Results 23,561-23,580 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Correspondence (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 62 of 2nd May 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Commemorative Events (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I am committed to re-establishing the Oireachtas All Party Consultation Committee on Commemorations. I intend to put in place the practical arrangements to re-constitute the group very shortly. In the period leading up to the 1916 centenary commemorations, the All Party Consultation Committee on commemorations was instrumental in promoting an open, consensus-based and honest approach, which...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Animal Welfare (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: Officials of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department monitored seventeen hare coursing meeting during the 2016/17 coursing season. It is intended that these reports along with the Irish Coursing Club reports which range over 70 coursing meetings will be published on the NPWS website over the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Special Areas of Conservation (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The National Raised Bog SAC Management Plan 2017-2022, due to be published in the coming period subject to Government approval, will set out how the raised bog special areas of conservation are to be managed, conserved and restored and how the needs of turf cutters are to be addressed. Within the framework of the Plan, my Department is considering the available options in terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Creative Ireland Programme (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The Taoiseach and I launched the Creative Ireland Programme 2017–2022 in December 2016 as the Government Legacy Programme for Ireland 2016 and as the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach, the draft cultural policy which I published in July 2016. As noted in my response to the Deputy on the 7 March last, this is a...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Leader Programmes Administration (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER programme is a key part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development and has the capacity to deliver significant outcomes for rural areas. I am committed to implementing the LEADER 2014-2020 programme as effectively and as efficiently as possible. However, I am also aware of concerns regarding some of the administrative procedures related to the programme, and I...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Action Plan for Rural Development (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The Action Plan for Rural Development recognises the contribution that tourism makes to the rural economy and includes a series of actions to maximise Ireland’s rural tourism and recreation potential. Recreational tourism is a key growth sector worldwide and has been identified as a priority for Irish tourism in future years. The development and promotion of this sector provides...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Gorse Burning (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I would like to thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Significant environmental damage is caused by wildfires. This issue has become more acute in recent years, as evidenced by the spate of fires in various parts of the country, including a Coillte owned site of some 4,000 hectares Co. Galway in recent weeks. Wild fires are not a natural phenomenon in Ireland and...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Film Industry Development (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 114 together. The Government supports the Irish audiovisual industry through the Irish Film Board and through Section 481 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 - the film tax relief scheme. This twin approach of direct funding and tax expenditure measures maximises the benefits of the Government’s support to the audiovisual industry. The...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Action Plan for Rural Development (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: Action 165 of the Action Plan for Rural Development commits to examining the potential to promote rural Ireland as the destination of choice for US colleges wishing to avail of a rural-based learning or study experience abroad. The company referred to by the Deputy has considerable experience in delivering rural-based learning in Connemara and is in the process of developing a residential...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Local Authority Staff (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The report of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce, which was published last December, recommended the assignment by each Local Authority of an officer with responsibility for broadband and mobile phone services. The function of this officer is to act as a single point of contact for telecommunications operators on the rollout of telecommunications infrastructure,as well as to increase...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Leader Programmes Administration (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: In total, €250 million will be invested in LEADER over the period to 2020. The programme is co-financed by the European Union to the value of €157 million through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and is subject to the EU Regulatory provisions governing rural development funding. It is important, therefore, that appropriate checks and balances are in...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: National Planning Framework (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The development of a new National Planning Framework (NPF), which will set out a new strategic planning and development context for Ireland out to 2040, is being led by the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. A public consultation process on the NPF was launched last February and ran to 16thMarch. I met with the outgoing Minister for Housing, Planning and Local...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Council (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: In September 2015, I published the first value for money policy review of the Arts Council. It was undertaken by the Department’s Evaluation Unit under the guidance of an expert Steering Committee chaired by Dr. John O’Hagan, Professor of Economics at Trinity College. The review commended the Arts Council for its response to the economic crisis by significantly reducing...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Western Development Commission Funding (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The Western Development Commission was established in 1999 to promote, foster and encourage economic and social development in the Western Region, defined as the counties of Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway and Clare. The Commission has achieved a lot for the region since its establishment. However, there have also been a number of important policy and operational...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Promotion (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I am pleased to confirm to the Deputy that Ireland has a very strong presence in the international music arena. There are a number of organisations in receipt of state support whose remit is to build and develop the career of musicians, grow their audiences at home and working with Culture Ireland, a division of my own Department develop their careers internationally. Similar to Iceland...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I, along with Minister Michael Ring T.D., met with the Ballinrobe Town Hall Committee in April last at their request. During the meeting, the Committee presented its vision for a new town hall in Ballinrobe and outlined the business plan underpinning the venture. The Committee was interested in exploring whether any funding options were available from my Department which could support their...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Special Areas of Conservation (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The National Raised Bog SAC Management Plan 2017-2022, due to be published in the coming period subject to Government approval, will set out how the raised bog special areas of conservation are to be managed, conserved and restored and how the needs of turf cutters are to be addressed. Within the framework of the Plan, my Department is considering the available options in terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts in Education Charter (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 109 together. The Creative Ireland Programme, which the Taoiseach and I launched in December, places a special focus on “Enabling the Creative Potential of Every Child”. Building on the Arts in Education Charter this will involve the development of an integrated plan – Creative Children - to enable every child in Ireland to access...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Dormant Accounts Fund (20 Jun 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The Unclaimed Life Assurance Policies Act 2003 and the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Acts 2005-2012, provide a framework for the administration of unclaimed accounts in credit institutions (i.e. banks, building societies and An Post), and unclaimed life assurance policies in insurance undertakings. The Dormant Accounts Fund is managed by the National Treasury Management Agency. The Acts...