Results 241-260 of 25,676 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (14 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Section 9 of the Gender Recognition Act 2015 sets out the conditions which a person is required to meet in order to qualify for a gender recognition certificate. The applicant must meet one of the following three qualifying criteria; Their birth or adoption is registered in the State, They have become an Irish citizen by having their birth registered in the Foreign Births Register...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Advertising (14 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection is committed to ensuring that members of the public are fully aware of the welfare supports and services available to them. Public information campaigns, including advertising in print media, are an important part of this work. The costs of print media advertising for my Department for each of the years 2020 to date is outlined below in tabular form....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Vacant Sites (14 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Whilst the Department of Rural and Community Development does not have a specific remit to address retail vacancy or dereliction, many of the policies and schemes led by the Department contribute to the broader economic revitalisation of rural towns. The Town Centre First Policy, for example, is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (14 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since its launch in 2016, over €177 million has been allocated to almost 1,800 projects supporting towns and villages across the country. At the end of April I was delighted to confirm details of the 82 projects that were successful in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (14 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Community centres are a vital resource for any community. They are where we go for community activities and events, and for social supports and social interaction. They are home to many of our cultural and sporting clubs. They are also where communities come together in times of difficulty and in times of celebration. I have prioritised the development and enhancement of community centres...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (14 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department operates a range of programmes and schemes that support economic and community development throughout the country, including communities on the Beara Peninsula. The targeted investments and supports which my Department provides to regional, rural and local communities through a wide range of initiatives promote social inclusion, rural, town and village regeneration, outdoor...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Vacant Sites (14 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Town Centre First Policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. It supports the Our Rural Future vision for a thriving rural Ireland. Last February, I launched a new suite of supports which is providing €4.5 million to support broader efforts to regenerate town centres through a bottom-up...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Policies (14 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Town Centre First (TCF) Policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. It supports the Our Rural Future (ORF) vision for a thriving rural Ireland which is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing and development. The Town Centre First National Office is key to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (14 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 692 and 693 together. My Department's mission is to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. In furtherance of this, my Department drafts policies and manages strategic interventions and funding programmes that support economic, social and cultural development in both urban and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Employment Rights (14 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: There have been no cases to date of bogus self-employment in my Department before the SCOPE section of the Department of Social Protection. There are four organisations under the aegis of my Department. These are Pobal, Water Safety Ireland, the Western Development Commission and the Charities Regulator. Similarly, none of these bodies have any cases that are before the SCOPE section of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Advertising (14 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department uses media buying agencies for purchasing newspaper advertising. The specific amount allocated to each outlet is determined based on the objectives of the relevant media campaign and agreement on the appropriate mix of national and local coverage. The total amount spent on newspaper advertising by my Department for each of the years 2019 to the present date is detailed in the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Library Services (9 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I love libraries. They are wonderful places and do fantastic work. They are hives of activity for all the community. Older people learn computer skills. There are language classes for people who are looking to learn a new language. There are book clubs, which are a great way to meet people. A lot is happening in our libraries. We have 330 libraries across the country. They come in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Library Services (9 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Investing in our library service is a key priority for me, as Minister, and this is reflected in the new public library strategy, The Library Is the Place, which I launched in July last year. The strategy recognises that public libraries are at the heart of our communities. My Department is supporting this by providing a wide range of funding for library buildings, mobile library vehicles...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (9 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I agree. I go through towns, see vacant and derelict buildings and ask why we are not doing something with these. They are a resource now because they are serviced, they have electricity, sewerage and water. We have been doing a lot of work with local authorities trying to get more people back living in the centre of towns. I am a great supporter of that because I believe there are huge...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (9 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Fingal has got €2.7 million since 2016 under the town and village renewal scheme. Cork city got €1.5 million and Cork county got €7.9 million. There has been considerable investment in both counties. The town and village renewal scheme provides grants of up to €500,000 for large-scale projects. If you need more funding for bigger projects, there is the rural...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Control of Dogs (9 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The stakeholder group has had an initial meeting and a follow-up meeting as well. The members are looking at a number of issues. I am happy to hear what their views are. It is a diverse group and I will take on board the recommendations they put forward to me. Going back to the dog wardens, I have given more funding - an extra €2 million - to local authorities to upgrade the dog...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (9 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Question Nos. 8, 18, 43 and 44 together. Our Rural Future sets out this Government’s vision for the future of rural Ireland. Central to this vision is the importance of supporting the regeneration and development of rural towns and villages as vibrant and thriving rural places. This theme is further supported by the town centre first policy which includes a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Schemes (9 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I will ask the officials to speak to Kerry County Council. There is a big difference in the average cost of the of the lanes. Are there longer lanes in Kerry? That is the only thing I do not know.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Schemes (9 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: They seem to be doing fewer of them. We should look at the number of kilometres that are covered. That would probably be a good indication. I am happy to engage. I have reviewed the criteria. I will come back to Deputy Troy on the part about the second parcel of land needing to be a minimum of 1 ha. I am not sure; I am not across the finer details. We leave it up to the discretion...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Schemes (9 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I will tell the Deputy what happened last year. We sent a call out to local authorities to tell us what they could spend and to put in the amount. Some local authorities told us they could not spend any money. I am not saying that is the case with Clare. Some local authorities were very ambitious in their spend. They got it spent and got their lanes completed. Some local authorities did...