Parliamentary questions

Ministerial Responsibilities

Alan Kelly

800. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide a copy of the departmental briefings received by her and each Minister of State in her Department upon taking up each individual role; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14809/20]

Charitable and Voluntary Organisations

Alan Kelly

801. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development her plans to address the drop of funding and consequent service delivery by critical charities due to Covid-19. [14911/20]

Ministerial Responsibilities

Seán Sherlock

802. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the delegated functions assigned to the Minister of State with responsibility for community development and charities; and the date those delegated functions come into effect. [15049/20]

Rural Regeneration and Development Fund

Brendan Griffin

803. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of an application for funding under the rural regeneration and development fund for a group (details supplied); if the current application will be considered for funding in a forthcoming tranche of the scheme; the reason for the failure of the application in the most recent round of announcements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15141/20]

Local Improvement Scheme

Brendan Griffin

804. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when further funding will be released to local authorities to complete local improvement scheme roads; the amount made available to each local authority in respect of each of the years 2018, 2019 and 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15147/20]

Departmental Schemes

Brendan Griffin

805. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the schemes available to community groups, agencies or local authorities from her Department to assist in the development of walking and cycling infrastructure; the maximum amounts available under such schemes including matching contribution amounts required; the timelines and anticipated closing dates for applications for such schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15168/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Cathal Crowe

806. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the supports in place for voluntary organisations that have been unable to raise funds during the Covid-19 pandemic and are now in danger of having to close down. [15959/20]

Public Inquiries

Peadar Tóibín

807. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of tribunals, public investigations and commissions of investigations in process; the length of time each has been under way; when each will conclude; the cost to date of each; and the estimated cost of each at completion. [16139/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Dara Calleary

535. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the measures that need to be in place for community centres to reopen after Covid-19 closure (details supplied). [13819/20]

National Broadband Plan

Catherine Murphy

536. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the way in which a project (details supplied) links in with the national broadband plan; her plans to expand the project to other locations outside of the five chosen as bases to deploy the scheme; the way in which the five bases were selected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13963/20]

National Broadband Plan

Catherine Murphy

537. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the costs incurred to date with a project (details supplied); if she consulted with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment on the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13964/20]

National Broadband Plan

Catherine Murphy

538. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the duration of the contract with a supplier (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13965/20]

Grant Payments

Jackie Cahill

539. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the grant aid available to churches, church organisations, charity organisations and so on which have accrued large expenses while they were closed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14009/20]

Programme for Government

Seán Sherlock

540. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the costings carried out on the programme for Government; and if she will provide documents on those costings. [14036/20]

Consultancy Contracts

Carol Nolan

541. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the external consultancy organisation or provider which delivered diversity and inclusion training within her Department from 2018 to date; the costs associated with such services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14061/20]

Departmental Legal Costs

Carol Nolan

542. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the expenditure her Department incurred in respect of external legal fees in each of the years from 2016 to date in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14078/20]

Departmental Funding

Martin Browne

543. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if resource centres that are not in receipt of core funding will have their funding streams improved from the phased roll-out of projects similar in approach to community development plans as outlined in the programme for Government; and if the introduction of a five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector as outlined in the programme for Government will also result in improved funding streams for resource centres not in receipt of core funding. [14344/20]

Community Development Initiatives

Mary Lou McDonald

544. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the breakdown of the full year budget allocation of her Department for the Dublin north-east inner city initiative as of 1 January 2020. [14433/20]

CLÁR Programme

Brendan Smith

545. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the progress to date in reviewing the CLÁR programme; if there are plans to extend the areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14516/20]

Ministerial Responsibilities

Seán Sherlock

546. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will publish the Departmental briefing paper on her role, remits and powers afforded to her upon appointment to the Cabinet. [14531/20]

National Broadband Plan

Holly Cairns

547. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the way in which the sites for the Airband technology exploratory initiative were chosen. [14570/20]

National Broadband Plan

Holly Cairns

548. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will include a site in west County Cork in the Airband technology exploratory initiative. [14571/20]

Rural Regeneration and Development Fund

Duncan Smith

786. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if a project (details supplied) will qualify for funding in view of its importance to the county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13038/20]

Rural Regeneration and Development Fund

Michael Healy-Rae

787. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of funding for a group (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12746/20]

