Parliamentary questions

Brexit Issues

Micheál Martin

1. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if his Department's officials are involved in meetings to discuss sectoral plans or responses to Brexit. [6904/18]

Brexit Issues

Mary Lou McDonald

2. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if his Department has engaged in meetings regarding sectoral plans in response to Brexit. [8337/18]

Brexit Issues

Brendan Howlin

3. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of officials in his Department in preparing for Brexit; and the number and roles of those officials dedicated solely to Brexit planning. [8575/18]

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Micheál Martin

4. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the number of Cabinet Committee meetings he attended in January 2018. [6906/18]

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Mary Lou McDonald

5. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the number of Cabinet Committee meetings he has attended in 2018. [8336/18]

Strategic Communications Unit

Brendan Howlin

6. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the activities of the strategic communications unit and the number of staff now in place. [7231/18]

Strategic Communications Unit

Micheál Martin

7. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the number of staff in the Government Information Service. [7444/18]

Strategic Communications Unit

Micheál Martin

8. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the partnership arrangements the strategic communications unit in his Department has with a newspaper (details supplied). [8469/18]

Strategic Communications Unit

Mary Lou McDonald

9. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the strategic communications unit; the number of staff now employed by the unit; and the responsibilities and positions of each. [8490/18]

Strategic Communications Unit

Mary Lou McDonald

10. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the number of staff in his Department attached to the Government Information Service. [8492/18]

Strategic Communications Unit

Brendan Howlin

11. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the outcome of the tender for market research by his Department; and when the research that was commissioned will be published. [8574/18]

RAPID Programme

Éamon Ó Cuív

27. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his policy on the development of the RAPID programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8821/18]

LEADER Programmes Expenditure

Carol Nolan

28. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the value of payments to third party Leader project promoters since the launch of the implementation phase of the 2014 to 2020 programme to the end of December 2017; and the way in which this compares to payments made during the first 18 months of the 2007 to 2013 programme in terms of actual moneys paid out and as a percentage of the overall fund. [8820/18]

CLÁR Programme

Éamon Ó Cuív

29. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the developments he is proposing for the CLÁR programme in 2018; and when new elements of this programme will be rolled out in 2018. [8822/18]

Dog Breeding Industry

Paul Murphy

30. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will review legislation relating to dog breeding establishments in view of recent cases of welfare issues in some large establishments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7154/18]

Rural Development Policy

Thomas Pringle

31. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the measures being undertaken by his Department to address persistent depopulation in rural towns across County Donegal and the rest of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8823/18]

Seniors Alert Scheme

Peter Fitzpatrick

32. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to set out the financial allocations in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018 for the seniors alert scheme; the take-up in respect of the scheme since 2016; the changes made to the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8504/18]

Project Ireland 2040

Seán Canney

33. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the concept of the Atlantic economic corridor and its development is provided for in the Project Ireland 2040 plan which encompasses the national planning framework and the national development plan. [8501/18]

Action Plan for Rural Development

James Browne

34. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department has examined ways to address rural isolation and loneliness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8511/18]

Local Improvement Scheme Funding

Pat Deering

35. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to announce a new local improvement scheme in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8514/18]

Departmental Schemes

Éamon Ó Cuív

36. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the requests for submissions that have been sought from bodies in 2018 under the local improvement, village and town renewal, national rural development and CLÁR schemes; the projects approved to date under these schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8715/18]

Action Plan for Rural Development

Éamon Ó Cuív

37. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to outline the new measures he plans to roll out under the Action Plan for Rural Development in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8718/18]

Seniors Alert Scheme

Martin Heydon

38. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to outline the details of the new version of the seniors alert scheme; the way in which it can be accessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8739/18]

Departmental Expenditure

Éamon Ó Cuív

39. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps he has taken to ensure a full spend of capital funds provided to his Department in the 2018 Estimates and from the carryover of €7.7 million from 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8716/18]

Voluntary Sector

Tony McLoughlin

40. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will report on the progress of preparing a national strategy for volunteering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8517/18]

Project Ireland 2040

Tony McLoughlin

41. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the development of the Atlantic economic corridor, AEC; his views on the relationship between the AEC and the Project Ireland 2040 plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8518/18]

Dormant Accounts Fund

Catherine Connolly

42. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the statutory review as required by the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2012 of the disbursements scheme in relation to the dormant accounts funds due in December 2016; his plans to carry out such a review; if the review has commenced; if not, the reason therefor; if the review has been completed; if not, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8725/18]

