Results 3,401-3,420 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: National Museum (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: Ní chloisim.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: National Museum (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: Just to be very clear, I am not giving anybody wrong information. A number of different issues have been outlined from different sources and I want to clear the record. First, there was a consultant's report in 2012 which was referred to the Department at that time. Human resources, HR, issues were mentioned in it and that was a matter for the museum. A new board was appointed to the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: National Museum (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I repeat that I am advised that my Department has not received any allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour and I am not aware of any protected disclosures. What I can say, however, is that an official in my Department received a telephone call approximately two years ago during the course of which the same issues were raised that had been previously written about to my predecessor...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Arts Funding (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The Taoiseach and I launched the Creative Ireland Programme-Clár Éire Ildánach 2017–2022 on the 8 December 2016 as the Government legacy programme for Ireland 2016 and as the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in Culture 2025-Éire Ildánach, the draft cultural policy which I published in July 2016. This is a cross-Government initiative to...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Arts Funding (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy mentioned the local authorities received a funding allocation of €3 million last year. That was made up of €1 million from my Department, €1 million from the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government and €1 million from IPB Insurance. That allocation funded more than 3,500 events nationwide. There was a wonderful collaboration...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Arts Funding (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: As I said, funding of €1 million has been made available to local authorities under Creative Ireland. This is enabling funding and will attract other funding. Apart from this, as the Deputy knows, I was delighted with the €9 million arts and culture capital scheme. This scheme is the most significant investment in our regional arts centres in a decade, and 85% of the funding...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I am acutely aware of the challenges arising from Brexit for rural Ireland and for the Border area in particular. Last November, I hosted a productive public forum on Brexit in Monaghan which was attended by a range of interests from the Border region. I also hosted a sectoral dialogue on Brexit in Cavan on 6 February which was attended by over 100 stakeholders from across the arts,...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I live five or six miles from the Border. I am very conscious of the issues Brexit will have on the Border area. There is no doubt that issues will arise. There are threats but also opportunities, which is something somebody said to me. On Monday, I spoke to a man who lives very close to the Border. He said we cannot be all negative about this because opportunities will arise as a result...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I meet the Minister for Finance at least once a week at the Cabinet meeting. I have raised the issues regarding the Border and Brexit. We want free movement of people. We want to maintain and build on the peace process. We want to support all that was achieved through the Good Friday Agreement and the Fresh Start agreement. We want to have free trade and movement of goods across the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I have discussed them.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I meet him every week at Cabinet meetings.

Other Questions: Rural Development Programme Funding (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The action plan for rural development, which was launched on 23 January, contains a number of measures which have the objective of rejuvenating Ireland’s rural towns and villages to make them more attractive places in which to live and work, and to increase their tourism potential. As part of the 2017 budget, I have secured funding of €12 million for an enhanced town and...

Other Questions: Rural Development Programme Funding (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I will launch the scheme shortly. I was delighted to visit Ballitore yesterday with the Deputy and see first hand where my Department's money is being spent and the major positive impact it has on rural communities. The Tanyard consists of three historic masonry tannery buildings. My Department was able to award €100,000 to the project under the rural economic development zone,...

Other Questions: Rural Development Programme Funding (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I will launch a new round of the town and village renewal scheme shortly and the criteria are currently being finalised. The emphasis again will be very much on supporting innovative projects that support economic regeneration and can make a real and lasting difference to our local towns and villages. It will also be about communities coming forward. I have not yet seen a good project that...

Other Questions: National Heritage Plan (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The national heritage plan 2002-07 was the first integrated plan that sought to conserve and protect all aspects of our national heritage. Over the course of more recent years, my Department’s responsibilities for the protection and promotion of our built and natural heritage have been met by a range of policy developments that sought to...

Other Questions: National Heritage Plan (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: A lot of good work is ongoing in the heritage division within my Department. At the end of January, I, along with the CEO of the Heritage Council, Michael Starrett, launched the 2017 funding schemes which fund the conservation and protection of heritage buildings. Of course, there were cuts to the Heritage Council but I am glad I have been able to increase funding and then increase it again...

Other Questions: National Heritage Plan (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: As I said, it is intended that a formal engagement with key stakeholders and implementation partners will play a central role in the development of such a policy, given the many strands of our national heritage, both natural and built. We will be working with them very closely and we welcome submissions and ideas from the House, the Oireachtas joint committee and all the different...

Other Questions: Arts Funding (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I recently announced details of grants of more than €9 million in capital funding for arts and culture centres throughout the country. This capital scheme is the most significant investment in arts and cultural centres in a decade and will target investment at a range of different facilities, including arts centres, theatres, galleries and...

Other Questions: Arts Funding (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I was delighted to visit Moate last year. There is an excellent local action group in place down there that is doing powerful work in the town. I have used Moate as an example of how communities can come together within a town because what they are doing in Moate is wonderful. I was delighted to be able to support them with funding under the town and village renewal scheme. As the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Cultural Policy (7 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The Taoiseach and I launched the Creative Ireland Programme/Clár Éire Ildánach 2017-2022 on the 8 December 2016 as the Government Legacy Programme for Ireland 2016 and as the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach, the draft cultural policy which I published in July 2016. This is a cross-Government initiative to...