Questions

102. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the plans in place to support older people who experience loneliness and social isolation, particularly those located in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38274/25]

103. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the steps he is taking to address the shortage of staff in the public sector with a high enough proficiency to provide telephone information, helpdesk and web chat services in Irish, as identified in the 2024 Annual Report of An Coimisinéir Teanga. [38071/25]

104. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will provide details of the budget allocations to the community centres investment fund in 2024 and 2025; the total drawn down to date; when the next round will be announced; if consideration will be given to expanding the capital investment in new-build measures for green-brown field sites; and if he will ma…

105. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the measures being taken to address the long wait time for applicants under the local improvement scheme in Cork North-West; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38149/25]

106. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to consider additional funding supports for community and voluntary organisations to assist with regular running costs, such as utility bills and so on, considering that the vast majority of current grant schemes are for capital works or the purchase of items. [38238/25]

107. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the town and village renewal scheme; if he is conscious of the need to address dereliction and vacancy in the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37248/25]

108. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the supports he is providing to address vacancy and dereliction in rural towns and villages in County Offaly; the means by which he is working with local authorities to bring vacant buildings back into use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38275/25]

109. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the funding allocated to the local improvement scheme since 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38069/25]

110. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will consider expanding eligibility for the DEIS Gaeltachta scholarship scheme to include students from lower socio-economic backgrounds who do not attend DEIS-designated schools; if he will provide details on any reviews or consultations planned to assess equity of access to Gaeltacht summer college opportunitie…

111. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil den Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail, agus Gaeltachta cad atá beartaithe aige mar fhreagra ar an imní atá léirithe ag na ceanneagraíochtaí Gaeilge maidir lena gcuid maoinithe ó Fhoras na Gaeilge; an ndéanfaidh sé idirghabháil chun leanúnachas an mhaoinithe a chinntiú do na sé eagraíocht aitheanta Ghaeilge; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [38248/25]

112. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the action being taken to support young people who want to pursue a career in the EU institutions in an Irish language role. [38076/25]

113. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht his views on the Programme for Government commitment to explore ways to better support social enterprise organisations. [37766/25]

114. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to consider the provision of additional funding for the local improvement scheme for 2025 in line with the Programme for Government commitment; when he expects the 2026 scheme to be open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38160/25]

115. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will commit to continuing the rural regeneration development fund scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38306/25]

116. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the supports available for Gaeltacht host families accommodating students during summer 2025. [38067/25]

117. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will consider including former Cork County Council roads, now under the jurisdiction of Cork City Council, for consideration under any future rounds of the local improvement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37185/25]

118. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to provide an update on funding to help local authorities carry out improvement works on private and non-publicly maintained roads, given the importance of rural infrastructure and connectivity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38239/25]

119. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht his views on the merits of providing multiannual funding for men's and women's sheds, to allow them to plan longer term projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37247/25]

120. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the number of applications received per year in 2023 and 2024, per county, for funding under the Community Recognition Fund; the number therein that were successful and the number that were unsuccessful in each county; the allocation that will be provided to each county in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matt…

121. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will revise the town and village renewal scheme and the Towns and Cities Investment Fund to enable regeneration work across urban communities in Dublin west; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38158/25]

122. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the steps he is taking to support the development and retention of community-run shops and cafes, as committed to in the Programme for Government. [37767/25]

123. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will increase funding to the community services programme for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38271/25]

124. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether he plans for a new rural specific development strategy, considering the National Planning Framework refers to self-sustaining rather than commuter driven activity, allowing its various city, town, villages and rural component to play to their strengths while moving away from a sprawl-led development model, yet …

125. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to provide an update on the local improvement scheme in County Louth in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37552/25]

126. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether he intends on expanding the senior alerts scheme to include a wider range of technological supports as part of Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38314/25]