Results 5,681-5,700 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

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: There is some funding for this year. There will be an allocation of €25,000 for the Ballycroy National Park. Srahduggan is an area where we get access into the national park and major funding has been put in place to buy that this year. Ballycroy National Park recently won a major international dark sky park classification and €28,000 is being invested to have it ready for an...

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: That is the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

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 will address the question on the greenways. The Deputy is correct. If we do not have buy-in from landowners, then we have a problem. Previously, I was in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and we ran into difficulty in Galway. The project had to be suspended. I am not a believer in the CPO process if an alternative is possible. If we cannot get negotiation, we have a...

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: Building on the remarks of the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys, I would like to outline for the committee my role in this area. In so far as the 2016 Estimates are concerned, €2.7 million will be spent under subhead E.8 to discharge existing commitments on the walks scheme. There was a commitment to expand the walks scheme in A Programme for a Partnership Government and plans 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: The Deputy is correct on the greenways, farm assist scheme and the rural transport scheme. When I attended the first meeting with the Taoiseach and the Cabinet subcommittee, I made the point. When the Deputy was a Minister in the past, he had the same problem. I have made a strong case on the greenways. That is not decided yet and I hope I will have responsibility. If we have...

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 Minister will take the question about Leader. The €1 million allocated to the WDC is for this year and €1 million will also be allocated next year. The commission has serious proposals and I will meet its representatives next week to discuss them.

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 Minister will deal with broadband and Leader. On the WDC, €5.6 million in seed capital funding is available. I will listen to the commission's proposals next week. I have received a submission and I will not respond until I meet the representatives next week to discuss their proposals. The commission has played a major role in the development of the west and I will give serious...

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: Last week I had a fruitful meeting with Mr. Bobby Kerr of the Post Office Network Business Development Group which recently produced an excellent report. He told us that the group intended to finish its work by October this year. A number of recommendations will be made to the Government soon. We are looking at network renewal, the basic payment and motor tax issues. These are measures...

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: There were eight post office closures in 2011; four in 2012; five in 2013; seven in 2014 and five in 2015. There were 54 closures in 2004; 46 in 2005; 47 in 2006 and 76 in 2007. There has, therefore, been a reduction in the number of post offices closing.

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: Yes.

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, I would not say they are being withheld.

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: They will be. The Chairman must appreciate that this is a new Department and that a great deal of work is coming across our desks. I will meet them next week. I have proposals from them that I will deal with very shortly.

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 will take Deputy's question on the greenways and the Minister will take his question on the Leader programme.

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 talked about greenways earlier. I hope that people such as the Deputy and community groups would work with the local farmers to try to encourage them to make their land available. I do not like the compulsory purchase option but in some cases it might be necessary. The Deputy is quite correct about the CLÁR programme. In the past, the class two and three roads and even the local...

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 has been cut. There is no question about that.

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: That was before the election. I remember it well.

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 rural post offices, there is a compensation scheme in place in other jurisdictions. It is something we have under consideration, but if we were to apply it, we would have to introduce very serious safeguards. It is something we are looking at.

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 will take the smaller issues relating to my portfolio. The local improvement scheme was suspended by people who did not have an understanding of rural Ireland and at least I fought to get it reopened. I was delighted to that it was reopened by the Department. I know we could not put in the amount of money that was required, but at least the scheme was reopened and local authorities now...

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: There were post offices closed in my area and many people were very concerned about that. The pity was that the locals were not using them. Perhaps this committee and the Department should examine, in the new year, ways of putting a campaign together to encourage people to use local post offices. If we do not use them, we lose them. We certainly need people to be able to use them.

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: There is no doubt that they have the best network and are in every corner of the country. We are examining services - for example, in respect of motor tax - that could be included. They should be doing that as well. We have a crisis with passports and I will ask the Department to examine the matter. It might not be simple because of the legalities involved. It is crazy that somebody from...