Parliamentary questions

Flexible Work Practices

Cathal Berry

103. Deputy Cathal Berry asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if consideration will be given to encouraging the use of digital hubs for arts purposes when they are not being used for remote working; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55100/21]

Regeneration Projects

Brendan Griffin

104. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of a Rural Regeneration and Development Fund application in respect of Killorglin, County Kerry; her views on the importance that this funding would mean for the town and the mid-Kerry area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60152/21]

Regeneration Projects

Claire Kerrane

105. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the measures that are in place to support the refurbishment of vacant properties in rural communities; the way ease of access for persons is ensured within funding streams such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the town and village renewal schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60147/21]

Voluntary Sector

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

106. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of funding provided to community and voluntary organisations, not-for-profit and charitable organisations by her Department to help with the impact of Covid-19 and related measures on the finances of the organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60045/21]

EU Programmes

Éamon Ó Cuív

107. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the definition of rural area will be the same for the forthcoming Leader programme as it was for the previous programme that ran to 2020; the criteria that will be used to allocate funding to local area groups under the new programme; the scoring given to rurality in these criteria and if it is intended to strengthen this scoring in the forthcoming Leader programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60216/21]

Departmental Policies

Claire Kerrane

108. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the development of a rural-proofing mechanism to support the Our Rural Future Strategy considering examples of rural-proofing legislation in the North and mechanisms in Sweden and New Zealand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60146/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Ciarán Cannon

109. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of support that her Department has provided to community and voluntary organisations owing to the impact of Covid-19 to the financial viability of such important organisations; and if further support is planned given the ongoing nature of the Pandemic. [60195/21]

Regeneration Projects

Neasa Hourigan

110. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will report on the Programme for Government commitment to expand the Dublin north east inner city model to other comparative areas experiencing disadvantage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60223/21]

Local Authorities

Brendan Smith

111. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding allocated by her Department in 2021 to local authorities for the local improvement scheme; the funding that will be provided in 2022; when allocations will be made to local authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60200/21]

Vacant Properties

Denis Naughten

706. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development her plans to put measures in place to support the refurbishment of vacant property in rural areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60472/21]

Cycling Facilities

Fergus O'Dowd

707. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the proposed works for the Mell Greenway, Drogheda for which Louth County Council received €200,000 through the outdoor recreational scheme in February 2020; if the new resubmitted plans have been approved; and if there are timelines for a commencement of the project. [59770/21]

Cycling Facilities

Imelda Munster

708. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the Mell Greenway, Drogheda; if she has received the project implementation plan for the amendment of the approved works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59845/21]

Protected Disclosures

Mairéad Farrell

709. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of protected disclosures made to her concerning her Department and bodies under its aegis in 2018, 2019 and 2020. [59918/21]

Social Enterprise Sector

Brendan Smith

710. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of funding to be provided by her Department in 2022 for the promotion and support of the social enterprise sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59943/21]

Community Development Projects

John Paul Phelan

711. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of support provided to hubs, such as those that are part of the Connected Hubs initiative since the start of 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60008/21]

Voluntary Sector

John Paul Phelan

712. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding provided to community and voluntary organisations by her Department to assist with the impact of Covid-19 since the onset of the pandemic. [60009/21]

Community Development Projects

Niamh Smyth

713. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the work she has undertaken to increase the pace of the roll-out of local improvement scheme; if she has had discussions with each local authority on the matter; if so, when these discussions took place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60242/21]

Community Development Projects

Sorca Clarke

714. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the grants and funding available under the community section of her Department; if consideration has been given to increasing supports considering community and voluntary organisations cannot currently fundraise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60561/21]

Departmental Schemes

Richard Bruton

251. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of towns and villages which have been supported under the town and village renewal scheme and whether she has conducted a review of the effectiveness of this scheme. [59576/21]

Departmental Schemes

Richard Bruton

252. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the initiatives and their value which have been supported for rural renewal. [59580/21]

Departmental Schemes

Robert Troy

253. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will extend the completion date for the town and village streetscape enhancement scheme (details supplied). [59651/21]

Departmental Expenditure

Catherine Murphy

254. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount expended by her Department in each of the past five years to date in 2021 on lighting and heating costs in tabular form. [59709/21]

Departmental Properties

Catherine Murphy

255. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps she has taken to improve ventilation in the office buildings of her Department; if air cleaning and or purification systems have been installed in 2021; and if not, the plans to install same in 2022. [59727/21]

Ferry Services

Mairéad Farrell

772. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she has plans to improve the accessibility of the ferry service to the Aran Islands for passengers with disabilities and in particular for passengers who use wheelchairs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58318/21]

