Results 4,561-4,580 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Service Provision (27 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The National Broadband Plan will deliver high-speed broadband to every premises in Ireland through a mix of commercial providers and a State intervention in those areas where commercial providers acting alone will not provide the service. The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment is currently engaged in a procurement process to identify a suitable provider of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (27 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: My Department delivers a variety of capital schemes including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, the CLÁR Programme, the Walks Scheme, the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), the LEADER Programme, the Community Facilities Fund, RAPID, and Library Development. The Expenditure Report 2018 published alongside Budget 2018 set out a capital...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Leader Programmes Funding (27 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: LEADER is a multi-annual programme for the period 2014-2020 which has a total budget of €250 million over the programming period. LEADER is administered by Local Action Groups (LAGs) which deliver funding in accordance with Local Development Strategies that have been agreed for each LAG area. €220 million of the available funding has already been allocated to the 28 LEADER...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Animal Breeding Regulations (27 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2010 set out a range of requirements for all dog owners or any other person in charge of a dog. The Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 set out further requirements that owners of specific breeds of dogs have to follow, namely that such dogs must be muzzled and led, on a sufficiently strong leash or chain not exceeding 2 metres in length, by a competent person...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Action Plan for Rural Development (22 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: My Department was established in July 2017 and therefore I do not have details of the amount spent on rural regeneration since 2011. Rural regeneration involves a coordinated effort across many Government Departments and agencies and each relevant Department has its own budgetary allocation to support rural renewal. My own Department has a total allocation of €231.5 million for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff Data (22 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I can confirm that I attended the official launch of Project Ireland 2040, in Sligo, on 16 February 2018. Minister of State Sean Kyne was also in attendance. Two officials and one advisor from my Department travelled to the launch. Any officials or advisors attending are entitled to claim the appropriate travel and subsistence allowance in compliance with Department of Finance travel and...

Other Questions: Leader Programmes Data (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I will speak slowly because I would not like the Deputy not to be able to understand what I am saying. They understand me everywhere else but just in case the Deputy does not understand what I am saying-----

Other Questions: Leader Programmes Data (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: That is okay. I will give him ten minutes if he wants. I have no problem with that at all. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle can give him as long as he wants to give him. The Deputy knows better than anybody else that people make applications to Leader companies, which approve them. They then come to my Department where they submit receipts and bring in the paperwork. I cannot do any more than...

Other Questions: Leader Programmes Data (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: To date, 738 projects have been approved, to the value of €20.8 million. A further 318 projects seeking €16 million have been approved. I sat down with Deputy Ó Cuív and Deputy Kyne. We met the group there and, to be fair to them, they wrote to me afterwards to tell me that they hope to spend and to have the programme up and running shortly. I hope that they will....

Other Questions: Voluntary Sector (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: My Department provides a cohesive framework of supports for the community and voluntary sector. Additional information not given on the floor of the House In 2017, €3.5 million was provided under this programme to support volunteer centres in 21 areas nationwide, volunteer information services in areas not served by volunteer centres and a number of national organisations such as...

Other Questions: Seniors Alert Scheme (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I was really pleased by how the scheme worked last year. It is a scheme for the most vulnerable in society, people living in rural areas who were frightened in their own homes. I put the funding in place to ensure that the scheme would work. The Deputy asked about Pobal. It asked people to make applications and it dealt with that process. I did not get involved in it. I made sure the...

Other Questions: Seniors Alert Scheme (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: There is an allocation of €2.7 million for the scheme this year. I will monitor the scheme during the year and if demand is outpacing the funding available, I will examine ways of increasing the funding. Some of the changes we made to the scheme helped. People no longer have to be living alone, there is free monitoring for the first year and there is self declaration of limited...

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The Revised Estimates for Public Services 2018 provide for gross expenditure of €231.5 million, comprising €144 million current expenditure and €87.5 million capital expenditure, in respect of the Department of Rural and Community Development. An additional €7.7 million in capital funding is carried forward from 2017 to supplement capital spending. My...

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I do not have that information to hand. I can give it to the Deputy before the committee meeting next week. We will be discussing our Vote at that meeting and I will have all that information. The Deputy referred to the underspend last year. I will not get into another political row but the Deputy understands underspends. During the good times there were major underspends in the Deputy's...

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I do not have that information.

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: If the Deputy has it I do not know why he is asking for it-----

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: -----but I will get it for him.

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: Why is the Deputy wasting Question Time if he knows the answer? That is not the question tabled today but if he wants the information I will get it to him later. However, as I said, I guarantee that there will be no underspend this year. I will ensure the money is spent.

Other Questions: Leader Programmes Data (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: Leader is a multi-annual EU co-funded programme to support rural development. Ireland has an allocation of €250 million under the programme over the period 2014-20, including both national and EU funding. The programme is administered by local action groups, LAGs, which deliver funding in accordance with local development strategies that have been agreed for each LAG area. As of...

Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: First, I will be announcing the LIS shortly. Not alone will I be announcing the scheme, I will announce the funding as well. The CLÁR programme will open shortly. The rural and recreation scheme and the town and village scheme will open at the end of May. I intend to have projects in for July, probably, and I will make the allocation later in the year. Deputy Ó Cuív...