Results 17,321-17,340 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (31 May 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 2014-2020 LEADER programme had a total allocation of €250 million. €225 million of this budget was allocated directly to the Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver the programme and approve projects at local level. This...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Tidy Towns (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I was pleased to be in a position at the 2021 SuperValu TidyTowns awards ceremony to announce a funding package of €1.5 million to support TidyTowns groups in preparing for the 2022 competition. This brings the total funding allocated to TidyTowns groups to €6.7 million since my Department was established in 2017.    I launched the 2022 SuperValu...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future is the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in Ireland for decades. The policy contains more than 150 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: Harbours and Piers (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Development of the Caladh Mór Pier on Inis Meáin is included in the National Development Plan. As the Deputy will be aware, Galway County Council is responsible for the development of stage 3 of this project.  As part of the preparatory works, the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) was instructed by Galway County Council to develop a model simulation for the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Construction Industry (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund has to date approved funding of €278 million for 191 projects nationwide costing over €377 million.  Projects are initially approved for funding in principle and then progress through a comprehensive approval process before final confirmation of funding is provided by my Department.  At each stage of this approval...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to publishing a 10 year policy on island development with associated three year action plans. My Department has completed the bilateral meetings with all relevant Government Departments. These bilateral meetings have provided an opportunity for detailed discussion of the issues raised by island communities...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 56 together. Our Rural Future clearly sets out the transformative effects that remote working can have in communities across Ireland. Accordingly, over recent years my department has invested some €100 million in the sector, to build, improve and expand hubs. In May 2021 I launched the National Hub Network - connectedhubs.ie.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) is part of a range of measures to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland. The scheme is funded under Project Ireland 2040 as part of “Our Rural Future”. Since the introduction of the Scheme in 2016, almost €113 million has been approved for more than 1,400 projects across the country. In February, I announced almost...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Walks Scheme, which is funded by my Department, contracts landholders to undertake maintenance work on National Waymarked Ways and other priority trails that traverse their lands. The landholders receive modest payments for maintenance work undertaken in line with agreed work plans.  Last September, I announced the approval in principle of 31 new trails...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In delivering on its mission, my Department provides a wide range of strategic interventions, funding programmes and policies to support communities and individuals, including people with disabilities. A large proportion of my Department’s schemes already provide support to people with disabilities and it is not intended to add a specific requirement for a quota at this time. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Public Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) Project is progressing well with 268 sites now live with the remaining sites to be installed by the end of the year. In total there will be approximately 300 Public BCPs in the network across Ireland. As the site connection rate grows the focus of the project is turning towards stimulating demand for use of the sites. There are a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, the Government's rural development policy for 2021-2025 places a clear emphasis on the transformative effect that remote working can have for rural communities.  It also prioritises the revitalisation of rural towns and villages and recognises the importance of addressing the issue of vacant buildings in this regard. A key deliverable under Our Rural Future was the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Vacant Properties (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government recently published Town Centre First - A Policy Approach for Irish Towns.  This represents a whole of Government policy and aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.  The policy is underpinned by significant levels of public investment spread across major Government schemes such as the Rural Regeneration and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Enterprise Sector (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Social Enterprises are businesses that work primarily to improve the lives of people. Their core objective is to achieve a social, societal, or environmental impact. Like other businesses, social enterprises pursue their objectives by trading in goods and services on an ongoing basis. However, surpluses generated by social enterprises are re-invested into achieving their core social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware incorrect bank details were provided by the person concerned when completing their application form.  My Department’s Accounts Branch contacted the recipients’ bank with a view to having the monies recalled.  Unfortunately the efforts to date have been unsuccessful.  My Department will issue formal correspondence to the company involved...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Ireland has negotiated Bilateral Social Security Agreements with a number of countries, including with the Republic of Korea which came into effect in 2009. The main purpose of these Agreements is to protect the pension rights of people who have worked and paid social security contributions in Ireland and the countries with which Ireland has such agreements.  This is achieved by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 14 March 2022.  It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought.  The Appeals Office has now sent a reminder of its request to the Department. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I was pleased to recently announce a series of measures which will remove barriers facing social welfare customers who choose to accommodate people in their homes. I am introducing a new means disregard of up to €14,000 per annum, in respect of those who rent a room in their home.  This brings social welfare rules in line with the Rent a Room Relief Scheme,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: International Protection applicants can apply for a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) online on mywelfare.ie or by contacting their nearest PPSN Allocation Centre. My Department also offers a service via various Non-Governmental Organisations who work with International Protection applicants and assist them in dealing with the PPSN application process. My Department does not collect...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a comprehensive package of carers’ income supports including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant.  Combined spending on all these payments to carers in 2022 is estimated to exceed €1.5 billion.   The Carer’s Allowance is the main scheme by...