Results 10,981-11,000 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Planning Issues (17 Dec 2020)

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

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Town and Village Renewal Scheme (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government includes a commitment for an expanded Town and Village Renewal Scheme to bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use and promote residential occupancy. This follows on from the pilot initiative developed by my Department to explore how to encourage increased residential occupancy in rural towns and villages. An independent report on the pilot initiative...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Transport Services (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is currently finalising a new rural development policy for the period 2021–2025, which will reflect a whole-of-Government commitment to rural Ireland. The new policy will be forward looking and will reflect other relevant Government initiatives to support rural Ireland. As part of the development of the policy an extensive consultation process has been undertaken...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER programme, is co-financed by the European Commission under Pillar 2 of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), through the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). The budget for the CAP for the period 2021-2027 will form part of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), or the EU Budget for that period. The MFF has not yet been formally agreed at EU level....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Remote working has the potential to transform rural Ireland, allowing people to build careers in good quality jobs while continuing to live closer to home. It also provides an opportunity for those that moved away from home to return to their roots to raise their families. The increased shift to remote work in the last nine months as a result of COVID-19 has given us the opportunity to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Telecommunications Services (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce was launched in July 2016 to be a driving force for improving access to telecommunications services throughout Ireland. The Secretariat to the Taskforce was provided jointly by my Department and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. Since its inception, the Taskforce has addressed more than 70 targeted actions to alleviate...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, due to delays at EU level, there will be a delay between the end of the current LEADER programme, which was due to conclude at the end of this year, and the next EU programme which will not now commence until 2023. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to introduce a transitional LEADER programme to bridge that gap. Yesterday, 16th December 2020, I...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Town and Village Renewal Scheme (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government includes a commitment for an expanded Town and Village Renewal Scheme to bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use and promote residential occupancy. This follows on from the pilot initiative overseen by my Department in 2019 to explore how to encourage increased residential occupancy in rural towns and villages. An independent report on the pilot...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR programme provides funding for small scale projects in rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population. The Measures funded through the 2020 programme placed a focus on helping communities and voluntary groups in CLÁR areas to adjust to the challenges presented by COVID-19. The Measures included in the programme were as follows: Measure1:Support for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Development Plan (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is finalising a new rural development policy for 2021-2025. The new policy will be forward-looking and 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 nationwide including County Clare and will identify policy measures...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Improvement Scheme (17 Dec 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. It is a matter for each Local Authority to determine the roads for inclusion in the LIS in any given year,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: National Disability Strategy (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Action 128 of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy refers to the commitment to “develop initiatives to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities living in rural areas, including through remote working options”. My Department is currently finalising a new and ambitious rural development policy for 2021-2025. This new Policy will include measures to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Development Plan (17 Dec 2020)

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

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx. 981,000...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 20 October 2020. Following a request for further...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Unfortunately, due to a technical problem, arrears did not issue to the person concerned on the date previously advised. According to my officials arrears totalling €8,057 for the period 03/04/2020 to 05/11/2020 will issue to the nominated bank account of the person concerned by Tuesday of next week. The Christmas Bonus payment of €203 will also issue to the person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce a pension auto-enrolment system. The objective of this commitment is to address the low proportion of employees in Ireland with supplementary pension cover, which includes both occupational and personal pensions. In this regard, Ireland is the only OECD country without a mandatory or automatic enrolment supplementary pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for an Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) to my officials on 20/11/2020. This application was refused as the person concerned had failed to provide all of the requested documentation. A decision letter dated 7/12/2020 issued to the person concerned advising her of the outcome and affording her the option to request a review of her case to the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised that the person concerned is not currently in receipt of a payment from this Department. An application for Illness Benefit was received from the person concerned on 9 November 2020. One of the qualifying conditions for Illness Benefit is that a person must have 39 weeks of PRSI contributions paid or credited in the relevant tax year, of which 13 must be paid contributions at...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (17 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability. It is important to note that entitlement to these supports is not contingent on the nature of the illness/disability but on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work. In March of this year, under the...