Written Answers Nos. 744-747
744. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the local improvement scheme; the number of applications that were received and approved by county in 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26397/22]
View answerAs part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is funded into the future. The LIS supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities. The scheme makes an important contribution to connectivity in rural Ireland.
The scheme was reintroduced in 2017 following a number of years with no dedicated funding. Since then, my Department has allocated €80 million towards improvement works on over 3,000 non-public roads and lanes. These works have benefited over 13,300 landowners and residents in these rural areas.
I launched the 2021 scheme with an initial budget of €10.5 million. Additional funding was sourced last year from savings within my Department's vote, effectively doubling investment in LIS to bring the total investment last year to €21 million.
I was pleased, as part of Budget 2022, to announce an increase in the base funding for LIS from €10.5 million to €11 million this year. I have now announced the details of this year’s scheme, including the details of the individual allocations to each county this year.
The prioritisation and selection of eligible LIS roads is a matter for each relevant local authority within broad parameters set down by my Department. Following the launch of the LIS with the confirmation of county allocations, each local authority submits a priority list of roads, as well as a reserve list to my Department before works commence locally.
660 LIS roads were delivered under the 2021 scheme from the total allocation of €21 million. These roads are set out in the following table. In addition, some 244 LIS roads have been submitted by local authorities to date in respect of the 2022 Scheme, with a number of authorities finalising lists at present.
|
Local Authority |
2021 LIS Scheme (Roads Delivered) |
2022 LIS Scheme (Roads Submitted) |
|
Carlow |
25 |
18 |
|
Cavan |
22 |
- |
|
Clare |
20 |
14 |
|
Cork |
29 |
15 |
|
Donegal |
67 |
- |
|
Galway |
49 |
28 |
|
Kerry |
18 |
14 |
|
Kildare |
8 |
- |
|
Kilkenny |
19 |
7 |
|
Laois |
13 |
- |
|
Leitrim |
17 |
10 |
|
Limerick |
42 |
21 |
|
Longford |
14 |
12 |
|
Louth |
10 |
7 |
|
Mayo |
91 |
- |
|
Meath |
17 |
6 |
|
Monaghan |
26 |
6 |
|
Offaly |
29 |
18 |
|
Roscommon |
30 |
17 |
|
Sligo |
15 |
10 |
|
Tipperary |
25 |
17 |
|
Waterford |
14 |
5 |
|
Westmeath |
24 |
- |
|
Wexford |
22 |
13 |
|
Wicklow |
14 |
6 |
|
Total |
660 |
244 |
745. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the ministerial contact details for persons (details supplied). [26422/22]
View answerThe requested contact details are as follows:
- Minister for Rural and Community Development: ministerdrcd@drcd.gov.ie.
- Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities: ministerofstate@drcd.gov.ie.
746. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total number of dog breeders who have registered under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 in each of the years 2010 to date in 2022, in tabular form; the way that her Department is actively monitoring and pursuing illegal puppy farms within the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26431/22]
View answerMy Department has overall policy responsibility for the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. The Act provides a robust regulatory framework for the licensing, monitoring and inspection of dog breeding establishments by local authorities and, where a serious and immediate threat exists to public health or animal health and welfare, for the closure of such establishments.
Under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act, 2010, local authorities are responsible for all operational activities such as the registration, inspection and regulation of Dog Breeding Establishments, including enforcement activities. It is the responsibility of each local authority to maintain the register of dog breeding establishments in its functional area. The Act also places an obligation on any person seeking to operate a dog breeding establishment to have the premises included on the register.
The Act also provides for the closure of unregistered dog breeding establishments. While local authorities are responsible for monitoring and pursuing unregistered dog breeding establishments, I understand that they use various investigative techniques, including following up on information received from the public, to do this.
Each year my Department publishes annual statistics in respect of a range of the dog control responsibilities of local authorities, including those relating to dog breeding establishments. This information is collated from annual returns received from all local authorities. Information up to and including 2020, by local authority and in tabular form, is available at www.gov.ie/en/collection/879d4c-dog-control-statistics/.
For example, information regarding dog breeding establishments can be found on pages 12-14 of the 2020 dog control statistics, with page 14, which is a summary page, outlining that 239 dog breeding establishments were registered with the local authorities in 2020. This figure includes 83 Commercial Dog Breeding Establishments (CDBEs), 85 Hunts Clubs and 49 Commercial Boarding Kennels (CBKs). The remainder of the 239 total comprises Animal Welfare Shelters (18) and training kennels (4). The 2021 dog control statistics are currently being collated and when checked and verified will be published on gov.ie later this year.
Separately, the enforcement of animal welfare standards for all animals, including dogs in dog breeding establishments, is a matter for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) under the Animal Health and Welfare Acts.
Both Departments work closely with each other to ensure a coordinated approach is taken in this area.
747. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will provide an update on 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 timelines for commencement of the project are still on target for 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26456/22]
View answerThe Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development of new outdoor recreational infrastructure and for the maintenance and promotion of existing infrastructure.
Under Measure 2 of the ORIS 2019 Scheme, Louth County Council was approved €200,000 to develop and enhance the Boyne Greenway. No funding has been drawn down on this project to date.
Last year, the Department approved a proposal by the Council to change the scope of the project on condition that a Project Implementation Plan would be submitted. This plan was furnished and indicated an expected completion date of December 2022.
My officials have been in contact again with Louth County Council, who have advised that further delays are envisaged as the project is subject to planning approval by An Bord Pleanála. The Council have also advised that the revised project will not be deliverable as estimated costs have increased.
Given the issues that have arisen with the delivery of this project, I have asked my officials to engage again with Louth County Council as to the options for ensuring efficient and effective delivery. These options will include the decommittal of the current application with a view to resubmitting a new application under later rounds of funding which would take into account the revised circumstances of the project.
