Results 4,601-4,620 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: Funding arrangements for the current Leader programme from 2014 to 2020 were, for the most part, signed with the local action groups, LAGs, which delivered the programme in the second half of 2016 and the programme effectively became operational from that date. The current Leader programme has an allocation of €250 million over the period to 2020, whereas the previous programme, which...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I agree with Deputy Kenny. I want to see the money being spent. I want to see the programme in operation. I want local action groups to approve schemes. There is no delay in the Department and I guarantee that once the payments are required they will be made. It takes a while to identify schemes. The companies get involved and the schemes are approved and payment is made once the work...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I made a 55% reduction in the paperwork. I have listened to the groups and people on the ground. I wanted to make the changes and I did so. We are reviewing the system on a daily basis but there is only so much I can do, that the Government can do or that the Department can do. The Leader companies have been given the responsibility and they have to roll out the scheme. They are the ones...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Expenditure (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: Deputy Kenny knows why it takes two years. One will not build a hall overnight and regardless of the facility it takes time to build it and then the receipts have to be returned in order to draw down the money. There must be checks and balances.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: RAPID Programme (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The Deputy will have to respect the fact the scheme was closed for many years until I opened it in November 2017. I accept it was late in the year. I provided €2 million for Dublin and €3.5 million is ring-fenced for Dublin this year for the north inner city.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: RAPID Programme (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: Yes, in the RAPID programme. The money is ring-fenced and rightly so. The Deputy is quite correct. I am glad to hear the Deputy say what he has said. There are very serious problems in inner city Dublin, which is where we launched the new programme in November. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, and I launched it in Charleville Mall library in the north-east inner city. It was brilliant to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: RAPID Programme (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, keeps me well informed about what is happening in inner city Dublin. I have had many meetings with her over the past year and I have dealt with many social problems. We provided some funding at the end of November for some areas that were experiencing serious disadvantage. I know well what is going on in inner city Dublin, which is why we set...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: CLÁR Programme (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The CLÁR programme is an important part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development and makes a huge contribution to supporting the most depopulated areas in rural Ireland. Almost 900 projects have been approved for funding since I relaunched the scheme in the second half of 2016. The programme has funded a range of measures over the past two years, including...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: CLÁR Programme (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I will announce it very shortly. I have written to the local authorities and set out a schedule for the schemes and their timeframes for this year. The Deputy is quite correct on the underspend. I have €5 million again this year. It is a substantial amount of money and I will look to see what I will finally allocate but for now I have €5 million in the budget. The scheme...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: RAPID Programme (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I launched the new RAPID, revitalising areas by planning, investment and development, programme in November 2017. The programme provides support for groups which are tackling social exclusion and is aimed at improving quality of life for residents in disadvantaged urban areas and provincial towns across the country. Under the new programme, funding has been provided on an equal basis for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Project Ireland 2040 (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The overarching objective of the Atlantic Economic Corridor proposal is to maximise the assets along the western seaboard and connect the economic hubs, clusters and catchments of the region to attract investment, support job creation and contribute to an improved quality of life. Project Ireland 2040 fully supports the development of the AEC and specifically highlights the contribution...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Voluntary Sector (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: Supporting the role of volunteers in our society is an important element of my Department's work in developing vibrant, sustainable and inclusive communities. The Government recognises the importance and worth of every type of volunteering activity, irrespective of its scale or the sector involved. The ongoing and future development of volunteering is key to ensuring that the sector...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Project Ireland 2040 (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The Programme for Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development both commit to progressing the concept of an Atlantic Economic Corridor. In line with this commitment, Minister Michael Ring established the Atlantic Economic Corridor Taskforce in March 2017, and I now chair this Taskforce. The overarching objective of the AEC proposal is to maximise the assets along the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dormant Accounts Fund (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The legislation governing the Dormant Accounts Funds provides a framework for the disbursement of funds for measures targeted at socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged people, and people with a disability. The principles underlying the allocation of funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund and the strategic objectives to be pursued by measures nominated for funding by...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Town and Village Renewal Scheme (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The Action Plan for Rural Development contains a number of measures which have the objective of rejuvenating Ireland’s rural towns and villages to make them more attractive places in which to live and work, and to increase their tourism potential. The 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme was launched in April last year, with a focus on projects which could stimulate and encourage...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The CLÁR programme (Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais) is a targeted investment programme which provides funding for small scale infrastructural projects in rural areas which have suffered the greatest levels of population decline. The programme was originally launched in 2004, but was closed to new applications in 2009. I announced the reopening of the CLÁR Programme in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Service Provision (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The Government's National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure high speed broadband access (minimum 30 megabits per second) to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location. The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. Today, almost 7 out of 10 of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland have access to high speed broadband. This will increase to nearly 8 out of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Authority Funding (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: As part of the Government’s programme to support rural development, a number of initiatives including CLÁR, the Rural Recreation Scheme, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, and REDZ (Rural Economic Development Zones) were launched during 2016.  In general, these initiatives were implemented through the Local Authorities. Payments of approximately €28 million were...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Banking (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: The Programme for a Partnership Government envisaged that An Post, the Irish League of Credit Unions and other interested stakeholders would be asked to investigate and propose a new model of community banking, such as the Kiwibank model in New Zealand. The Programme for Government also includes a commitment to investigate the German Sparkassen model for the development of local public...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dog Breeding Industry (21 Feb 2018)

Michael Ring: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 67 together. Under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, local authorities are responsible for the registration, inspection and regulation of dog breeding establishments within their functional areas. Furthermore, the enforcement of welfare standards regarding all animals, including dogs, is a matter for the Minister for Agriculture,...