Results 5,661-5,680 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Other Questions: Rural Recreation Policy (7 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: It is one of the greatest tourism projects we have ever had in the west. We will now continue with the blueways plan for inland waterways. I will be working with Fáilte Ireland to ensure it rolls that out. The Deputy is correct that there are many jobs to be created in the outdoor activity sector. People want to get involved in such pursuits and are healthier and fitter as a result....

Other Questions: Rural Recreation Policy (7 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: The Minister, myself and the Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, will create those jobs. There will be so many people working in the west of Ireland that they will give us the required support and money. All Departments should be more biased towards rural areas which have been neglected for too long. We need to revitalise them.

Other Questions: Rural Recreation Policy (7 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: I certainly will be trying to do what the Deputy did in the earlier years. We were in more difficult times in 2010, as the Deputy knows. The Deputy knows what we inherited in 2011. My Department’s walks scheme is currently operating on 39 trails supported by 1,908 landowners and is being managed by 16 local development companies around the country. The programme for a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Western Development Commission (7 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: Deputy Cullinane is quite correct in the question he has raised and it is a very valid point. In fairness to the last Government, the jobs forum was one of the very good things it did. The forum was effective and up to recently some 135,000 extra jobs were created in the State. There are black spots that remain to be examined at Government level. There are other agencies that also need...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Western Development Commission (7 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: At the moment, in my own Department, this is a new area being set up. Of course we will look at ways of creating jobs in every part of the regions. However, to be honest, there are a lot of agencies out there now including State agencies such as IDA Ireland and the local employment offices. This is not really within my portfolio, it is more the jobs arena, but there are many State agencies...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Western Development Commission (7 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: The Western Development Commission was established in 1997 as a response to the severe population decline of the west and it was put on a statutory basis in 1999 under the Western Development Commission Act 1998. The aim of the Western Development Commission is to promote, foster and encourage economic and social development in the western region, which covers counties Donegal, Leitrim,...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Post Office Network (7 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: It is Government policy that An Post should remain a strong, viable company in a position to provide a high quality postal service and maintain a national network of customer-focused post offices in the community. The post office network plays an important role in serving the needs of business and domestic customers alike. However, the postal sector is undergoing significant change, with...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: National Countryside Recreation Strategy (7 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: The permissive access model currently used as part of the implementation of the National Countryside Recreation Strategy for the development of greenways and walkways in Ireland has led to the successful delivery of over 880 walking, cycling, and equestrian trails, which are all listed on the Irish Trails Register maintained by the National Trails Office of Sport Ireland. Figures produced by...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rights of Way Registration (7 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: The majority of Ireland’s trails and walking routes are permissive access routes that have been developed with the agreement of private landowners, both public and private. This consensus approach is underpinned by the principle of mutual respect between landowners and recreation users, with the acceptance of the rights of landowners regarding access to their land and the need of...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Post Office Network (6 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: It is Government policy that An Post should remain a strong, viable company in a position to provide a high quality postal service and maintain a national network of customer-focused post offices in the community. The post office network plays an important role in serving the needs of business and domestic customers alike. However, the postal sector is undergoing significant change, with...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: I congratulate the Chairman. I wish the members well. I am looking forward to working with them over what I hope will be the next five years. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss with the select committee the 2016 Estimates and to outline this year’s priorities for a number of areas under my Department’s Vote. For the benefit of the committee members, I would like to...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: On the first question relating to the trust between farmers, Departments and Government, that dates back a long way. It is very simple. The Deputy is a rural man, like me. Sometimes the State thinks it can just walk into people's land and property. Sometimes it just does not talk to farmers. I will give the committee a very simple explanation of where it works and where it does not. In...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: On the staffing composition, the Deputy is aware that this is a completely new Department. We are recruiting staff, including from different Departments. We certainly need more staff. Like every other Department, this Department has been badly affected by the embargo over the past number of years. On environmentally friendly farming relating to the Exchequer schemes, we are at a time of...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: No, we cannot.

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: The Deputy and I know that we work with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. There is support and funding there.

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: It is a matter for the Department to be able to draw up a scheme. If farmers are losing and they need to be compensated, that is a matter between the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the farmers. The money is in place in the scheme that is there. The GLAS scheme is there for them and I hope to see it used for the next couple of years.

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: To be helpful, the Department has not introduced any specific restrictions outside the NPWS scheme or the GLAS scheme.

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: The compensation scheme went back to previous Governments when the Deputy was a Minister. He was also in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine himself in relation to the GLAS scheme and the other schemes that were in place. If any restrictions were brought in, I am sure the Deputy was there himself at the time.

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: It is in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Michael Ring: We do not have a role. It is a matter for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, but I have asked the Government to transfer responsibility for greenways to my Department. A Cabinet sub-committee is investigating that.