Results 23,721-23,740 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: Of course, I increased the Arts Council's funding by €5 million this year.

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The point is that it is not all about the money; it is about bringing people together and getting them to work together and that-----

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The Department has always allocated funding for arts in education and supported the work of the Department of Education and Skills on that programme. Creative Ireland and Pillar 1 will deliver on this and get action started. While some work has been done, the aim is to get more people working together. The Creative Children plan, which will be launched in September, will set out how the...

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: Yes, this is about bringing all of this into the Creative Ireland space. The arts and education charter is fine in that we agreed to work together. Creative Ireland and Pillar 1 will make that happen and I am pulling together the various stakeholders who are having conversations and working out a plan as to how we will make it happen.

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The Department is working with the education centres and the Arts Council and Department of Education and Skills are also involved.

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: Yes, the education and training boards were involved in the meeting. We are working very closely with the Department of Education and Skills, which will also assists in the delivery of the programme. I also want more funding to be provided for this purpose but we must first have a plan in place. The plan will be launched in September, at which point we will seek additional funding to roll...

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I am speaking specifically about enabling the creative potential which is Pillar 1. We will draw up a plan to ensure that every child gets access to arts in primary and secondary school.

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The €5 million allocation is for Creative Ireland, which has a number of pillars. It is also about investing in the cultural institutions and increasing community participation.

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The Arts Council received an increase of €5 million in its funding and has, in turn, increased its budget for arts in education from €3.1 million to €3.7 million. There are a number of different stakeholders involved in this area, all of which will use some of the funding provided to them to ensure Pillar 1 is delivered. In addition, I will make the case for increased...

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: No, not at this stage. It is about pulling it all together.

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I will explain the decrease in capital expenditure. The lower overall capital allocation is due to the once-off nature of a number of capital projects in 2016, including the decade of centenaries programme and a pier project. These capital projects have been completed. The reductions were offset by an increase in rural capital funding of €17 million. The best comparison that can be...

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Vice Chairman for his comments. Like him, I want to see the money being spent in communities. I will give some background information. The Leader programme 2007-13 was active until 2015. Indeed, some of the projects continued into 2016. Sometimes, it takes a while to get these programmes off the ground. The rural development programme 2014-20 was not agreed by the European...

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I will address the question of Leader funding first. I want to be clear that in the event of any Leader savings emerging this year, I will seek, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to ensure that the value of any savings will be retained for the benefit of rural Ireland. It would arise if all of the money is not spent, although I would still say it is early....

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: All I can say to the Deputy is that I am monitoring it closely . I am meeting with them. There were savings last year and I made sure, with the Ministers of State, Deputies Ring and Kyne, that any of that money went into rural Ireland whether-----

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: It did because money from the Leader programme was put into rural projects.

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: Well it will be spent very soon. The Deputy knows the story. The Ulster Canal is a project with which the Deputy is familiar.

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: They are on the Department's website.

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: In respect of the Ulster Canal, I am glad to say that the contracts are signed for the Derrykerrib bridge. This is the stretch that will go from Belturbet to Castle Saunderson. On another part of it, funding was applied through Waterways Ireland and was successful. A total of €5 million was received to develop the blueway on the towpath along the canal from Smithborough to Middleton...

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: Yes. It is on the proposal.

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Revised) (11 May 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I apologise. I overlooked that question. In respect of development in west Cork, the strategy submitted by the two parties in respect of west Cork was of a very high standard but the strategy submitted by the West Cork LCDC scored highest, as the Vice Chairman is aware. The European Commission has confirmed that the West Cork Development Partnership has made two complaints to it about the...