Results 15,861-15,880 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ministerial Staff (16 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Rural and Community Development does not have any Ministerial Garda drivers or civilian Garda drivers in its employment.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. My Department operates a number of schemes that focus on supporting the development of remote working hubs as outlined in Our Rural Future, Rural Development Policy 2021-2025. To date, approximately €100 million has been provided by my Department through various funding streams to support the development of digital hubs and remote...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I absolutely agree with the Deputy. We have the hubs in place now. We want to make sure that we do not go back to the old ways. We want to make sure that people use them. They are in the local facilities. We have invested and built them; now it is about promoting and supporting them, and encouraging employers to allow their workers to work remotely. I was in one on Monday last in The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Varadkar, is bringing through the legislation on remote working. We certainly have been working with his Department in developing that and will continue to co-operate in every way we can. On Monday I am going to be launching the connected hubs network, which will enable people to access this on an app on their...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. My Department currently provides a number of funding streams which can be used for the improvement and development of community centres throughout the country. The rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, provides funding for the development and construction of large-scale capital projects in towns and villages and rural areas across...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. Well done to the community for raising €200,000. That is no mean feat. When we open the community centre fund, the group will be able to apply. That it is getting financial support from Galway City Council will help to meet some of the costs. I do not know what the overall cost will be. The plan is that the fund initially will be for renovations more so than...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. As he says, community centres are at the heart of every community. We need places for people to meet up, to play sport and engage in all sorts of activities. The centres are important and we support them in every way we can. We have a community activities fund, under which Galway City Council was allocated €264,910. Galway County Council got €286,000....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Island Communities (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government and I are committed to publishing a ten-year policy on island development with associated three-year action plans. Work on the policy is well under way and my Department has now completed the bilateral meetings with all relevant Departments. The bilateral meetings provided an opportunity for frank discussion of the issues raised by island communities and for Departments to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Island Communities (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The work is at an advanced stage, thankfully. The Deputy is right. This has been going on for a long time. The draft is being worked on currently and, as I stated, officials of my Department are in regular communication with the representative groups. It is my intention that this will continue as the draft policy is being developed. I know exactly what the Deputy is saying. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Island Communities (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As I stated, the committee is in the process of preparing the draft policy. We are at the final stage. I cannot give the Deputy a specific date but I give her a commitment that I will make sure we get this policy document finished and delivered as quickly as possible. There has been extensive consultation. I attended the online 2021 annual general meeting of Comhdháil Oileáin na...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Inis Meáin pier development is included in the national development plan. As the Deputy will be aware, Galway County Council is the body responsible for development of stage 3 of the Caladh Mór pier development. Users of the pier, including several State-subsidised ferry operators, have highlighted issues with capacity within the harbour, as well as with currents around the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I know this is an issue to which Deputies Connolly and Ó Cuív are very committed. As they are aware, I visited the pier with Deputy Ó Cuív. It has become clear that following completion of phase 2 of the pier project, the expected wave patterns and currents at the entrance to the harbour were not fully understood, requiring preparation of modelling simulations by NMCI...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputies Connolly and Ó Cuív. This issue relating to this pier is complex. We tried to do this before many years ago and we did not get it right. As a result, it is important that all of the necessary preparatory work is done so that we do get it right. It is early in this development process and a revised timeline for the project has yet to be agreed with Galway County...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The development of new regional enterprise plans falls within the remit of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. A total of nine plans are being developed by his Department for each region, which will run until 2024. I understand that these are expected to be published in the near future. The plans are massively important for achieving...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Regarding the area the Deputy mentioned that has no broadband and cannot get a broadband connection point, I suggest that he contact either Cork City Council or Cork County Council-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: There is no reason that Cork City Council and Cork County Council cannot work together. It is not a big job to get a broadband connection point, to be honest. We have been rolling them out across the country. We have been working with the broadband officers in the local authorities and they have given great service. In other counties where there is no broadband in the area we fund the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I do not have the list with me but I understand a lot of broadband connection points have been funded in Cork. There are 17 on the connected hubs platform and we have mapped out 19 to invite on board to get into the connected hubs platform. That is quite a few, but we will look at the specific issue the Deputy has raised.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Táimid ar ais ag na hoileáin. As the Deputy is aware, Galway County Council is the responsible authority for the maintenance and development of infrastructure on the Aran Islands. The development of the pier on Inis Oírr is listed among the strategic objectives set out in Project Ireland 2040. A steering committee consisting of representatives from my Department, Galway...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Galway County Council is submitting that application. I understand that the application is with the relevant Department, which I believe is the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. As I understand it, it is there. We are meeting fortnightly with Galway County Council but the ball is in its court at this moment. The Department has approved the business case. Galway County...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: There is constant contact between my officials and the islanders. I have been asked questions regarding Galway County Council, which I honestly cannot answer. I can say that my Department is giving Galway County Council all of the support we can give in trying to move this on as quickly as possible. They are finalising the compulsory purchase order, CPO, for two parcels of land. One is...