Results 981-1,000 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (3 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is currently considering the funding available for the protection and conservation of the built heritage in 2015 in the context of its overall allocation and I will publish details of funding schemes for 2015 as soon as these are finalised. As the Deputy can appreciate, the scope for funding for the conservation of the built heritage is currently constrained by the significant...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: National Monuments (3 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 638 of 30 September 2014. My Department and Longford County Council have agreed to a joint approach to the potential acquisition of this national monument for the State. My Department has requested the Office of Public Works to enter negotiations with the landowner to establish if agreement could be reached on the proposal. These negotiations...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Hedge Cutting Season (3 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: Section 40 of the Wildlife Acts 1976 to 2012 prohibits the cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction of vegetation, with certain strict exemptions, from 1 March to 31 August during the nesting and breeding season for birds and wildlife. Vegetation such as hedgerows and scrub is important as wildlife habitat and needs to be managed in the interests of both farming and biodiversity....

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Special Areas of Conservation Management (3 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised that the works referred to in the Deputy’s Question have been undertaken by Kerry County Council within the Akeragh, Banna and Barrow Harbour candidate special area of conservation and within the Tralee Bay Complex special protection area. Under regulation 27(2) of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, any public authority having or...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Plan (3 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 665 to 668, inclusive, and 671, 672 and 674 together. My Department is committed to implementing the priorities set out in the Programme for Government and the Statement of Government Priorities 2014 – 2016, published by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste on 11 July 2014. This forms the underlying basis of the work of my Department for the remainder of...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Funding (3 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the allocation to the Arts Council in 2015, as set out in the recently published Revised Estimates Volume, was €58.893 million, an increase on the provisional outturn of €56.668 million for 2014. Allocations to the Council in 2016 and beyond will be determined by the emerging budgetary situation and estimates processes at the time....

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts in Education Charter (3 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: The Arts in Educations Charter was launched in January 2013 and both the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, and I are very committed to its implementation. A High Level Implementation Group, chaired by Professor John Coolahan, Professor Emeritus at NUI Maynooth, was established to oversee the implementation of the Arts in Education Charter. The Group meets regularly...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Promotion (3 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: The Culture Ireland Division of my Department promotes Irish arts worldwide, creating and supporting opportunities for Irish artists and companies to present and promote their work at strategic international festivals and venues. I am satisfied that this promotional work continues to make a significant impact through Culture Ireland's regular grant rounds and showcase programme. Since its...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Funding (3 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: The Government's policy on the arts is to promote and strengthen the arts in all its forms, to increase access to and participation in the arts, and to make the arts an integral and valued part of our national life. Primary responsibility for the promotion and support of the arts at all levels throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council. The Council, although funded by my...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Waterways Issues (4 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised by Waterways Ireland that, as the Barrow Navigation is wholly situated within the River Barrow and River Nore Special Area of Conservation (SAC) due regard must be given to the provisions of the EC (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011. These require a rigorous assessment to be carried out to assess the impacts of any work on the protected species and habitats, prior to...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme Payments (5 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: To-date 3,057 applications for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme for raised bog special areas of conservation have been received and acknowledged by my Department. A total of 6,437 payments and 650 deliveries of turf have been made in respect of the applications received. In addition, 1,330 once-off incentive payments of €500 have been made to...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Appointments to State Boards (5 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: The Government has agreed a Revised Model for Ministerial Appointments to State Boards, which provides a more structured approach to ensurethat vacancies on State Boards are populated in a transparent way by the high-calibre personnel required to successfully implement their mandates. My Department is now implementing this revised model in accordance with the Guidelines on Appointments to...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Staff Data (5 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised that no staff of my Department or any agency under its remit are currently working out of the location specified by the Deputy.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Concert Hall (10 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: In February 2014, the Government approved my predecessor's proposal to place the National Concert Hall on a statutory footing. As a consequence, the Department has prepared the general scheme of a Bill, which has been the subject of pre-legislative scrutiny by the Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. It is intended that the Bill will provide,inter alia, for a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Concert Hall (10 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: To refer specifically to the case the Deputy has asked about, this matter was primarily dealt with by my predecessor. The position is that, following advice from the Attorney General, the National Concert Hall was found not to have the power to embark on a proposed foundation project. The matter resulted in a dispute among board members with some of them resigning because they were opposed...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Concert Hall (10 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: I presume the debate to which the Deputy is referring is that of 7 May when the National Concert Hall was the matter of a Topical Issue debate. In that debate the then Minister stated:At this stage, the reason for the disagreement has been outlined in various Sunday and weekday newspapers, so it is fairly well known. There were disagreements among members which focused primarily on a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Waterways Issues (10 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: At the outset, I should make it clear to the Deputy that, contrary to the suggestion in his question, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland is neither awaiting approval for, nor proposing to meet, the capital cost of the first phase of the Ulster Canal project. The facts are that in July 2007 the North-South Ministerial Council agreed to a proposal with the then...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Waterways Issues (10 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: I want to assure the Deputy that I am very familiar with this project, especially given the fact that it is in my constituency. My predecessor, Deputy Deenihan, did a lot of work on progressing this important proposal and I consider this project to be a priority for me. Planning approvals have been received for the project from the relevant authorities, as I said, in both jurisdictions. An...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Genealogical Services (10 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: The website www.irishgenealogy.ieoperates under the auspices of my Department. The national genealogy policy was approved by the Government in December 2012 and my Department has been engaged in its implementation since that time. The aim of the policy is to help bring coherence to the area, particularly for persons with no genealogical research experience. At present, no charges are...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Genealogical Services (10 Feb 2015)

Heather Humphreys: There was an issue with the data, as the Deputy knows, where the register entries include complete information on a life event, as one would expect to see in a copy of a birth, death or marriage certificate. Online availability of historical register data through www.irishgenealogy.ieis provided for in section 27 of the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014. The provision relating to the...