Results 161-180 of 24,555 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Rural and Community Development Matters: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I join the Deputy in thanking and paying tribute to the Waterford Area Partnership, which does great work. On the day we met them, one would have to be blown away by the wonderful array of services and supports available. Regarding the question on the community centres investment fund, CCIF, that is the Minister, Deputy Calleary's responsibility. I am sure we will look at all applications...

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Rural and Community Development Matters: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: The national forum of women's sheds met with officials from our Department on 25 June to discuss how it might be further supported to become a national organisation. Meetings were also attended by the Department of Health and engagement is ongoing. Women's sheds under the LEP were awarded €76,000 but the Minister and I are working to put in place a mechanism to support them because...

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Rural and Community Development Matters: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: First, the regulator is independent. Second, there is frustration around some cases taking a longer time than normal for registration and completion of the process. The Charities Regulator has a duty to go through each case individually and to assess it minutely and carefully under the Charities Act. In some more complex cases, there is a delay. There has been an increase in allocation to...

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Rural and Community Development Matters: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: All I can say is the regulator has been given an additional €470,000 to enable it to perform its statutory duties. A number of additional staff have been appointed to assist in terms of compliance, enforcement and registration functions. The increase in staff allocation takes into account the additional responsibilities the regulator has because of the implementation of the Charities...

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Rural and Community Development Matters: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I join the Minister in complimenting the Senator on the work she did around social farming during her tenure in the Department of Health. Where a local development company identifies a need, social farming initiatives are funded under the PsyCap programme. In certain parts of the country, such as County Kerry, great work is being done. In other areas, social farming is funded by the HSE....

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Rural and Community Development Matters: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank the Chair for raising the issue of the next generation mobile library vehicles. Our Department is expending €2.6 million on 12 next generation mobile library vehicles. I highlight to the committee a genuine position, which is that each of those vehicles has to be specially constructed. That leads to difficulties with delivery time because of global supply chain issues. Our...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: As Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Rural Transport I recognise the importance of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan. In the new Programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, this Government has committed to ensuring that public transport operators provide safe and accessible access for all passengers. To address specific...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (2 Jul 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: As Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Rural Transport I recognise the importance of boosting connectivity in County Donegal. In the new Programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, this Government has committed to continuing the roll-out of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan and continued investment in new town bus services. In...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: Mortgage Interest Rates (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this very important issue. I am taking the matter on behalf of the Minister. As Deputy McGrath will know, the formulation and implementation of monetary policy is an independent matter for the European Central Bank, ECB. As it sought to combat excessive inflation, the ECB increased official interest rates on ten occasions, to 4.5%, in the period 2022 to...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: Mortgage Interest Rates (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: The Deputy is right to raise the matter. It is an issue vexing many of our neighbours and friends. The Government is acutely aware of the impact of the rising interest rate environment and the strain it has caused for some borrowers, and has responded with various initiatives to assist those affected. Following engagement with the then Minister for Finance in 2023, the mortgage industry...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: Data Centres (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Deputy Burke for his contribution and comments, and I will take his remarks back to the Minister. As I said earlier, next month the Minister will bring a policy document on private wires to Cabinet. However, private wires alone will not solve the issues currently facing the data centre sector in Ireland. To date, Ireland has attracted the best data centre and tech companies in the...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: School Accommodation (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Deputy Smith for raising the issue and I hear his remarks and concerns regarding the provision of school places at primary level in Portmarnock. The Department uses data from a range of sources, including child benefit data, enrolments and information on new residential developments to plan for school placement needs. I will take the points Deputy Smith has made back, and I ask him...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: School Accommodation (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I apologise because I was not given copies of the script.

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: Data Centres (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Deputy Burke for raising this very important matter. He is right to highlight the relationship between data centres and electricity demand, which is a global challenge. There is the additional demand for energy by data centres and the need to ensure we are competitive. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment. I will first set out...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: Disability Services (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank the Deputy again for raising this very important matter, which is a priority for the Minister and the Government. This is reflected in the current programme for Government, which includes a clear commitment to support families who are waiting for assessments of need and to ensure children and their families can access the supports they need. The Minister understands the scale of the...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: School Accommodation (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It gives me the opportunity to remind the House on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth of the significant challenges facing us in meeting increasing demand for pupil places throughout the country. As the Deputy raised the issue of Portmarnock in the coming years, I am grateful for the opportunity to clarify the position on the provision...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Litter Pollution (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I met the group in the corridor earlier. I thank them for being here. I wish them an enjoyable visit. I thank Senator Costello for raising this matter. Under the Litter Pollution Act 1997, the primary responsibility for management and enforcement responses to litter pollution lies with local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the most appropriate public...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Litter Pollution (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I hear the Senator's frustration and understand her annoyance, given that there is a lot of voluntary work being done by people that is not being appreciated in this instance. I know the Senator is not happy with the reply but there is an independence. The Department has no involvement. For the Senator's information, the Department provides annual funding to IBAL towards the cost of its...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Bus Services (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Senator Boyle for raising the matter and for his ongoing advocacy on behalf of the people of Donegal regarding transport and specific routes, including the areas he mentioned. It is a beautiful part of Donegal from Ardara to Glenties to Portnoo. I hear the Senator about the gaps and I look forward to going to Donegal in July to visit with the Senator. I hope we can meet some of the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Bus Services (25 Jun 2025)

Jerry Buttimer: The Senator is right to express his disappointment and that of the people of Donegal in respect of the A5. I thank him for doing so. It is a project to which the Government is committed. It has invested. The decision of the High Court in Belfast is deeply disappointing. I hope that representatives of the Department for Infrastructure in the North and our Department of Transport can meet...