Results 261-280 of 1,074,132 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Rory O'Hanlon OR speaker:Violet-Anne Wynne OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Mairead Farrell OR speaker:James Lawless OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor OR speaker:Seán Haughey OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív14 OR speaker:Duncan Smith OR speaker:Neasa Hourigan OR speaker:Robert Troy) in 'Committee meetings'

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Island Communities (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Our Living Islands: National Island Policy 2023-2033 was launched in June of last year on the Gaeltacht island of Árainn Mhór, County Donegal. Our Living Islands is a substantial document; a ten-year policy backed up by rolling three-year action plans. It has time-bound commitments so that Departments and agencies across Government can be held to account for its implementation....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Island Communities (10 Oct 2024)

Catherine Connolly: I very much appreciate the good news. As I said, it has taken 20 years to get the land. Let me concentrate on the good news that it is now in the Department's possession and the project will go to the HSE. The process should be completed by November. I will then be able to take this issue to a different Department, depending on what the electorate says, to ensure the health centre is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Island Communities (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: As the Deputy might suspect, I do not have details on the HSE plans. This project will pass to it soon in terms of further questions. My officials and Galway County Council have worked continuously to progress the pier developments on Inis Oírr and Inis Meáin. I can confirm that progress has been made in recent months. In July last year, the Minister gave approval to issue a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Island Communities (10 Oct 2024)

Catherine Connolly: Again, there is a long history to the projects on both islands. Inis Meáin, in particular, has gone through phases 1, 2 and 3. I can tell the Minister of State about the level of frustration on the ground. We have certainly felt it as TDs. Regarding Inis Oírr, the county council is currently examining the tenders. Is a business case being prepared simultaneously? What is the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Island Communities (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I will do that. Regarding Inis Oírr, I understand the county council is working on the final business case, with a view to submitting it to my Department next month. On Inis Meáin, the current status of the feasibility study is that the closing date for the submission of tenders was 20 September. The responses are currently being assessed, with a view to appointing a consultant...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions (10 Oct 2024)

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions (10 Oct 2024)

Questions Nos. 69 and 70 taken with Written Answers.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Community Development Projects

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 71. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development for an update on her Department's plans to address dereliction and vacancy in rural towns and villages. [40661/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Violet-Anne Wynne: 75. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the expected timeline for the second phase of the town centre first programme for towns such as Kilrush, County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40647/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Richard Bruton: 76. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the lessons that have been learned from the first phase of the town centre first policy; the constraints, if any, on its rapid expansion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40312/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Martin Kenny: I ask for an update on the Department's plans to address dereliction and vacancy in our rural towns and villages. When we travel around the country, we see that many rural towns have a lot of buildings that are closed, including old shops, bars and once-thriving businesses. A lot of houses are also closed up, many of which are derelict. We have an unusual situation whereby there is a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 75 and 76 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. It supports the vision outlined in Our Rural Future for a thriving rural Ireland. It does this by providing a framework to facilitate and resource the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Martin Kenny: I thank the Minister of State. Much work is happening in towns and villages where new footpaths and public areas and so forth are being provided, which is all welcome and positive. People cannot live on footpaths or in regenerated areas; they need homes in which to live. Many of the houses and old buildings in the towns are privately owned. While the Croí Cónaithe scheme...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Rural Schemes

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Martin Kenny: 67. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide an update on the way her Department is implementing the published guidelines on "rural proofing". [40853/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Martin Kenny: I wish to raise with the Minister of State the issue of rural proofing. It is something I understand the Minister said last year would be published. The question refers to the "published guidelines" but I understand that they are not yet published and are still in draft form. I have had a read through them. We have many areas of the country where there is a decline in population and rural...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Rural proofing is an approach to help ensure that the development of major policy initiatives are viewed through a rural lens to take full consideration of rural perspectives and issues. Rural proofing is not a policy or a model. Rather, it is a process to be undertaken that leads to better policies. Last year, my Department published a body of research on rural proofing which is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Martin Kenny: I welcome that. We need to see progress on all of this. There are many areas where we can see problems with rural areas being left behind and not getting the kind of investment they require. The glaring example, for those of us who live in the west of Ireland, is certainly the western rail corridor. For years, we have been told it is going to be developed and yet, they continually look at...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: The Government's objective is to have balanced regional development across the country, and the national planning framework sets out the Government's objective for this with 50% of population growth targeted outside our major cities. The NPR is currently under review by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Our Rural Future, the Government's rural development plan,...