Results 15,941-15,960 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Digital Hubs (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the potential of remote working hubs as key economic assets for our rural towns and villages. Notwithstanding the clear benefits to individuals and families in terms of quality of life indicators, remote working from hubs will also support local economies, reduce carbon emissions and may arrest or reverse the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Urban Development (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: On 9 December 2021 I announced €2.6 million in funding to deliver Town Centre First Plans in 26 towns across the country. The development of these 26 plans will feed into the Government’s overall Town Centre First Policy which was launched on 4 February last. The policy includes 33 actions aimed at creating town centres that function as viable, vibrant and attractive...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: An indicative budget of €180 million is allocated for the LEADER Programme for the period 2023-2027. With the €70 million already provided for 2021 and 2022 under the Transitional LEADER Programme, a total of €250 million will be made available for the 2021 - 2027 period, thus maintaining the level of funding provided for the 2014-2020 programming period.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Development Companies (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: LEADER is a multi-annual programme for rural development co-funded by the EU through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The programme is based on a community-led approach to rural development and plays an important role in supporting communities and enterprises in progressing job creation, social inclusion and environmental projects at local level. The Programme for Government contains...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Bodies (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government recently published Town Centre First - A Policy Approach for Irish Towns.  This publication represents a major new policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.  It  contains 33 actions which will give our towns the tools and resources they need to become more viable and attractive places in which to live,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Reports (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) is an integrated cross-Government service. It seeks to enhance the role of economic evaluation and value for money analysis in public policy making. The Focussed Policy Assessment report to which the Deputy refers was conducted by IGEES staff in my Department. Recommendation No.4 of the report was to estimate the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Digital Hubs (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated network of remote working hubs over the lifetime of the policy to 2025. A number of funding streams operated by my Department directly support this commitment.  For example,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Urban Development (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government recently published Town Centre First - A Policy Approach for Irish Towns.  This publication represents a major new policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.  The policy contains 33 actions which will give our towns the tools and resources they need to become more viable and attractive places in which to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER Programme is one of the key interventions of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development launched last year.  The programme is based on a community-led approach to rural development and plays an important role in supporting communities and enterprises in progressing job creation, social inclusion and environmental projects at local level. An...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities. As part of 'Our Rural Future', the Government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded into the future. This reflects the important contribution which the scheme makes to connectivity in rural Ireland.  I launched the 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Digital Hubs (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated network of remote working hubs over the lifetime of the policy to 2025. A number of funding streams operated by my Department directly support this commitment.  For...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER Food Initiative is administered at local level by Local Action Groups (LAGs) with overall funding allocated at a national level by my Department. Project applications are in the first instance considered at local level, with subsequent final project approval signed off by my Department on a first come first served basis. As with all funding programmes, there is a finite budget...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Recreation Policy (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development of new outdoor recreational infrastructure and for the maintenance and promotion of existing infrastructure. Louth County Council were approved funding of €200,000 under the ORIS 2019 Scheme for the development and enhancement of the Boyne Greenway. However, to date, no funding has been drawn...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (17 Feb 2022)

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

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Offshore Islands (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government's objective is that sustainable, vibrant communities can continue to live on the nation’s offshore islands. My Department recognises that for this to be achieved it is essential that investment is made in the maintenance and upgrading of island infrastructure. To this end, I have increased the allocation available for capital works from €2.64m in 2021 to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Small and Medium Enterprises (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated network of remote working hubs over the lifetime of the policy to 2025. In May last year I launched the National Hubs network together with the connectedhubs.ie...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Public Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are among the first premises for delivery under the National Broadband Plan. They are publicly accessible sites that serve areas without reliable high-speed broadband, including isolated communities in rural areas and on many of our offshore islands. Sites are provided with a high-speed broadband connection which they make available for onsite...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER Programme is one of the key interventions of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development launched last year. The programme is based on a community-led approach to rural development and plays an important role in supporting communities and enterprises in progressing job creation, social inclusion and environmental projects at local level. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Public Transport (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future 2021-2025 is the Government's national rural development policy. It setsout 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...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Offshore Islands (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to publishing a 10 year policy on island development with associated 3 year action plans. Work on the policy is well underway and my Department has now completed the bilateral meetings with all relevant Government Departments. The bilateral meetings have provided an opportunity for frank discussion of the issues...