While the number of people in the Direct Provision asylum system has gone down over the last 11 months, the number of children spending more than 5 years in the system has increased by a whopping 50% to 165 children. This Minister for Justice has just provided these figures to me in the Dáil reply below. The Direct Provision system …
€11,000 for local forest access – Naughten
Denis Naughten TD, Cathaoirleach of the Dáil Rural & Community Development Committee, has welcomed the allocation of €11,000 to improve access to Coillte forests in Ballygar and Correen outside Ballinasloe. A sum of €7,000 has been allocated to replace the foot bridge in Aghrane/Ballygar forest with the provision of a new trail to the children’s burial ground. A further €4,000 …
3100 rural homes in Ballinasloe & South Roscommon can now order broadband – Naughten
National Broadband Ireland is currently completing construction of its fibre optic broadband network in the rural areas surrounding the town of Ballinasloe in both counties Galway and Roscommon with companies now taking pre-orders for connections, says local TD, and architect of the National Broadband Plan, Denis Naughten. There are approximately 3100 premises in the Ballinasloe area such as Ballydangan, Creagh, …
238 additional places on local Community Employment and Tús schemes – Naughten
Denis Naughten TD, Cathaoirleach of the Dáil Committee on Social Protection, has confirmed the provision of 238 additional places on local Community Employment and Tús schemes across Roscommon and Galway. The Government has sanctioned 30 additional Tús places in County Roscommon and a further 170 in County Galway, east of the City, with a further 38 Community Employment positions …
We are facing the climate equivalent of Lehman Brothers
The front page of today’s Irish Farmers Journal exposes the nonsense of trying to calculate biogenic methane at national rather than international level. As Climate Minister, I pointed out to my EU and Government colleagues, that if we end up reducing dairy and beef production in Ireland, it will be replaced by agricultural production in South America. Beef production in …
Passengers marooned by Bus Éireann withdrawal say local Independents
Cllr. Evelyn Parsons, Cllr Tim Broderick, and Denis Naughten TD have condemned the decision to withdraw the Bus Éireann service between Galway, Ballinasloe & Athlone which has left those with a free travel pass without any service. The local representatives went on to point out the lack of any information whatsoever at the local bus stops informing people that the …
Supports for remote working among 45 recommendations in Oireachtas Committee’s pre-budget submission to Department of Rural and Community Development – Naughten
The Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands has published its pre-Budget 2022 submission to the Minister for Rural and Community Development. Supports for remote working, changes to the funding framework of the voluntary and charitable sector, additional supports for communities and community organisations, improved transport links to the islands, including a new air service …
Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands publishes its Pre-Budget Submission
The Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands has today published its Pre-Budget submission to the Minster for Social Protection. The cross-party Committee’s submission to the Minister contains 76 recommendations for Budget 2022 including: A rise in all social welfare payment rates – equivalent to the cost of living increases. An increase in the rate …
Just 2 out of 5 rehabilitation jobs offered by Bord na Mona – Naughten
Just two out of every five jobs promised within Bord na Mona for bog rehabilitation work across the midland counties have been filled, according to a Dáil reply received by Denis Naughten TD. “This rehabilitation work on the bogs was specifically funded to secure short term employment for Bord na Mona workers, but only a fraction of seasonal workers have …
Regional Independents to seek Dail approval for carbon budgets and separate targets for agriculture – Naughten
The Regional Independent TDs will table changes to the Climate Bill that will require Dáil approval of all carbon budgets as well as a separate emission target for agriculture to ensure it does not become the scapegoat for failures in other Government Departments. “We do not want to undermine the overall objective behind the Climate Bill, but we believe the …