Community Development Projects

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

773. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of funding allocated through the LEADER programme in 2020 and to date in 2021, by county; her plans to increase the funding allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58787/21]

Flexible Work Practices

Peadar Tóibín

774. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of remote working hubs built in Ireland as of November 2021 by county; and the number of remote working hubs to be built by 2025 by county. [58815/21]

Departmental Schemes

Jackie Cahill

775. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if compensation schemes are available for landowners who give access to their land to facilitate a rural walk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58967/21]

Men's Sheds

Robert Troy

241. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the supports available for a newly-formed charity (details supplied); and if there is a specific start up grant for same. [57677/21]

Departmental Staff

Carol Nolan

242. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if personnel in her Department have been removed from their positions, have been transferred to another role or had their employment terminated from 2011 to date due to breaches of Departmental standards or professional misconduct or incompetence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57905/21]

Family Resource Centres

Fergus O'Dowd

747. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding strands available to a family resource centre (details supplied) in order to maintain the work it undertakes in the community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56897/21]

Road Projects

Michael Ring

748. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the way an allocation of local improvement scheme funding was spent by Mayo County Council (details supplied); the details of the road this funding was spent on; the scheme road number; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57099/21]

Island Communities

Alan Dillon

749. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of a project (details supplied); when the project is likely to proceed to construction and the associated timeline; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57417/21]

Agriculture Schemes

Paul Kehoe

750. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if LEADER funding is available to cover a project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57439/21]

Sports Funding

Claire Kerrane

751. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if financial supports are available to a not-for-profit community sports club (details supplied) to assist with running costs such as rent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57500/21]

Rural Schemes

Éamon Ó Cuív

752. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the progress made in implementing the undertaking in the Programme for Government to deliver a rural development programme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57563/21]

Agriculture Schemes

Éamon Ó Cuív

753. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total allocation to the LEADER programme for the last two CAP periods; the proposed allocation for the forthcoming CAP period; the years covered by each programme; the date on which each programme commenced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57564/21]

Local Authorities

Thomas Gould

356. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if funding is available from her Department to support local authorities in hosting fireworks displays at Halloween and on New Year’s Eve. [56667/21]

Community Development Projects

Éamon Ó Cuív

357. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the proposed changes to the Community Services Programme will be announced following on from the review carried out by a company (details supplied); the mechanism by which existing community groups and Community Service Programme companies can have an input into the ongoing consultation process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56730/21]

Insurance Coverage

Marian Harkin

358. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if emergency funding will be made available to a community group (details supplied) to secure insurance for a community playground; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56732/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Paul Donnelly

284. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the new €9 million fund to support community groups impacted by Covid-19 announced on 11 November 2021 is separate to the funds already committed to by her Department. [56201/21]

Public Participation Networks

Thomas Gould

285. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the role her Department plays in the public participation networks; the number of full-time staff in each by local authority; and the statutory consultation obligations on local authorities in respect of their relationship with the networks. [56335/21]

Departmental Strategies

Thomas Gould

286. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the role her Department plays in the delivery of the National Drugs Strategy. [56336/21]

Flexible Work Practices

Neasa Hourigan

687. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development her plans to ensure the full accessibility of remote working hubs to be developed for persons who are blind or vision impaired; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55547/21]

Community Development Projects

Patrick Costello

688. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when her Department expects to conclude work on restructuring the Community Services Programme in line with the recommendations from the 2020 report carried out for her Department by a company (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55676/21]

Community Development Projects

Patrick Costello

689. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the expression of interest process for the Community Services Programme is expected to reopen. [55677/21]

Community Development Projects

Ged Nash

690. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the details of the new community development approach to be piloted by her Department in Drogheda, County Louth from February 2022 (details supplied); if she will publish the framework governing the pilot initiative; the amount of money her Department will allocate to the initiative in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55729/21]

Library Services

Ivana Bacik

691. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will be providing updated guidelines to public libraries in respect of the use of library buildings for study and reading given the need for the use of such facilities by further and higher education students. [55731/21]

Departmental Funding

Peter Burke

692. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if there is additional funding available to offset the rising costs of construction for projects which have already been approved for grant aid but will fall short on funding for projects (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55822/21]

Community Development Projects

Maurice Quinlivan

693. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she envisages the Community Services Programme reopening for new applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55935/21]

Departmental Funding

Claire Kerrane

694. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of funding allocated under the Connected Hubs Fund by county in tabular form; the number of applicants that received funding; the estimated completion or progress to date on each project that was successful in securing funding in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55991/21]