Results 101-120 of 16,746 for speaker:Dara Calleary

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

Dara Calleary: I am committed to providing any support I can for the development of a national governing body for Women’s Sheds to ensure that individual Women’s Sheds can benefit from having a strong national representative body to advocate on their behalf. I am pleased that my colleague, Minister Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, shares my view. To this end a number of meetings have taken...

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

Dara Calleary: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) was introduced in 2016 and has to date allocated almost €184 million to over 1,800 projects nationally. It is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. The scheme, which sees local authorities work with communities throughout the country, primarily targets funding at rural towns and...

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

Dara Calleary: My department has published Language Planning Guidelines which provide guidance to practitioners preparing and implemented language plans in Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks in line with the provisions of the Gaeltacht Act 2012. The latest edition of the guidelines, the fifth edition, was published in 2019. These guidelines include details...

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

Dara Calleary: The Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) has provided some €110 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. I am committed to delivering further iterations of the scheme in the coming years in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government for this to become a permanent rolling fund. A...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Meals-on-Wheels Services (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: The main source of funding for Meals on Wheels providers is through the HSE and I would encourage any meals on wheels provider to engage with the HSE locally to explore potential funding options. My Department also recognises the importance of Meals on Wheels in rural areas and has provided supports to Meals on Wheels groups through measure 2 of the CLÁR programme. In order to be...

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

Dara Calleary: The current Programme for Government includes a commitment to the re-establishment of Scéim na mBóithre Áise. Discussion is underway in my Department to decide the best approach to implementing this commitment going forward. In the meantime, funding is available under the Department's Local Improvement Scheme to assist local authorities with improvement work on non-public...

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

Dara Calleary: The Deputy will be aware that the specific Budget 2026 measures aimed at supporting the provision of housing across the state, including the provision of housing in Gaeltacht areas comes under the remit of The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. It should be noted, however, that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has done considerable work in...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Foras na Gaeilge (16 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: The North-South Language Body, comprising Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency, is co-funded by my Department on behalf of the Government of Ireland, and by the Department for Communities on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive. The Government of Ireland provides 75% of the Foras na Gaeilge budget annually, with the remaining 25% coming from the Northern Ireland Executive, in...

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

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106, 109 and 132 together. Administered by my Department, The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) is a major capital programme that supports the revitalisation of rural Ireland. It supports large-scale, ambitious projects that can achieve sustainable economic and social development in towns, villages and outlying areas with a population of under...

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

Dara Calleary: My Department ensures a fair and equitable distribution via a range of schemes which are targeted based on need and reviewed before each launch to ensure that they continue to respond to evolving needs. The CLÁR Programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of...

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

Dara Calleary: My Department is committed to supporting thriving communities across the country through a range of funding initiatives. Over the past three years, my Department has allocated around €25 million in funding to County Kildare. My Department’s funding programmes have delivered significant capital investment in County Kildare, for example;Last Friday I was delighted to be in Athy...

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

Dara Calleary: My Department’s budget allocation for 2026 totals €611 million, with €273 million in capital funding and €338 million in current funding. This represents a 6% increase on the 2025 allocation, and builds on strong investment in recent years. €192.2 million will be provided for rural development in 2026, €160.7 million capital and €31.5 million...

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

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 134 together. Launched in 2022, the Town Centre First (TCF) Policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. The policy supports the Our Rural Future vision for a thriving rural Ireland which is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental...

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

Dara Calleary: The current LEADER Programme, which runs to 2027, is operational across the country. It supports a broad range of enterprises and community groups to develop projects which improve the quality of life and economic activity in rural areas. It is delivered through Local Action Groups across rural Ireland, facilitating a community-led, bottom-up approach to rural development. The LEADER...

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

Dara Calleary: Since becoming Minister, I have prioritised investment in community infrastructure and in services to support our communities. As part of Budget 2026, I was delighted to announce increased funding for the programmes that are delivering on this priority. This includes an increase in the annual budget for the Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) by €3 million to €20 million. ...

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

Dara Calleary: Our Rural Future, the national rural development policy, committed to developing an effective rural proofing approach. My Department commissioned and published a body of research on rural proofing, which was published online, which sets out some of the key international evidence in relation to rural proofing. A Rural Proofing Pilot was subsequently undertaken on four key initiatives...

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

Dara Calleary: The current Programme for Government includes a commitment to the re-establishment of Scéim na mBóithre Áise. Discussion is underway in my Department to decide the best approach to implementing this commitment going forward. In the meantime, funding is available under the Department's Local Improvement Scheme to assist local authorities with improvement work on non-public...

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

Dara Calleary: The development of the post-2027 Common Agriculture Policy or CAP and the new National and Regional Partnership Plans are matters of significant importance to my Department and for the Government as a whole. I am working closely with my colleagues Ministers Heydon and Byrne to ensure that the LEADER programme forms part of a well funded package of supports for rural Ireland under the...

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

Dara Calleary: The Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) has provided approximately €110 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. I am committed to delivering further iterations of the scheme in the coming years in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government for this to become a permanent rolling...

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

Dara Calleary: My Department provides funding to Foras na Gaeilge, one of the agencies of the North South Language Body, to fund and deliver various programmes on an all-island basis. Foras na Gaeilge administers over 23 different support schemes each year aimed at developing and promoting the language. Gaeláras Mhic Ardghail and Craobh Phearadair Ó Dhubhda, located in Newry and Dundalk, both...