Social Enterprise Sector

Brian Stanley

788. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of social enterprises that received funding in each of the years 2016 to 2019 and to date in 2020; and the amount of funding that each received. [13103/20]

Community Services Programme

Johnny Mythen

789. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the estimated amount it would cost in a full year if the current funding for the community services programme increased by 5%. [13285/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Marian Harkin

790. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if support is available to voluntary community sporting organisations to assist them in the purchase of hand sanitiser and protective equipment and for the sanitising of facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13294/20]

Community Services Programme

Ged Nash

791. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when a decision will be made on a grant application made through Pobal by a community organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13380/20]

Departmental Staff

Jennifer Whitmore

792. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has established a working from home policy for its employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13553/20]

Social Enterprise Sector

Ruairí Ó Murchú

793. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if there is a plan in place for the survival and viability of social enterprise and funded community service programmes which provide essential services to the community, due to lost income and the added costs associated with the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13709/20]

Library Services

Seán Sherlock

775. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if public libraries will acquire a book sanitiser machine for each public library; and if so, the costs associated with same. [12034/20]

National Volunteering Strategy

Ged Nash

776. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the development of a national strategy on volunteering; when the strategy will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11697/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Ged Nash

777. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the allocation of the Stability Fund for Community, Voluntary, Charity and Social Enterprises; the number of applications received and funding sought for each; when allocations will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11698/20]

CLÁR Programme

James O'Connor

778. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his attention has been drawn to the unfair nature of the allocation of funding under CLÁR funding for small-scale rural projects measures 1 and 2; if consideration has been given to allocation on a population basis rather than a county basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11720/20]

Departmental Funding

James Browne

779. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will consider providing funding to organisations that could not fundraise during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11746/20]

Departmental Policy Functions

Carol Nolan

780. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department has a diversity and inclusion policy in place; the measures taken to promote diversity and inclusion from 1 January 2019 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11831/20]

Departmental Funding

Frankie Feighan

781. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if there is funding available for the establishment of resource centres in rural communities that have been affected by Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12002/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Frankie Feighan

782. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the supports in place to support charities (details supplied) that despite still receiving Tusla funding will lose over 40% of income due to Covid-19; and if he will examine the charity and advise on further supports available. [12054/20]

Programme for Government

Alan Kelly

783. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if a copy of all briefing documents provided to Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party for their programme for Government negotiations will be provided. [12155/20]

National Broadband Plan

Catherine Murphy

784. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if a consolidated list will be provided of the original broadband connection points, BCPs; the sites that have either declined or withdrawn from the plan to roll out BCPs in tabular form; the reason cited for the withdrawal of the premises from the plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12190/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Patricia Ryan

785. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will establish a grant aid scheme for charity shops that are exempt from local authority rates to enable them to adapt their premises to minimise the spread of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12217/20]

Library Projects

Matt Carthy

786. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the estimated amount it would cost in 2021 if the capital budget for library developments within his Department increased by 12%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12426/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Paul Donnelly

937. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if further funding will be made available to community projects to enable them to open up their buildings with signage, PPE, sanitising equipment and extra cleaning staff. [10489/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Brian Stanley

938. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applications made to the Covid-19 stability fund for community and voluntary, charity and social enterprises by organisations based in County Laois. [10590/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Brian Stanley

939. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applications made to the Covid-19 stability fund for community and voluntary, charity and social enterprises by organisations based in County Offaly. [10591/20]

Social Enterprise Sector

Brian Stanley

940. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding released to successful applicants from the Social Enterprise Development Fund 2018 to 2020 to date. [10596/20]

Social Enterprise Sector

Brian Stanley

941. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of social enterprises in counties Laois and Offaly that have been awarded a grant from the social enterprise development fund; and the value of the grants. [10597/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Patricia Ryan

942. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will establish a grant aid scheme for community groups (details supplied) to enable them to adapt their premises to minimise the spread of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10601/20]

Community Development Initiatives

Catherine Murphy

943. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he has restored funding to an association (details supplied) in 2020 in respect of the programmes supported in previous years; if so, the amount granted; the purpose it will be used for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10928/20]

Community Development Initiatives

Roderic O'Gorman

944. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the support and advice available for non-county and city council operated community centres to determine when they can reopen according to the various facilities and services they provide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11257/20]