Written Answers Nos. 1-60
56. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the work of the Action Plan for Rural Development specifically relating to the rollout of broadband and the revitalisation of towns and villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1781/18]
View answerThe Action Plan for Rural Development was published in January 2017 and contains 276 actions for delivery across a range of Government Departments, State agencies and other organisations to support the economic and social progress of rural Ireland.
One of the key objectives of the Action Plan is to bring high speed broadband to every premises in Ireland through the roll out of the National Broadband Plan. While the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has overall responsibility for the National Broadband Plan, my Department is working closely with Local Authorities and other relevant bodies to prepare for the roll out of high speed broadband by identifying and resolving any local issues that might impact on the delivery of the necessary infrastructure.
My Department, through Minister Kyne, also co-chairs an Implementation Group with the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten, to oversee 40 actions arising from the report of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce aimed at improving broadband and mobile phone coverage in the short-term. Quarterly Progress Reports on the Implementation Group's work are available on my Department's website.
The revitalisation of our rural towns and villages is also a key objective of the Action Plan for Rural Development. My Department has a number of initiatives in place which support this objective, including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the CLÁR Programme and the TidyTowns competition.
Since the launch of the Action Plan in January 2017 I have funded a wide range of projects under these initiatives, including 281 projects under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, with a total investment of €21.6 million being made over the next 15 months. The CLÁR programme provided funding of €7 million in 2017 for 231 projects, while I allocated €1.4 million to TidyTowns Committees throughout the country to mark the 60th anniversary of the competition in 2018.
The second half-yearly Progress Report on the implementation of all of the measures in the Action Plan for Rural Development is currently being prepared by my Department and will be published shortly.
57. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding provided in 2017 for the County Monaghan Leader programme; the value of the drawdown of this funding by the end of 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1615/18]
View answerLEADER is a multi-annual programme covering the period 2014-2020, with a total budget of €250 million over that period. €220 million of this funding has already been allocated to the Local Action Groups throughout the country which deliver the LEADER programme. The remaining €30 million is available for schemes which will be delivered at a national level.
The Funding Agreement for delivery of the LEADER Programme in the Monaghan area was signed on 8th July 2016, with funding of approximately €7.6 million approved over the lifetime of the programme. The allocation for each LEADER sub-regional area is provided for the duration of the programme, rather than on an annual basis. This provides greater flexibility to the Local Action Groups in managing their resources.
Expenditure for 2017 by the Monaghan Local Action Group amounted to €260,822. This expenditure relates to the costs of the Local Action Group in administering the Programme and engaging with potential applicants.
No project expenditure has yet been incurred in the Monaghan sub-regional area. However, as of 31st December 2017, 18 projects with a value of over €999,000 had been approved for funding by the Local Action Group. I understand that a further 4 projects, requesting over €260,000 in funding, are at various stages in the approval process. This funding will be drawn down as projects start to incur expenditure and submit payment claims.
I am confident that progress now being made by the Local Action Groups, along with the administrative improvements I made to the programme in 2017, will result in a continued increase in project approvals and substantial payments under the LEADER programme across all sub-regional areas over the coming months.
58. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department will review dog licensing and breeding legislation in view of a similar review now under way in the UK to provide tighter restrictions for breeding, living conditions and the sale of pups. [1677/18]
View answerResponsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014, including the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, transferred to the Department of Rural and Community Development in July 2017.
Under the Control of Dogs Acts, local authorities are responsible for operating and managing dog control and licensing services in their administrative areas. The Control of Dogs Act 1986 outlines requirements regarding the need to hold dog licences, and outlines the penalties for non-compliance. Given the requirements and the strict penal provisions for non-compliance that are already in place, I have no plans to amend the Control of Dogs Acts in respect of the requirement to hold dog licences.
Under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act, 2010, local authorities are responsible for the registration, inspection and regulation of dog breeding establishments within their areas. A public consultation process on the Dog Breeding Establishment Guidelines took place in 2017. The Department has completed its review of the submissions received and a draft final report is under consideration with a view to publication in the coming weeks.
I am aware of the plans announced by the UK Government to bring forward proposals for draft regulations relating to the licensing of dog-breeding and other animal-related businesses in England. This is the latest stage of a review process which began in the Summer of 2015. While the legislative framework in this country is different, I will have regard to the proposals being considered in the UK when considering possible next steps.
59. Deputy Maria Bailey asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans and allocations for the continuation of the SICAP programme. [1697/18]
View answerThe previous Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, or SICAP, ended on 31st December 2017, with the next programme rolling out for a 5 year period from 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2022. The new programme, as with the last one, was the subject of a public procurement process conducted by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) under the remit of the Local Authorities. Tender results issued to all bidders on 24th November last.
The national annual budget allocation for the SICAP programme in 2018 is just over €38million. The programme has commenced in 47 of the 51 Lot areas. In four Lot areas, no tender was awarded and a negotiated procedure is now underway in each of the areas between the relevant LCDC and the Programme Implementer.
In areas where a negotiated process is taking place, my Department has extended the previous SICAP contract with the LCDC for a period of 3 months from 1st January 2018. The LCDCs are similarly extending their contracts with the existing Programme Implementers. This will ensure service delivery in the relevant areas is not affected. During this period funding for the contract extension will be provided based on the 2017 allocation for those Lot areas.
60. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the average net annual inflow of funds into the Dormant Accounts Fund over the past five years; the amount of unallocated funds in the fund at present; his plans to ensure that these funds are spent for the purposes of social, economic and educational disadvantage and on services for persons with a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1215/18]
View answerThe most recent full-year information available to me on the Dormant Accounts Fund from the National Treasury Management Agency relates to 2016.
Over the five year period 2012 to 2016, the gross inflow of monies into the Dormant Accounts Fund totalled some €256 million. Over the same period, outflows from the Fund totalled just over €140 million.
The impact of these inflows and outflows was a net increase of €116 million in inflows to the Dormant Accounts Fund over the period 2012 to 2016. This equates to an average increase of €23 million per annum in inflows over the five year period.
The net value of uncommitted Dormant Accounts funds stood at €124.8 million at the end of September 2017, exclusive of a reserve for potential claims on the Fund by account holders, and commitments yet to be disbursed by the NTMA on foot of approvals to projects and programmes.
The legislation governing the Dormant Accounts Funds provides the framework for the disbursement of funds to measures solely targeted at socially, economically and educationally disadvantage people, and persons with a disability. The funding is allocated through a Disbursement Scheme, underpinned by annual Action Plans which set out specific programmes to be funded each year.
The 2017 Action Plan allocated funding of €40.4 million to 40 measures across a range of Government Departments and agencies. The Action Plan is available on my Department's website.
My Department will soon begin the preparation of a Dormant Accounts Action Plan for 2018 and will invite Departments to submit proposals for inclusion in the Plan. I will also be seeking an update on the balance in the Fund at the end of 2017 from the NTMA.