LEADER Programmes Data

Éamon Ó Cuív

43. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the approvals to date by the local action groups of funding for projects under the Leader programme, by local action group; the amount of expenditure to date on projects by local action group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8717/18]

Regional Development Initiatives

Joe Carey

44. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the type of support he is providing to develop the Atlantic economic corridor; if he will report on the engagement with stakeholders regarding this initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8503/18]

Voluntary Sector

Carol Nolan

45. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to increase funding for volunteer centres and to upgrade hosted volunteer information services to autonomous volunteer centres. [8720/18]

Town and Village Renewal Scheme

Pat Deering

46. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of underspent funds that were allocated to the town and village scheme; and if there will be a similar type of scheme in 2018. [8513/18]

CLÁR Programme

Peter Burke

47. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the CLÁR programme will reopen; the budget of the programme for 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8516/18]

Broadband Service Provision

Paul Murphy

48. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will report on plans to extend high-speed broadband to all rural areas in the south Dublin County Council area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8742/18]

Local Authority Funding

Éamon Ó Cuív

49. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of the €28 million prepaid to local authorities at the end of 2016 that has not been spent to date by the local authorities on the projects for which it was approved, by local authority and type of project; the steps he has taken to ensure the moneys are either spent or repaid to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8714/18]

Community Banking

Willie Penrose

50. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the report on public banking based on the Sparkassen model will be considered; when it will be published; the roadmap for implementation of this initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8506/18]

Dog Breeding Industry

Clare Daly

51. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department will liaise with local authorities and An Garda Síochána to ensure that the living conditions of dogs and pups on puppy farms is within the regulations and to enforce sanction or close down farms that are operating outside of the terms of their licence. [8723/18]

Service Level Agreements

Peter Burke

52. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the service level agreement his Department has with Pobal; the payment policy his Department employs with Pobal (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8515/18]

Dormant Accounts Fund

Catherine Connolly

53. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the work carried out to date to establish the reason for the level of underspending by implementing Departments in relation to community programmes of the Dormant Accounts Fund; if such work has been undertaken; if not, the reason therefor; when he plans to undertake such work; the measures that have been taken or are planned to address the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8726/18]

Local Improvement Scheme Funding

Niamh Smyth

54. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of local improvement scheme allocations to local authorities throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8740/18]

Local Improvement Scheme Administration

Joe Carey

55. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans for the LIS scheme 2018; the allocations to date, by county; his further plans for the scheme into the future in view of demand; if the provision of funding towards maintenance of LIS roads will be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8505/18]

LEADER Programmes Funding

Brendan Smith

56. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding allocated to Leader programmes in counties Cavan and Monaghan in 2017; the level of funding to be provided for these programmes in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8703/18]

Dormant Accounts Fund Grants

Seán Canney

57. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will report on the preparation of the dormant accounts action plan for 2018; if the process has commenced on seeking applications for consideration for disbursement; and if his Department is reviewing the operation of the Dormant Accounts Fund to ensure the efficient and effective allocation of funding in line with the aims of the legislation. [8500/18]

Dog Breeding Industry

Paul Murphy

58. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his views on the resources for inspections of dog breeding establishments; his further views on whether legislative change is required in relation to inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7155/18]

Town and Village Renewal Scheme

Martin Heydon

59. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the details of the 2018 town and village renewal scheme; when it will be launched; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8738/18]

Rural Recreation Scheme

Bernard Durkan

60. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans for the rural recreation scheme 2018; the allocations and projects funded since 2016 under this or a similar heading; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8736/18]

Departmental Contracts Data

Mick Wallace

61. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the details of contracts Pobal holds with Departments; the fees Pobal has received for these contracts for the most recently published year; if the contracts Pobal holds with Departments were awarded via a tendering process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8732/18]

Departmental Contracts Data

Mick Wallace

62. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the contract his Department has in place with Pobal; the services Pobal provides on behalf of his Department; if the contract with Pobal was awarded following a tendering process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8731/18]

Action Plan for Rural Development Implementation

Willie Penrose

63. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when a status and implementation report on the Action Plan for Rural Development will be provided; the main progress made in 2017; the expected progress in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8510/18]

Regional Development Policy

Carol Nolan

64. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to commission data research and a deprivation analysis of the midlands counties in order to ascertain the validity of designating special status to a defined region and establishing a development commission. [8721/18]

LEADER Programmes Funding

Niamh Smyth

65. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the LEADER funding that has been drawn down to date by groups in counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8741/18]