Results 81-100 of 16,746 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: The community recognition fund was introduced to recognise the contribution being made by communities all over the country in welcoming new arrivals into our cities, towns and villages. It was originally introduced as a €50 million fund in 2023 to develop community infrastructure in areas that were hosting beneficiaries of temporary protection and-or international protection...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: The budget for the CRF for 2026 is €10 million. We want the local authorities to draw down and complete projects, and that is going to be the focus for 2026. We also have other projects, such as community centre investment. As we have just discussed with Deputy Brendan Smith, there is also the CLÁR programme. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, worked hard to secure...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: I can assure the Deputy that there is a range of supports within the Department to fund community infrastructure, in particular, physical infrastructure, such as centres and hubs. Through SICAP, under the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, community supports are also available. We will continue to make those available as they are very important. Regarding the project referenced by the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Schemes (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: The CLÁR programme is an important funding stream for many of our most rural areas. In recent years, it has funded a vast array of community amenities, including community centres, sporting facilities, playgrounds, sensory gardens and walking trails. It has also provided funding for vehicles used to transport people with disabilities to access vital cancer services among others. Since...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Schemes (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: I agree with the Deputy. We have made changes to CLÁR since I took office. I increased the maximum payable grant for a successful measure one project from €50,000 to €65,000. For two measure 1 applications, local authorities can apply for an increased level of funding of €100,000. I have provided for an extra application by local authorities that have Gaeltacht...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: Táim ag iarraidh obair leis an Teachta. Tá an t-airgead ann. Tá na figiúirí ann ón CSO a léiríonn go bhfuil ardú mór sna ceadúnais tithíochta, tithe aonair go háirithe. Táimid ag obair leis na húdaráis áitiúla. Bhí cruinniú agam freisin le príomhfheidhmeannaigh na n-údarás...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Minister of State and I were delighted to have secured funding of €5 million in budget 2026 for the introduction of a new programme for urban areas in line with the programme for Government commitment. RAPID stands for revitalising areas by planning, investment and development. Established in 2001, it was an area-based approach to disadvantage representing a focused initiative to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: I agree regarding the impact it has had. There were 25 designated disadvantaged urban areas, which included areas in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Drogheda and Dundalk. More provincial towns were added. At the end of the programme, the number of designated RAPID areas was 51. We may not be able to reach this figure but we want to get started in 2026. The Minister of State and I have...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: I agree. The Minister of State and I are very focused on making sure this is effective and community led. The Minister of State works on a daily basis with the teams in SICAP and community development organisations and we want to make sure they have an input into this. We want to keep what was good about the previous RAPID programme and keep the direction, focus and delivery. It may have...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Forbairt na Gaeilge (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: Tá sé deacair ag an bpointe seo sonraí don breakdown sin a thabhairt don Teachta. Beimid in ann sonraí faoi Ché Inis Oírr a thabhairt dó ach táimid fós ag obair leis an OPW ar Shráid Fhearchair. Tá an OPW in éineacht linn. Táimid ag lorg tender le haghaidh cúrsaí in Indreabhán. Beidh na sonraí agam tar...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Forbairt na Gaeilge (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: Tá méadú difriúil le haghaidh Údarás na Gaeltachta. Tá €2.5 milliún i gceist, lena n-áirítear méadú €1 milliún ar leithdháileadh caipitil le haghaidh an údaráis leis féin. Tá obair eile le déanamh le airgead caipitil sa Ghaeltacht freisin. Tá tograí nach bhfuil chomh...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: I agree with the Deputy about the importance of housing. My Department works closely with colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage across a range of areas. Officials in both Departments are in regular contact about a number of areas that cut into housing, including town centre first, local economic and community planning, planning for and the provision of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Policy (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: I would encourage the Deputy to put his cynicism to one side and look at budget 2026. It contains a record allocation of over €9 billion for housing capital investment. This has been a major issue that has come back to us in the consultation on Our Rural Future. The vacant property refurbishment grant provided by the Department of housing is really important in rural areas. A sum...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Forbairt na Gaeilge (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist. Tá leithdháileadh iomlán de €611 milliún faighte ag an Roinn ar fad i gcáinaisnéis 2026. Leis seo, cuirfear €192 milliún ar fáil don chlár fhorbartha tuaithe; €260 milliún don chlár forbartha pobail; agus €159 milliún do réimse clár na...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Tidy Towns (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Supervalu TidyTowns competition is a unique volunteer-led programme that makes a hugely positive contribution in communities across Ireland. I am keenly aware, and have seen first hand, the wonderful work undertaken by our Tidy Towns groups. I am also aware that costs can arise in the course of this work. With this in mind, direct financial supports have been put in place by my...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Broadband Infrastructure (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: A key focus of Our Rural Future - the Government's Rural Development Policy 2021 to 2025 - is to optimise digital connectivity to support vibrant, sustainable rural communities, ensuring equality of access to digital services. While the Deputy will be aware that Wi-Fi is now widely available in many settings, the Government has implemented a range of programmes to increase broadband...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Regional Development (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department's range of capital and current programmes seek to address disadvantage in a number of ways, and empower communities in urban and rural areas. My Department's SICAP programme is our country’s primary social inclusion programme. From January 2024 to date, 28 community organisations and 189 individuals have been supported in the Ballinasloe Local Electoral Area. These...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Flexible Work Practices (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: Our Rural Future, the Government's Rural Development Policy, recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents, and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by the end of 2025. I am glad to report that significant progress has been made towards this target, and that there are now 394 hubs across the...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rural Schemes (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, or the RRDF, is a major capital investment programme that seeks to support large-scale, ambitious projects that can achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. The Fund is organised on the basis of two categories of funding. Category 1 relates to larger scale ambitious capital projects with all necessary planning and...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Sport and Recreational Development (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 110 together. Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023- 2027, was published in November 2022. The strategy was developed in collaboration with Comhairle na Tuaithe, the Countryside Council, and is a collaborative cross-Government, stakeholder-led strategy. Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors will ensure...