Results 2,401-2,420 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: It is very much part of our heritage. We are working on that.

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: It is something we had been looking at. We looked at these bogs and felt they were not as important as others. The heads of a Bill have been agreed at Cabinet and are with the committee for discussion. We are dedesignating bogs, but will also be designating other bogs which we feel are more important in terms of their conservation. It will take a lot of landowners out of the system and...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Yes, the questions relate to hedge cutting and gorse burning. The Heritage Bill was commenced by the previous Government. I initiated it in the Seanad and it has progressed as far as Committee Stage. I obtained agreement from the Government to progress the legislation and it will continue on Committee Stage. I am awaiting a date to go to the Seanad to continue with the Bill. The proposal...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Yes. There will be full consultation with them and they will have the option to apply for compensation or opt for relocation. Those will be the options that will be available to them.

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: If the Chairman agrees, I will take that question as it falls under my remit. We are working with the Heritage Council on a new heritage plan. That is in progress. Regarding the board of the Heritage Council, it has gone through the Public Appointments Service, PAS, process. I have a recommendation on my desk, and in the coming week or so I intend to appoint the members to the board of...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: There was a question on the upgrade of the N59. There was a meeting on the matter attended by the Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, as well as other Oireachtas Members. I can confirm that the experts from my Department are sitting down with the local authority experts. They are trying to find a solution and move this forward. I understand the frustration of Deputies. The Minister of...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy is correct. De-designation of SAC is provided for under the EU habitats directive. The basis for such de-designation is very narrow but a natural disaster is one of the possible reasons. It is difficult, but, having said that, we are continuing to work with the EU Commission on the matter. There was another question on the €2 million fund. I presume the Deputy was...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The designation is the responsibility of the local authority and the elected members. They make the decision. There are many examples of good heritage projects, but there are also different levels. The local authority and the elected members make the decision and the responsibility is theirs completely. I do not have an input. We set guidelines, but they make the final decision.

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: On North-South co-operation, a provision of more than €37.7 million is made available to support the two North-South implementation bodies, namely, an Foras Teanga, comprising Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency, and Waterways Ireland. These are also subject to the approval of the North-South Ministerial Council. In respect of Waterways Ireland, the overall allocation of...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I will take the last question. Deputy Ó Cuív knows that the Ulster Canal project is very close to my heart. There were great plans for it but, unfortunately, they did not materialise. I am delighted, therefore, that I got work started on it and was the first to do so. Funding has been made available through the Waterways Ireland budget for the first part of the canal, which goes...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: There are no plans at the moment to expand the number of waterways under the remit of Waterways Ireland. The first priority is the existing waterways. Waterways Ireland does a great deal of work on recreational activities on the waterways. I recently attended the opening of a recreation-based facility for canoeing and so on in Ballyconnell on part of the Shannon-Erne waterway. There has...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I am happy to work on a cross-Border basis and I am all for wider co-operation. We need to do that in terms of arts, heritage and the natural heritage. There is a lot of departmental co-operation. Yesterday, I met the two new Northern Ireland Ministers, Paul Givan and Chris Hazzard. I had a very good working relationship with the previous Ministers, Carál Ní Chuilín and...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The project going on at the moment relates to Castle Saunderson. That will be a huge benefit to the scouting centre there, which receives in the region of 11,000 visitors every year, mostly young people from various countries. Those responsible for the project are absolutely delighted that they will get this additional facility. Deputy Smyth would be very familiar with Castle Saunderson...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: It is very well advanced.

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: There might be a question about a couple of matters that must be resolved, including old ownership issues.

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Regional development and rural affairs comprise a new and important part of the work of my Department. The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring, will address the aspects related to his brief. This is a key priority for the Government. Over €61 million has been allocated for these purposes in my Department's Vote this year, with €40 million allocated for the Leader element...

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The €40 million allocation for the Leader programme is all capital. The old programme is in its final stages and is nearly closed. Then we will have the new programme. We had a successful pilot scheme, REDZ, the rural economic development zones. I want to look at this in terms of getting money out to the Leader groups.

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Yes.

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: It is correct that the administration element of the Leader programme is paid out of the €40 million capital allocation for this year. It is all in the capital allocation.

Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The focus has to be to move development from the east coast and move investment and jobs into rural areas and the regions. I will be shortly developing an action plan for rural Ireland and I will be happy to take on Deputies’ suggestions for it. All the different Departments will feed into that plan. The Action Plan for Jobs is successful. It sets targets, is measured and is...