Results 24,281-24,300 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: Absolutely. There are initiatives through the likes of Enterprise Ireland and local enterprise offices. The Deputy is correct about the need to support indigenous industries.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I absolutely agree with the Deputy. It is about finding the correct mechanism to do it. I support the principle that they should get all the support they can because the local indigenous industries are creating jobs. Three or four jobs in a local community are worth 50 or 100 jobs announced in big towns. They make the difference. We are investing in rural Ireland across the Government....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I will start with the final question, as I am, obviously, very familiar with the Border. I absolutely agree with the idea of a Border development zone. It is well worth considering in the context of Brexit, which will clearly be felt more severely along the Border areas than elsewhere. We are looking at increasing tourism in rural areas. I have specifically proposed developing a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: That is a matter for the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment and we can raise it with him. The Chairman mentioned the NTA. It is expanding rural link services. It is about communities coming forward and indicating demand. In Cavan where I launched this, it goes not just into the town. It is going from, for example, from Butler's Bridge into Cavan town, right...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, to answer this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: This plan will be measured by its impact on the people who live and work in rural Ireland. That will be the measure of its success. We will be developing indicators to measure the impacts and there is a monitoring committee set up, which will meet shortly. There are 276 actions in this plan. We will monitor them and the people in Departments and the Ministers who make promises will be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: Pardon?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I understand that the Department is going to publish the new broadband map that will show the areas that are not covered very shortly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I cannot give the Chairman the timescale.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment is working on the matter. The contract is complex and runs to somewhere in the region of 2,000 pages. The Department is working on the matter and I know it is a matter of urgency for it. I cannot give the Chairman a date or timescale. More houses are connected every day. We want to roll out broadband to areas that do not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I will answer the broadband query and the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, will answer the queries about the local improvement scheme. In Kerry, 42,800 premises have access to broadband and another 200 premises will have it in the next couple of weeks. The county is doing fairly well but there is always room for improvement. I have looked at the figures for other counties and know their...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Hedge Cutting Season (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: Section 40 of the Wildlife Acts 1976, as amended, prohibits the cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction of vegetation, with certain strict exemptions, from 1 March to 31 August. Following a review of Section 40, which involved, inter alia, consideration of submissions from interested parties, I announced proposals in December 2015 to introduce legislation to allow for managed hedge...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Leader Programmes Data (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: Expenditure to date in 2017 under the LEADER 2014-2020 programme amounts to €689,201. This is a combined amount for administration and animation costs incurred by the Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver the programme. Up to 25% of total expenditure incurred by the LAGs over the duration of the programme may be claimed in respect of administration and animation costs. My...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Foreshore Licence Applications (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 and 236 together. Under the Foreshore Act, 1933, a decision in relation to the lease of foreshore in this instance is a matter for the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. In accordance with Regulation 27 of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (2011 Regulations) it is a matter for that...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Environmental Regulations (1 Mar 2017)

Heather Humphreys: My Department maintains frequent contact with the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in regard to environmental matters, including the provision of advice on matters where I, as Minister, am a statutory consultee. This contact can and does include matters which are the subject of communications from members of the public which may relate to areas which are the...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Foreshore Licence Applications (28 Feb 2017)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 489 and 490 together. It is my understanding that under the Foreshore Act, 1933, a decision in relation to the lease of foreshore in this instance is a matter for the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. In accordance with Regulation 27 of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (2011 Regulations) it...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Centres (28 Feb 2017)

Heather Humphreys: The Arts and Culture Capital Scheme was specifically targeted at supporting our regional arts centres with applications invited from arts and cultural centres across the country. In total, 106 applications were received by the Department. The detailed selection criteria and eligibility requirements were published in the Guidelines of the Scheme. There was a two stage assessment process....

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Freedom of Information Data (28 Feb 2017)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has not incurred any legal fees on FOI requests received during the period in question. Dealing with FOI requests is part of the usual duties of officials and the time spent on processing such requests is not monitored separately. However, I am advised that an exercise carried out by my officials in 2016 on a sample number of cases suggested that an overall average of twelve...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Architectural Heritage (28 Feb 2017)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, the Abbey in question is owned and managed by the local authority and therefore the carrying out of any works to the structure would primarily be a matter for Donegal County Council itself. In excess of 1,000 national monuments at over 700 locations are in direct State care, including notable sites in County Donegal such as Donegal Castle, Doe Castle and Grianan of...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Architectural Heritage (28 Feb 2017)

Heather Humphreys: My role, as Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, with regard to the protection and management of our architectural heritage, is set out in the provisions of relevant legislation, as are the role of local authorities and the responsibilities of owners as regards heritage assets. There are a number of ways in which my Department and other bodies act in respect...