Results 2,621-2,640 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Wildlife Protection (27 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Section 40 of the Wildlife Acts 1976, as amended, prohibits the cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction of vegetation, with certain strict exemptions, from 1 March to 31 August. Following a review of Section 40, which involved, inter alia, consideration of submissions from interested parties, I announced proposals in December 2015 to introduce legislation to allow for managed hedge...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Leader Programmes Funding (27 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The total amount of funding provided for the LEADER 2014-2020 Programme is €250 million. This funding is being provided by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) at the rate of 63% of total costs, with the remaining 37% in matching funding being provided by the Exchequer. The percentage matching funding provided, at 37%, is higher than the percentage applied under...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rural Development Policy (27 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 526 and 527 together. In September 2015, the then Government announced plans for a fund of €30 million over a six year period for a Town and Village Renewal scheme. While no expenditure was incurred on the scheme in 2015, the current Government has included a commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government to support the development of rural...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Expenditure (27 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The total travel and subsistence costs incurred by my Department per annum from the establishment of my Department in June 2011 to 2016 to date is set out in the following table. Year Travel & Subsistence Costs incurred 02 June to 31 December 2011 €484,546.73 2012 €1,305,124.83 2013 €1,139,962.60 2014 €1,066,966.07 2015...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Data Protection (27 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Responsibility for the management of data protection policies and ensuring compliance with legislation in my Department is currently assigned to the Corporate Governance Unit. The officer responsible for data protection matters also performs other duties in this unit. My Department will be engaging in a review of its arrangements in light of the requirements of the new EU General Data...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: EU Directives (27 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 530 and 531 together. Applications for derogation licences are considered on a case by case basis. Derogations may be granted only on specific grounds, including in the interests of public health. As outlined in my previous reply, an applicant would be required to show that a demonstrable risk to public health tied to a specific problem exists. My...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Staff Remuneration (27 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Salaries are paid to my Department’s staff, and to staff of bodies operating under its aegis, in line with policies and pay scales set by the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform. The estimated additional annualised costs of introducing the hourly salary rates specified by the Deputy are listed in the following table below. These estimates are based on current staffing and pay...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Staff Remuneration (27 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Salaries are paid to my Department’s staff, and to staff of bodies operating under its aegis, in line with policies and pay scales set by the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform. The estimated additional annualised costs of introducing the salary levels specified by the Deputy are listed in the following table. These estimates are based on current staffing and pay levels and...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: National Monuments (28 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: My Department concluded a tendering process that was initiated when the property was under lien by NAMA in order to get conservation work underway as speedily as possible to prevent further deterioration to the fabric of the National Monument buildings. The tenders sought were in respect of the proposals for the conservation and restoration of these buildings for which consent was given by...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 33 - Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (28 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the joint committee on the performance, expenditure and targets of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht during the first half of 2016. A gross provision of over €382 million is available to my Department in 2016. In addition, a further €6.158 million in funding was carried over from the 2015 capital provision....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 33 - Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (28 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for his comments on the 2016 commemorations. Its success came from collaboration, with everybody working together right across the country, including local authorities and communities. There was an invitation we extended for people to come forward with their ideas and everybody worked together to make it what it was. I agree with the Deputy that culture is so...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 33 - Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (28 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: It was clear from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that my baseline for next year is €327 million.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 33 - Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (28 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Yes, what they are saying is there was a once-off payment for commemorations. There was €48.5 million allocated in last year's budget under the decade of centenaries. The breakdown is approximately €18 million in current funding and €30 million in current funding. The current funding went towards the State ceremonial programme for 2016 and much of the capital funding...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 33 - Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (28 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I am aware of those calls and I met representatives of the National Campaign for the Arts. I will meet them again next week. Representatives of cultural institutions were here earlier and I regularly meet their chairpersons. I am in touch with all the different organisations, including the Heritage Council and the Arts Council, where I attended an event this morning. I am very conscious...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 33 - Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (28 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: On the question of having world class artistic development, one of the priorities of Culture 2025 is to carry out a critical analysis of direct and indirect supports that are funding arts and cultural activity. That is something that we want to look at. Yes, my Department does look at different models elsewhere but I want to see more work done on that issue. As part of Culture 2025, we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 33 - Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (28 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 33 - Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (28 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: We will get that information. We have done some of that work and we will forward the information to the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 33 - Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (28 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: In terms of outputs, there are visitor numbers on one of the documents that we provided to the committee but I do not have it to hand. We will provide the committee with the information. The Solas project started nine years ago. When I came into the Department in 2014 the project landed on my desk. I was left with a situation whereby €6 million had been spent on the project in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 33 - Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (28 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Yes. The building remains in the control of Solas pending transfer to Element Pictures. That is a condition of the additional funding - it has to be transferred. I am working in conjunction with Galway City Council. Funding that is paid out will be paid through Galway City Council but I must be satisfied that all the checks and measures are in place and that the project will be completed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 33 - Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (28 Sep 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Element Pictures will run the facilities. It has an outstanding track record in running arthouse cinemas and one of its very successful projects is the Light House Cinema in Smithfield. The cinema in Smithfield had run into difficulties. Element Pictures has a particular expertise and it did a very good job in Smithfield. Therefore, we are satisfied that Element Pictures has the ability...