...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Functions (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I am very pleased with my Department and particularly the €1 billion I have available for the rural regeneration scheme. We have a very strong, good, efficient and hard working Department.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Functions (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I never refuse the Deputy's help. Any time he can help me I always take it. I will be honest with him. Yes, some of the schemes he mentioned would fit in my Department. I have already looked for some of them and some of the Departments want to give some of them to me. However, there is one problem. I need to have two things if I am to take over the schemes - money and staff. If I do...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: Leader funding is delivered through local action groups, LAGs, in each of the 28 Leader sub-regional areas around the country. Leader has a budget of €250 million over the period to 2020 and €220 million of this total has been allocated to the LAGs for the delivery of their local development strategies. The amount of funding which is available for projects, as outlined in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: A Leader forum was hosted by the previous Minister. We made 31 changes to the programme.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: Twenty-nine of these were implemented by the LAGs. What I have to do is ensure that this is working. I have met and talked to the national organisation. It now tells me that this programme is working better. I will give some examples. I will give the figures as of 30 April this year. The number of projects approved up to 2017 was 592 with a value of €16.412 million. Up to today,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: A total of 63% of this funding comes from Europe while 37% of it comes from the Irish Government. There are some rules and regulations with which we must comply with regard to European-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Funding (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: I simplified this scheme. Deputy Martin Kenny talked about paperwork. We changed the rules and made 31 changes. We got rid of 55% of the paperwork. I cannot do any more. I am happier now than I was last year. I was frustrated last year with some of the companies that did not make any effort to do something to get this funding out. I want this Leader funding spent and used on the ground...

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

Michael Ring: In line with a commitment under the programme for Government, I launched a new RAPID programme in 2017. This was a brand new programme to replace the original RAPID scheme that was funded a number of years ago. Under the new programme, funding is provided for local authority areas instead of for specific RAPID areas as had been the case in the past. Local community development committees,...

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

Michael Ring: In respect of the recent programme, I allocated €6 million in funding, of which €2 million went to the LCDCs. I divided that equally around the country this year. Some €3.5 million will be ring-fenced this year and last year there was €2.5 million ring-fenced for Dublin inner city, in particular. Some €500,000 of that funding was for legacy schemes that...

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

Michael Ring: In respect of the last programme, there was a value for money audit done in 2011. From that audit, we were told that we were not to continue the practice of the previous scheme. That was in the report. I took over this programme in the middle of last year when I took over the new Department. I was anxious to get the programme out before the end of the year. This is why I made sure that...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Improvement Scheme Administration (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: The Local Improvement Scheme was always an important initiative for people living in rural Ireland, as it provides funding for the repair of private roads which are not under the normal maintenance of the Local Authorities.  I reintroduced dedicated funding for the Local Improvement Scheme in September 2017 after a gap of 8 years and I know, from the response of people that I meet,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Recreation Scheme (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: My Department delivers a number of programmes that support the development of recreational facilities in rural areas and I will continue to deliver on these initiatives in 2018. For example, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme supports the development, maintenance, enhancement and promotion of recreational infrastructure, including walking trails, greenways, and blueways in rural...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dormant Accounts Fund Administration (2 May 2018)

Michael Ring: My Department commenced the process of preparing the 2018 Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan in February.  In order to initiate the process, I wrote to Ministers in February requesting that their Departments identify potential projects or programmes which might be included in the Action Plan.  Following the receipt of initial proposals from other Departments and agencies, my...