Dara Calleary

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. I will begin by acknowledging the importance of having appropriate facilities in communities such as Citywest. Community centres are vital for bringing communities together and providing an outlet for services and for social, cultural and community activities. The community centre investment fund, CCIF, was introduced to provide high-quality community facilities …

That is why the then Minister, Heather Humphreys, brought in the community centre investment fund. It is also why she expanded it to new builds. We will launch that again in 2027. To date, over €988,000 has been awarded to 23 community centres. Citywest sounds like a place that needs a community centre. We have a track record of investing. For example, Newcastle in Galway is an urban centre. We ha…

I assure the Deputy that I will not be washing my hands of it but, equally, the council has to show interest and intent. I am not going to spoon-feed the council. We have councils and, in fairness, South Dublin County Council is very proactive in relation to the scheme for the refurbishment of centres. When we launch the scheme next year, we will launch it in partnership with local authorities aro…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis as an mBille um intleacht shaorga. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis as an obair sin. Mar is eol don Teachta, is í an Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta atá freagrach as an dréachtráiteas náisiúnta pleanála ach is cinnte go bhfuil plé idir na Ranna éagsúla atá faoi mo chúram maidir leis an dréac…

Tuigim é sin. Tuigim na buarthaí atá ag grúpaí cosúil leis an gconradh, BÁNÚ agus na Teachtaí féin ach níl aon chaighdeán náisiúnta ann ag an bpointe seo. Athraíonn sé ó údarás áitiúil go húdarás áitiúil. Táimid ag iarraidh caighdeán náisiúnta a chur air. Beimid in ann é sin a phlé tar éis sin. Chomh maith leis sin, cé go bhfuil na coinníollacha ann, an bhfuil na cainteoirí ann? Tá sé tábhachtach …

Aontaím go mór leis sin. Tá na Gaeilgeoirí ann agus tá siad ag iarraidh bogadh abhaile nó go dtí an Ghaeltacht ach tá fadhb agus dúshlán ann le tithe saoire freisin. Tá daoine nach bhfuil suim sa Ghaeilge acu atá ag iarraidh bheith sa cheantar. Dream níos tábhachtaí ná sin is ea iad daoine a rugadh sa Ghaeltacht nach bhfuil Gaeilge acu. Tá muid ag iarraidh balance a shroicheadh idir na daoine le …

Is é Gaeilge365 an chéad aonad nuálaíochta a oibríonn trí mheán na Gaeilge sa tseirbhís phoiblí agus é mar aidhm leis deachleachtais a chruthú i dtaobh na modhanna is féidir le húdaráis áitiúla a úsáid le tuilleadh deiseanna labhartha Gaeilge a chruthú don phobal. Bhunaigh Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath Gaeilge365 mar thionscadal píolótach in 2023 le tacaíocht airgid ó chlár Éire Ildánach,…

Ar dtús, ba é an aidhm a bhí agam le haghaidh Gaeilge365 ná airgead a chur ar fáil dó le go mbeadh sé in ann dul ar aghaidh leis an obair thábhachtach i mBaile Átha Cliath. Tá sé tar éis 150,000 deis chainte Gaeilge a thabhairt do dhaoine a bhíonn ag úsáid seirbhísí sna ceithre údarás áitiúil i mBaile Átha Cliath. Leis an airgead atá ag teacht ó mo Roinn, agus leis an obair atá idir lámha agam agu…

Tá deiseanna iontacha ag teacht as Gaeilge365 maidir le húsáid na seirbhísí. Léiríonn sé seo go bhfuil suim againn sa Roinn oibriú le daoine a bhfuil ideas nua acu. Níl gach rud ar eolas againn sa Roinn, agus níl gach rud ar eolas againn sa Teach seo ach an oiread. Déanaim comhghairdeas le Daithí de Buitléir agus an fhoireann i nGaeilge365. Mar a dúirt sé, bíonn a lán rudaí ar siúl, cosúil le bin…

The town centre first, TCF, policy, published in February 2022, is a joint initiative between my Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The policy sets out a framework to facilitate and resource the regeneration of Irish towns to ensure they are vibrant, viable and attractive places to live in, work in, invest in and visit. Important progress includes the establis…

I fully agree with the Deputy and I commend the town team in Dunshaughlin on the town centre first plan. My Department is engaging closely with Meath County Council across several different projects, including a RRDF application. As a consequence of the TCF plan, I understand Meath County Council and the town team are closely engaged in working on an RRDF application. As the closing date is 27 Jul…

Definitely, Deputy. In the context of the discussions we are having with the Ministers of State, Deputies Cummins and Buttimer, we want to make that alignment true to the funding streams within our Department, as well as their Department, such as with the former URDF project. There is a new name for that now on which I have drawn a blank. However, I will say that on the previous occasion, the Duns…

My apologies. If there is regeneration happening there, it can happen in Dunshaughlin too.

I have a question regarding the draft national housing statement in the Deputy's name. I can give the Deputy chapter and verse, because it is the-----

-----same question Deputy Conway Walsh has asked, but I have Question with the reference number 53016/26 on this one. That is what is on the Order Paper as well.

Does the Deputy want to give the big intro again?

Am I answering the question on the housing statement?

In fairness, the question I have and the question the Deputy----

That is on multi-unit housing development.

I can give the Deputy the work we are doing. First, with regard to the draft national planning statement, and I will follow up and email the Deputy with a full answer, that is exactly about restoring population to these areas. Second, the investments I have just discussed with Deputy O'Rourke, and I highlighted an amazing project in the Deputy's own county in Kells, are investing in the RRDF proj…

We had a discussion earlier with na Teachtaí Ó Snodaigh and McGuinness around the draft planning statement, which has been introduced by the Minister, Deputy Browne, and on which the Ministers of State, Deputies Buttimer and Cummins, and I have worked closely with him. It is a draft statement, in which we have tried to introduce a national standard regarding Gaeltacht planning and quotas in Gaelta…

We published the draft planning statement. We did not pull it out of the sky. I hate using the word "quota". The figures relating to the clause were taken from the census plus 10% in each language planning area. They were based on the number of active Irish speakers. They were not based on nine people not speaking English because of one person. We are open to discussing those thoroughly and constr…

Our Rural Future is the policy document that, since 2021, has been delivering vital investment and supports, strengthening local economies and improving quality of life across rural Ireland. Significant achievements include the delivery of the national broadband plan, the development of a national network of over 400 remote working hubs and enhanced public transport services through the connecting…

All I can say is that if Brenda was in charge of the Mayo team, we would have won many all-Irelands. I absolutely mean that. I wish the team every success. It will be a great week and it would be an amazing achievement. The Deputy is absolutely right. The Minister of State and I have met the GAA demographics committee and we have discussed this with Deputy McGuinness too. I will incorporate much …

I agree about transport. We are lucky with Sarah and the team in Local Link. Co-ordination is better, which is something that Deputy McGuinness and the Minister of State discussed earlier around bus stops. We have the same problems with bus stops, which has hopefully just been resolved with the National Transport Authority. On the trolley, it is beyond me, in 2026, why we cannot have trolleys on t…