Parliamentary questions

728. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to urgently acknowledge the role played by women in the home and in Irish life and society by introducing a funding stream for women’s sheds in County Kerry and across the country as a matter of priority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28502/25]

729. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if there are plans to increase the amount of funding an applicant can apply for under the Building Blocks funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28537/25]

730. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount allocated to the Building Blocks funding; the amount that was drawn down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28538/25]

443. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to increase the rural regeneration and development fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27921/25]

444. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to outline the specific funding streams and resource allocations are currently being made available to rural communities supporting vulnerable populations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28156/25]

903. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the supports available for men's shed groups from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26780/25]

904. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will report on the operation of the seniors alert scheme which is processed through POBAL; if he has any proposals to disband or change this important scheme for older people; if he is aware that application forms are not available for collection; if he will give priority for the printing and availability of same…

905. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if framework-based procurement is included in his Department’s reporting of “tendered” procurement in its annual accounts; if so, to distinguish between contracts awarded via framework mini-competition, contracts awarded via direct drawdown from a framework without competition and frameworks run independently by his De…

906. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide a list of all framework agreements used by his Department or its agencies since 2022, by name and description of framework; if it was established by his Department, the OGP, or another central/sectoral body; if it is a single-supplier or multi-supplier framework; if drawdowns required mini-competitions; and …

907. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if all drawdowns from frameworks by his Department or its agencies from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2024, valued over €25,000 were accompanied by publication of a contract award notice on the eTenders portal as required by Circular 05/2023; and if not, to list any known contracts where such publication did not occur …

908. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the action being taken to promote water safety, particularly in light of recent fatalities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27132/25]

909. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to confirm that he will work with local authorities to promote water safety by installing signage in public parks and near bodies of water that show the three or four steps of how to raise alarm/throw a lifebelt, as well as providing similar signage on lifebuoy poles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27133…

910. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if consideration would be provided to providing funding for training on how to use lifesaving equipment such as raising the alarm, lifebuoys and lifebelts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27134/25]

911. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to confirm that consideration would be given to launching a new water safety campaign, with social media guidelines on actions that members of the public can take if someone is in difficulty and how to do this, in light of recent fatalities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27135/25]

912. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the key capital investment made by the Department in the years of 2023, 2024 and to-date in 2025 in County Roscommon; and the amount of investment in each case and under what scheme, in tabular form. [27165/25]

913. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the projects that were funded under the town and village renewal scheme in County Roscommon in 2023 and 2024, in tabular form. [27166/25]

63. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the work he has undertaken to date to address the crisis impacting on rural communities where young families are unable to find a home in the area they were raised in; and if he has met the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to discuss the matter. [26532/25]

64. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his Department’s role in addressing child poverty under the six priority areas identified by the child poverty and well-being unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26343/25]

65. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he is aware of recent media reports from GAA clubs about their concern regarding the decline in population in rural Ireland; the impacts this has on the clubs; if he plans to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26571/25]

66. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the supports available for the acquisition of buildings for community use to help the regeneration of rural towns and villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26170/25]

67. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the proposals to address the estimated 4,000 roads that remain outstanding under the local improvement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26586/25]

68. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he is aware of the growing difficulties faced by community and voluntary organisations across County Tipperary in maintaining essential services due to the chronic inability to fill vacancies in publicly supported non-profit, voluntary and community organisations; the urgent measures being taken to ensure the susta…

69. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the strategies being implemented to combat rural isolation, especially among the elderly population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25971/25]

70. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding available for community groups seeking to construct capital facilities, such as community centres, pavilions, and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26263/25]

71. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when he will announce the next tranche of funding under the local improvement scheme; if he will increase the €40 million allocation provided nationwide in 2024; if he will increase the amount of funding provided to County Clare in order to address the very significant backlog; and if he will make a statement on the matte…