I am happy to look at the model employed in Scotland and to learn from the things that have worked there. I am absolutely committed to delivering this policy for the islands. A number of agencies are involved. It cuts across Departments. As the Deputy will know, it does not only involve my Department, but a number of Departments. We are consulting with them. The Deputy mentioned a healthcare centre. That would involve the Department of Health. I want commitments from these different Departments as to what they are …

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As she will be aware, responsibility for public procurement lies with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth. However, socially responsible public procurement is a whole-of-government priority. It is critical that public funds are used for the maximum benefit of society. Social clauses can also play an important role in rural development. Ireland's rural development policy, Our Rural Future, includes a commitment to “expand the use of socially responsible…

I thank the Deputy. I absolutely agree with her on the benefit of including social clauses. It is important and, where possible, there should be social benefits. My Department is particularly focused on social enterprises. We have a strategy to promote these but it a question of how to get that other aspect into the public procurement process. As the Deputy will know, the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, has responsibility for this specific area. I am happy to raise the issue with him. I do not see any reaso…

Government policies include the national social enterprise policy, Our Rural Future, the new national rural development policy, A Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, and Working to Change: Social Enterprise and Employment Strategy 2021-2023. There is an emphasis in all those policies. The establishment of the strategic procurement advisory group under the auspices of the Office of Government Procurement is another strong indication of the Government's commitment to socially responsible public procurement. The…

Our Rural Future aims at reimagining rural Ireland by revitalising towns and villages and getting more people to live in, work in and enjoy rural areas. It notes that Ireland's overall economic and social well-being depends on the strength of the recovery in rural areas. It also recognises the centrality of communities in delivering on this ambitious new vision. The policy commits to enhancing community benefit through building empowered communities, developing social enterprises to create jobs and generate communi…

The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, and the OPW are looking at how they can identify suitable State-owned properties which are no longer being used and could be passed over to the community. It could be, for example, an old Garda station lying idle. Rather than letting that property fall into disrepair, why not give it to the community? Through schemes like the town and village scheme, communities can get funding to renovate such properties for their own purposes. We need more joined-up thinking on this. I do …

I have had engagement and meetings with the Minister of State on the issue of properties. Some of these properties could be acquired for remote working hubs or a number of other uses. It is up to local communities and local authorities to work together. When they make propositions, I am never found wanting. Good projects always get funding and different streams of funding are available. The Deputy raised an issue about the community ownership fund. The idea came from the UK, where a £150 million community ownership…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 89, 93 and 127 together. The refurbishment of vacant properties is being addressed by a number of initiatives delivered by my Department, in line with the commitments contained in Our Rural Future. In April, I announced investment of €81 million for 25 landmark projects for funding under category 1 of the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF. The projects will combat dereliction, increase the vibrancy of rural towns and villages and regenerate town centre buildings. A call …

Deputy Kerrane has submitted a question on town centre first officers, which we will get to presently. I will come back on that specific point when I answer that question. The town centre first group has been set up under the chairmanship of the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke. My Department feeds into that interdepartmental group and much of its work is on the suggested actions set out in the report on the town centre living initiative. A number of actions will take place as a result of the work of the group…

Some of the specific actions that are being considered by the interdepartmental group include incentivising the use of vacant buildings through taxation strategies, exploring financial disincentives in respect of vacancy and underuse, examining alternative models for access to finance for the adaptive reuse of vacant buildings, resourcing and supporting local authorities to invest and demonstrate confidence in their town, and establishing a cross-cutting town centre first approach. There have been some really good …

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Our Rural Future sets out a blueprint for the development of rural Ireland over the next five years. It is supported by some 150 commitments based on the challenges and opportunities identified for rural communities. A key element of Our Rural Future is the commitment to develop and deliver a collaborative town centre first approach to put the development and regeneration of rural town centres at the heart of decision-making. The Government has committed, as part of this o…

As I stated, the working group chaired by the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, will come forward with recommendations in the coming months. As part of budget 2021, I secured €2 million to help these towns develop master plans. It is very important that they have a plan in order to ensure there is joined-up thinking, which is part of making it a success. It is one thing to have the plan, but there is then a need for people to drive it and to work with the stakeholders, communities, businesses and all those inv…

As I said, in fairness to local authorities, many different demands are being made of them. Many funding opportunities are available for schemes, whether it is the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and the Media's scheme for outdoor dining, the Minister for Transport's schemes for cycling and walking infrastructure or schemes from my own Department in town and village renewal, and rural regeneration. Of course, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has more schemes that are ru…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 102 together. The local improvement scheme provides funding for work on rural roads and laneways, as Deputy Griffin well knows. He has raised this matter with me on a number of occasions. These particular laneways are not normally maintained by local authorities. They are normally private and go into agricultural land and houses. This funding is vital for rural residents and for improving connectivity for rural farm families, in particular. The scheme is funded by my Departm…

There is a long list of roads that need repaired. I know there are many such roads in counties Kerry, Cavan and Monaghan, Mayo and all over the country. We have contacted the local authorities. We have asked them to outline what they can deliver before the end of the year. I want the money allocated to be spent on the roads. The allocations will be looked at by my Department. We will be also looking at what local authorities can do themselves and if they can deliver. It is important that they submit realistic and a…

As the Deputy is aware, we try to be as fair as possible when allocating the funds. The officials will come forward with recommended allocations in due course. They are currently engaging with the local authorities on the matter. In fairness to the Deputy, it will not be his fault if Kerry does not get a fair share of the cake, as it were. It is an issue the Deputy has raised with me previously. To be fair, I have more than doubled the budget this year, with funding of €21 million. It will be a help. I am aware the…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 108 together. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The mobile phone and broadband task force was launched in July 2016 with the objective of improving access to high-quality mobile phone coverage and broadband services in rural Ireland. Since its inception, the task force has addressed more than 70 targeted actions, worked on removing structural barriers to telecommunications deployment and addressed mobile coverage deficits, particularly in rural areas. The completion…

We have the task force and it has worked very well. We are looking at how we can repurpose it. A great deal of work is happening. I spoke to the task force only recently. It acknowledge the great work with the local authorities and local broadband officers, who have been able to bring a wide range of solutions there. I agree with the Deputy on the wider structure. The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications is certainly dealing with those issues on a national basis and is doing everything he can w…

Any inappropriate cancellation of 999 calls is a serious issue. This falls significantly below the high standards that the public expect from the Garda and the high standards that An Garda Síochána sets for itself. I am particularly concerned that anyone experiencing domestic abuse, and, indeed, anyone in a vulnerable position who summoned the courage to seek assistance, may not have received it. I welcome the apology made by the Garda Commissioner, and the Commissioner has assured me that when people call 999 now,…

I will outline a few facts for the Deputy. In February, the then Minister, Deputy McEntee, asked the Policing Authority to examine these issues, to oversee the Garda review and then to report back to her. It is welcome that this issue is being examined by the independent Policing Authority. The work being done by that body consistently, every month, is exactly why we have robust, independent oversight structures in our system. It is also proper for An Garda Síochána itself to undertake the review and contact victim…