Wednesday, 4 Jul 2018

Written Answers Nos. 317-326

School Completion Programme

Ceisteanna (317)

Kathleen Funchion

Ceist:

317. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of restoring funding to the school completion programme to 2010 levels. [29447/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

As the Deputy may be aware, responsibility for the National Educational Welfare Board which included the School Completion Programme was transferred to my Department on its establishment in 2011.

Upon the establishment of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency on January 1st 2014, operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme was transferred to the Agency. 

The School Completion Programmes are funded in line with the academic year commencing in September each year. The funding available to the School Completion Programme for the school year 2017/2018 stands at €24.756m. An increase in funding of €6.24m per annum would be required to bring funding levels back to the pre-2011 funding level which stood at €31m.

Appointments to State Boards

Ceisteanna (318)

Denise Mitchell

Ceist:

318. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of other roles and board memberships a person (details supplied) has; and her views on whether the person will have the ability to dedicate enough energy to ensuring the implementation of the report's recommendations in view of the person's workload. [29544/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I can advise the Deputy that Dr. Ryan is currently serving as Interim Director of the Irish Museum of Modern Art in a part-time capacity, pending the appointment of a new Director. The competition for this position is currently under way and it is expected that an appointment will be made in the coming weeks. Dr Ryan is also a member of the Policing Authority.

I am confident that Dr. Ryan is in a position to devote the necessary time and energy to chair the Implementation Assurance Group which I am establishing, on HIQA's recommendation, and I look forward to working with him on this important project. 

Departmental Expenditure

Ceisteanna (319)

Mattie McGrath

Ceist:

319. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of times her Department has engaged polling companies and-or Irish market researchers to conduct research on its behalf in each of the past two years; the names of such companies; the costs associated with same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29568/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I can confirm that my Department has not engaged any polling companies or Irish market researchers to conduct research on its behalf since June 2016 to date.

Library Projects

Ceisteanna (320)

Robert Troy

Ceist:

320. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the provision of a new library for Edgeworthstown; if the original funding commitment will be increased in view of the publication of the national library plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29484/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The provision of premises and facilities in the public library service is generally a matter for each local authority in its capacity as a library authority under the Local Government Act 2001. Accordingly, the development of the new library in Edgeworthstown is primarily a matter for Longford County Council. 

My Department provides funding under the Libraries Capital Investment Programme and will invest some €23m in 17 or so projects over the period 2016 to 2021. Some €1.25m has been allocated to Edgeworthstown Library under the programme and the project is currently progressing through the Department's Four Stage Approval Process. 

While the libraries capital programme is fully committed at this time, the allocation for Edgeworthstown Library will be kept under review and may be reconsidered in the context of the final costings that emerge pursuant to the tender process, subject to the overall availability of funding within my Department's capital allocation. 

Town and Village Renewal Scheme

Ceisteanna (321)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy

Ceist:

321. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason funding for public artworks as part of the town and village renewal scheme 2017 has been withdrawn; his views on whether funding invested in the arts also supports the regeneration of rural towns and villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29540/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

It was originally envisaged that a number of public Art Works would be supported as part of the 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme. However, the primary focus of the scheme was to support projects that could demonstrate an economic benefit for small towns and villages and their hinterlands. There was a substantial level of demand for projects of this nature and given the limited resources available under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in 2017, all funding was allocated to projects directly supporting this regeneration objective. However, some of the approved projects included an element of public art works.

I fully acknowledge that investing in the Arts contributes to the regeneration of rural towns and villages; it also supports community development in rural areas.

One of the Pillars of the Action Plan for Rural Development focuses on Fostering Culture and Creativity in Rural Communities. A key objective of this Pillar is to increase access to the Arts and to enhance cultural facilities in rural communities. The Action Plan includes a number of commitments in this regard which fall under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gealtacht.  

Progress reports on the delivery of the Action Plan commitments are available on my Department's website at https://drcd.gov.ie/about/rural/rural-development/rural-development/.

Community Development Initiatives

Ceisteanna (322)

Robert Troy

Ceist:

322. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to expand funding to rural training groups such as a group (details supplied) in order to provide additional and follow-on training courses in rural communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29547/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development

My Department provides funding to the organisation in question under the Scheme to Support National Organisations and the funding scheme for members of the Community and Voluntary Pillar. My Department does not provide programme funding for rural training.

The Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO) has a primary focus on the provision of core funding to national organisations that demonstrate good governance and deliver services and supports that have a focus on one or more of the following: addressing poverty, social exclusion and promoting equality. The current three-year scheme is due to close in June 2019 and a new scheme will be put in place before then. In that context, my Department has invited submissions on the future direction of the SSNO from participants and other stakeholders.

My Department also provides funding to members of the Community and Voluntary Pillar to allow for input into the policy making process within the community and voluntary sector.

I understand that the organisation in question also receives funding from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for its role in leading the consortium running the National Rural Network under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.

Departmental Expenditure

Ceisteanna (323)

Mattie McGrath

Ceist:

323. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of times his Department has engaged polling companies and-or Irish market researchers to conduct research on its behalf in each of the past two years; the names of such companies; the costs associated with same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29580/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

My Department has not engaged polling companies or Irish market researchers to conduct research on behalf of the Department since its establishment on 19 July 2017. 

LEADER Programmes Data

Ceisteanna (324, 325, 326)

Shane Cassells

Ceist:

324. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount for approved projects under the Leader programme 2014-20 paid out to date by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29587/18]

Shane Cassells

Ceist:

325. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount for approved projects under the Leader programme 2014-20 still to be paid out by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29588/18]

Shane Cassells

Ceist:

326. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the percentage of approved projects under the Leader programme 2014-20 paid to date by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29589/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

I propose to take Questions Nos. 324 to 326, inclusive, together.

Leader is a multi-annual programme for the period 2014-2020 and has a total budget of €250 million.

The table provides the following details requested by the Deputy:

- the amount approved to date for projects under the Leader programme 2014-2020 broken down by county;

- the amount which has been claimed and paid in each county in respect of these projects;

- the amount which has been claimed and paid in each county in respect of these projects expressed as a percentage of the total level of approvals; and,

- the amount which remains to be paid in each county in respect of these projects.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the approved projects need time to be delivered before they can submit payment claims and draw down funding.

However, I expect the level of expenditure on projects to increase substantially in the coming months as these projects are implemented.

County		Projects Approved		Amount paid on projects	Remaining to be paid
-	No.	Value	Value	%	Value
Carlow	16	€1,060,804	€299,930	28.3	€760,874
Cavan	17	€853,786	€43,071	5.0	€810,715
Clare	72	€1,398,435	€132,990	9.5	€1,265,445
Cork	61	€2,171,826	€51,497	4.8	€2,120,329
Donegal	78	€2,772,490	€387,286	14.0	€2,385,204
Dublin Rural	29	€811,557	€71,131	8.8	€740,426
Galway	25	€424,026	€0	0.0	€424,026
Kerry	138	€2,492,276	€180,972	7.3	€2,311,304
Kildare	12	€346,781	€0	0.0	€346,781
Kilkenny	44	€1,112,431	€151,293	13.6	€961,138
Laois	37	€892,485	€24,713	2.8	€867,773
Leitrim	36	€1,458,369	€87,814	6.0	€1,370,554
Limerick	59	€2,604,948	€0	0.0	€2,604,948
Longford	27	€503,756	€4,109	0.8	€499,647
Louth	26	€479,110	€53,767	11.2	€425,344
Mayo	61	€2,190,702	€203,502	9.3	€1,987,200
Meath	12	€337,394	€19,956	5.9	€317,438
Monaghan	24	€1,101,072	€136,508	12.4	€964,564
Offaly	71	€1,277,417	€280,659	22.0	€996,758
Roscommon	16	€587,224	€0	0.0	€587,224
Sligo	56	€1,647,101	€277,072	16.8	€1,370,029
Tipperary	76	€2,007,271	€100,155	5.0	€1,907,116
Waterford	34	€2,388,200	€511,796	21.4	€1,876,404
Westmeath	31	€473,460	€11,644	2.5	€461,817
Wexford	47	€1,441,057	€75,856	5.3	€1,365,200
Wicklow	21	€383,247	€0	0.0	€383,247
Total	1,126	€33,217,225	€3,105,720	9.35	€30,111,505