Results 10,221-10,240 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Initiatives (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: That might be bad for the Deputy's health.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and is committed to working closely with the sector in managing those challenges, recognising that it will require a whole-of-government approach. The community and voluntary sector Covid-19 stability fund provided €35 million initially from the Dormant...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is looking at how best to administer the €10 million allocation. It has been assigned to us and we are very pleased to get it. He is working with stakeholders and officials to ensure it is targeted where it is most needed. That process will be completed very shortly. In terms of the €5 million that was not spent by my Department,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I take the Deputy's point that the organisations want to get the details of this funding as quickly as possible. We are very conscious of that but we also want to ensure that it is properly targeted. It is a once-off cash injection for the organisations and groups that are delivering critical front-line services. They include disability services, meals on wheels, mental health services,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Broadband connection points will be among the first sites connected under the national broadband plan. They represent a collaboration between my Department, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, local authorities and the communities that will host the BCP services.  At present, there are more than 200 public access BCP...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The broadband connection points have been identified by the broadband officers in the local authorities and we have been working on their recommendations on what areas we can connect. We can talk to the broadband officer in Kerry and we will see if there are any problems. If Deputy Daly wants to write to me specifically about the problems that are being encountered on the connection point...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will appreciate there has been a huge increase in the number of PUP applications in the last number of weeks. The officials in my Department have been working extremely hard in engaging with the applicants in terms of details that were not provided but that we need in order to process the payments. There are a number of applications that we are dealing with. I assure the Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Legislation is required and I know the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, is progressing that as quickly as he can. My Department will process the payment as quickly as possible. It is important to say that the more than 6,000 officials in the Department of Social Protection are working flat out. They have processed something in the region...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: We have had a good deal of engagement with Aer Lingus on this issue. There is ongoing work and engagement but I will obviously follow up on the matter again with my officials.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Housing Regeneration (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: An Inter-Departmental Group has been established which will consider the suggested actions in the report on the Town Centre Living initiative which was published in June. This work will be part of the wider remit of the Group which will also seek to progress the commitment in the Programme for Government to develop a Town Centre First approach to the regeneration of our towns and villages....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Post Office Network (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My colleague, the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, has policy responsibility for the postal sector, however, I am aware of the particular value placed by local communities, especially those in rural areas, on services such as those provided by the local post office. Rural and regional development is at the heart of the Programme for Government. My Department is currently...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working has proven its value in maintaining economic activity and in the provision of many public services. Building on the experience of the last few months, I believe that a structured approach to the provision of remote working facilities can be transformational for rural Ireland. Remote working can help to retain talented people in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The EU-funded LEADER programme has been in operation since 1991 and, since then, it has supported thousands of community-led projects here in Ireland and throughout the EU. Under Ireland's current LEADER progamme, €168.7 million was allocated to Local Action Groups for project approvals over the lifetime of the programme. At the end of October, there were over 3,500 projects approved...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Rural and regional development is at the heart of the Programme for Government which includes a commitment to prioritise a State-led programme to bridge the gap between the current LEADER programme and the next EU programme. The objective of this commitment is to allow local-led rural development projects to be delivered under a Transitional Programme until the new EU programme commences. I...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, due to delays at EU level, the next EU LEADER programme will not commence until 2022 at the earliest. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to prioritise a State-led programme to bridge the gap between the current LEADER programme and the next EU programme. The objective of this Transitional Programme is to allow locally-led rural development...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Tidy Towns Committees (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can assure the Deputy that it is my intention that the SuperValu TidyTowns Competition will take place in 2021. The competition has a unique place in Ireland’s culture and heritage. Since its inception in 1958 when it had 52 entrants, the competition has grown year-on-year to see a record number of 924 entrants in 2019. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the 2020 SuperValu...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Town and Village Renewal Scheme (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 48 together. The Town and Village Renewal Scheme has a budget of €25 million this year, following the allocation of an additional €10 million to the scheme as part of the Government’s July Stimulus Package. The scheme was adapted this year to assist towns and villages to respond to the impact of COVID-19. In addition to the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 33 together. The current 2014-2020 LEADER programme will come to an end this year. Due to delays at EU level, the next EU LEADER programme will not commence until 2022 at the earliest. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to prioritise a State-led programme to bridge the gap between the current LEADER programme and the next EU...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Development Programme (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is currently finalising a new rural development policy for the next five years. The new policy will be forward-looking, ambitious, and will build on the progress achieved through the Action Plan for Rural Development, which concluded in 2019. It will seek to strengthen and build resilience in our rural economies and communities and will identify policy measures for delivery in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Improvement Scheme (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme, or LIS, is a programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in rural areas which are not under the normal maintenance of the Local Authorities. The scheme is funded by my Department and is administered through the Local Authorities. The LIS is now a separate standalone scheme and is not delivered through the CLÁR programme. ...