Results 14,421-14,440 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (13 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages and rural areas across Ireland. To date, 164 projects have been approved for funding of €252m for projects costing over €343m. Calls for applications to the Fund are sought under two categories – Category 1 and Category 2. Category 1...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (13 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, a new Islands Policy is currently being developed by my Department. As part of this process, my Department has held bilateral meetings with other Government Departments to discuss the outcome of its public consultation and to explore ways in which those Departments could provide input and assist with the development of the policy. As part of these discussions, the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I will read this answer for the Deputy but his assumption is wrong. The LIS supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities and represents a vital piece of infrastructure for rural communities. The funding can be a lifeline for such communities, directly improving access to family farms and supporting economic activity. Over...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I will make this clear for the Deputy. The reason I was able to put extra money into the LIS was because savings had emerged during the year and local authorities had to spend the money before the end of the year. Each local authority was asked what it could deliver. It is not my problem if Cork cannot deliver, but Limerick is very good. It is just beside Cork and it got the largest...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I understand that Cork is a large county and we want to see everything distributed fairly, which is what we are doing. With this fund, local authorities had to spend money by the end of the year. There was no point in my giving Cork twice what it asked for. Like everywhere else, it got 70% of what it asked for. Limerick got €1.1 million because it asked for a large allocation. It...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Development Plan (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Deputy will be aware that, last week, the renewed National Development Plan 2021-2030 was launched. It is the largest NDP in the history of the State, amounting to €165 billion, with a focus on funding solutions to strengthen housing, climate ambitions, transport, healthcare, jobs growth in every region and economic renewal for the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Development Plan (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The NDP will see significant increases in our funding programmes over the coming years. Those allocations are for each year. It is new money every year; it is additional money. We want to spend it in 2021 and I want to try to get as much of it out as possible. That is why I am putting a great deal of pressure on local authorities and project promoters to get their projects delivered and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Development Plan (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: In regard to the €162 million funding, many of the bills will come in at the end of the year. That is usually the case. The pressure is on to get as much in as possible. The last thing I want to do is return money to the Exchequer. I want to see the funding being spent on the ground. The Deputy mentioned the north west. Like the Deputy, I come from that region and I am very...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Funding (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for the question. The rural regeneration and development fund has to date approved funding of €252 million for 164 projects nationwide costing over €343 million. Projects initially approved for funding in principle progress through a comprehensive due diligence process before final confirmation of funding is provided by my Department. At each stage of this...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Funding (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I have visited some of the really good projects in the Deputy's constituency, including the Athenry regeneration scheme and the Bia Innovator Project, which is an absolutely fantastic project that is going to make a huge difference. I was delighted it secured €3.5 million from the rural regeneration and redevelopment fund. There are a number of other projects, including Portumna...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Funding (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. I appreciate I am working from a very strong base. I inherited a great Department. Deputy Canney and Deputy Ring did a great deal of hard work and it is my honour to build on that work as I deliver more projects for rural Ireland. To go back to Deputy Canney's original question, to date we have provided additional funding totalling €6.3 million for 20...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for his kind words. I genuinely mean it when I say there are some great schemes in this Department that he developed when he was there. It was a new Department he set up with Deputy Canney and people in rural Ireland are really starting to reap the benefits. He is right about the playgrounds. I am going to mention a few schemes but the Deputy is well familiar with them....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I take the Deputy's point and I will see if there is anything we can do to provide funding to upgrade the playgrounds and carry out necessary repairs. It will not cost a fortune to do a bit of work on these playgrounds, which are essential. The Deputy is also correct about security cameras. The Department of Justice is developing community partnerships, which involve gardaí, local...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As Minister for Rural and Community Development, I can only assess applications that I receive. Cork City Council needs to examine the issue the Deputy raised. Perhaps the council has a plan for the area. The best thing to do would be to map out where the deficiencies lie. We have supported local authorities with funding to produce plans for rural areas, although the Deputy is talking...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 11 together. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The LEADER programme is a key intervention implemented by my Department ,which will help to underpin the Government's rural development goals, as outlined in Our Rural Future. The programme is co-funded by the EU under Pillar Il of the Common Agricultural Policy. The Department of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I am very committed to ensuring that a sufficient budget is allocated to LEADER to allow it to continue to successfully deliver a range of locally-led projects across rural Ireland in the new CAP period of 2023 to 2027. This will entail both EU funding and a significant Exchequer contribution. It is expected that all scheme allocations for the range of schemes in the new CAP will be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Digital Hubs (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. My Department currently operates a number of initiatives focused on supporting remote working, as outlined in Our Rural Future, the Government's rural redevelopment policy for the period from 2021 to 2025. This summer, I awarded €8.8 million through the connected hubs funding stream for existing digital hubs and broadband connection...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Digital Hubs (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The broadband connection points have proven to be successful. They are exactly for that purpose of allowing people who do not have high-speed broadband in their area to go to their local community hall or local centre. We have provided much support to the local authorities, which have identified where these broadband connection points need to go to get the high-speed broadband in place. We...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Digital Hubs (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: A number of hubs have been supported. I am delighted to support these remote working hubs across the country but in particular in Cork. Benchspace Cork and Republic of Work in Cork city received funding and there are a number of others. Of course, the greatest success of all is the Ludgate Hub. That is an amazing centre, but we cannot all have a Ludgate Hub, but we can have small core...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (14 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The revitalisation of vacant and derelict properties is being addressed by a number of initiatives delivered by my Department in line with the commitments contained in Our Rural Future and as part of the Government's Housing for All strategy. In April, I announced investment of €81 million for 25 landmark projects under category 1 of the RRDF. These projects will combat dereliction,...