Results 15,161-15,180 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Isolation (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 102 together. In delivering on its mission, my Department provides a wide range of strategic interventions, funding programmes and policies to support communities, including helping to address the issue of isolation for rural dwellers, older people and people with disabilities. Addressing the issue of individual isolation in communities has become more...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future’ is the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in Ireland for decades. The policy contains 152 measures for delivery across the whole-of-Government, with the underlying theme of economic, environmental and societal sustainability. The policy has a vision of ensuring vibrant and thriving rural towns and villages, with a key objective of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Government’s ambitious new five year policy for rural Ireland, Our Rural Future, commits to the development of a pilot scheme to support the use of rural pubs as community spaces and hubs for local services. The Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) have submitted an application for funding to develop a pilot project. Through the pilot, it is envisaged that a small number of pubs...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: EU Programmes (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: 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. I announced details of a €70 million Transitional LEADER Programme which came into effect last April and will cover the period 2021-2022. €65 million of this budget has been allocated to the LAGs who...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Policies (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future 2021-2025 is the government's national rural development policy. It sets out an ambitious blueprint for the development of, and investment in, rural Ireland over a five-year period. It is a whole-of-Government policy, and the more than 150 measures set out within it are being delivered by the Departments with responsibility for the relevant policy areas, including the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Seirbhísí Farantóireachta (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Mar is eol don Teachta tá dearadh agus coimisiúnú an bháid fharantóireachta nua do Oileán Thoraí ag braith ar cíbé forbairt a dhéantar ar an chéibh ag Machaire Rabhartaigh ar an mórthír as a dheantar freastal ar Oileán Thoraí. Tá dlúth nasc idir an dá thionscadal agus tá siad beirt liostáilte...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: For 2021 my Department was provided with a total allocation of €351 million, of which €182m is for current expenditure and €169 million is for capital expenditure. The Department also had a deferred surrender of €13.2 million in 2020, to be utilized in 2021. Total expenditure to date, including expenditure of the deferred surrender, stands at €329 million....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the potential of digital hubs as key economic assets for our rural towns and villages as well as the clear benefits to individuals and families in terms of quality of life indicators. My Department operates a number of funding schemes that focus on projects supporting the development of digital hubs and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regeneration Projects (7 Dec 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, €255million has been approved to date for 164 projects worth a total of €347 million. 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: Regeneration Projects (7 Dec 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. In April, I announced investment of €81 million for 25 landmark projects under Category 1 of the RRDF These projects will combat dereliction, increase...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: EU Programmes (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Ireland has a much higher percentage of its territory and population living in rural areas than the EU27 average. Our Rural Future 2021-2025, Ireland’s rural development policy is cognisant of this and highlights the need for a flexible approach to address the needs of different rural areas in a meaningful way. The policy recognises the reality that many medium and large towns are...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Policies (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: ‘Our Rural Future’ is the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in Ireland for decades. The policy contains 152 measures for delivery across the whole-of-Government, with the underlying theme of economic, environmental and societal sustainability. The policy has a vision of ensuring vibrant and thriving rural towns and villages, with a key objective to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Authorities (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As part of 'Our Rural Future',the Government is committed to ensuring that the Local Improvement Scheme is funded into the future. This reflects the important contribution which the scheme makes to connectivity in rural Ireland. The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities and represents a vital...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: This Government continues to be committed to maintaining the post office network and for An Post to remain in a position to provide a high quality postal service and maintain a nationwide customer-focused network of post offices in the community. My Department’s support for An Post is equally apparent. We are in the process of renewing the contract for cash payment services with the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 354 and 381 together. My Department is now at an advanced stage in its first phase of procuring new employment services. This phase involves the procurement of regional employment services for seven counties in the Midlands and North-West across four lots, which aims to be operational from January 2022. Procurement for the second phase, which will...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) is a weekly allowance paid to people who do not have enough income to meet their needs and those of their families. It is intended to be a short-term payment for those awaiting assessment of a primary social welfare payment. The records of my Department reflect that the person concerned applied for a SWA with effect from 01/10/2021.On 05/10/2021 the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance scheme (BTEA) is an educational opportunities scheme for customers in receipt of certain social welfare payments wishing to pursue second or third level courses of education, subject to meeting the qualifying conditions. BTEA is an administrative scheme approved by the Government. The person concerned applied for Back to Education Allowance(BTEA) on 26th...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Through the Comprehensive Employment Strategy, the Government recognises the importance for people with disabilities of participation in employment. As part of the Strategy, my Department is committed to improving employment outcomes and removing barriers to employment for people with disabilities. The supports provided by the Department of Social Protection have been designed to enable...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reports (7 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department commissioned Indecon International Consultants to carry out research into the cost of disability in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits the Government to use this research into the cost of disability to individuals and families to properly inform the direction of future policy. This matter is significantly wider than the income support system which is why a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (7 Dec 2021)

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 generally not contingent on the nature of the illness or disability but on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work. This Department spent a...