Parliamentary questions

72. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps being taken to address rural depopulation and encourage young people to remain in or return to rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25970/25]

73. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when he expects to announce successful projects under CLÁR for County Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25968/25]

74. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will outline projects underway in counties Cavan and Monaghan that are receiving funding under different schemes with financial support from his Department; if he will also outline other projects that his Department has committed funding to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26301/25]

75. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total amount paid out in CLÁR funding in each of the past five years, by county; the county that received the lowest amount, and which received the highest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25736/25]

76. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when a new ferry service will be provided for Tory Island; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26287/25]

77. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to resource town centre first and establish a dedicated town regeneration team in every local authority focused on tackling vacancy and dereliction in town and villages as committed in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26324/25]

78. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if an rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, application (details supplied) can be expedited given the declining condition of the building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25392/25]

79. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development 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. [25131/25]

80. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of funding which will be awarded to community groups in Cork under the 2025 town and village renewal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26262/25]

81. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide an update on the actions his Department is taking to increase water safety in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26346/25]

82. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to detail the funding provided to County Meath in 2024 and to date in 2025; the schedule of funding calls for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25740/25]

83. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Catherine Connolly den Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail an bhfuil an t-athbhreithniú ar an gcás gnó don obair atá beartaithe ar an gcé ar Inis Oírr críochnaithe; cad é an spriocdháta ó thaobh thús agus chríochnú an togra sin; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [26329/25]

84. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applications received per year 2023-2024 and per county for funding under the Community Recognition Fund; the number therein that were successful; 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 matter. [25…

85. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the proposed timeline for publishing Our Rural Future 2025-2030, following the recent public consultation on the policy’s development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26190/25]

86. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to progress work on a strategy for suburban Dublin villages, including schemes that are similar to those available for rural Dublin villages. [26304/25]

87. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to outline his Department's efforts to address the backlog of local improvement scheme applications with Galway County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25391/25]

88. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department plans to expand the ‘Learning in the Hubs’ initiative to other technological universities; the number of technological universities that will be eligible for the initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26279/25]

89. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the next round of the Community Recognition Fund will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26014/25]

90. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will provide an update on the review of the CLÁR Programme; if he will expand CLÁR to cover those communities which are currently ineligible to apply under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25878/25]

91. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans for the development of the L-shaped site in Belmayne; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26369/25]

92. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the breakdown of the number of new dog wardens which have been recruited in each local authority on foot of the additional €2 million provided to support recruitment efforts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25969/25]

93. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of derelict or vacant projects that have been brought back into use under the town and village renewal scheme’s building acquisition measure, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26345/25]

94. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will reconsider the policy around the starting time of road improvement schemes, such as the local improvement scheme considering the dry weather in the spring time, despite his Department not having officially approved projects around the country; if he will review this matter to ensure it is earlier in 2026; a…

95. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if any review or audit has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness, redundancy, and administrative costs of State funding for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under the aegis of his Department; if such a review has not yet been conducted, to request a detailed timeline and plan for implementing a comprehensive…

96. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will publish a comprehensive plan to expand the remit of connected hubs to unlock new opportunities in rural communities in areas such as e-health and online learning; his plans to utilise the hub network as an incubation space for local entrepreneurs and start-ups; if he has had any engagement with the State’s en…