Results 24,621-24,640 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (1 Dec 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I hear what the Deputy has said. The Leader programme came into my Department's remit in late July of this year and many of these decisions had already been made at that stage. Reference was made to Comhar na nOileán and representatives in east Galway. They are certainly talking at the moment. They are looking to see how they can work together. That is a good idea. My Department...

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016 is important legislation. The bringing forward of this Bill is a commitment in the programme for a partnership Government. Ireland has designated 75 natural heritage areas, NHAs, under national law for the protection of raised bog habitats. These sites complement the 53 areas of protected raised bog in Ireland which have been nominated for designation as...

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2016)

Heather Humphreys: It is important to remember that this Bill arises from the Review of Raised Bog Natural Heritage Area Network, which was published in 2014. The reconfiguration of the raised bog natural heritage area network, which this legislation will facilitate, is based on sound, scientific evidence and will have a positive impact on the network. The focus of the Bill is to provide for the...

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Yes, it was a process that involved consultation. Much work and scientific investigation underpins it.

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I understand the Deputy's point but my concern is that any Minister would have power to de-designate an NHA without having carried out the preparatory scientific analysis. Much scientific evidence allowed us to make the decision. We did not just make a decision, much work was put into it and the process has been going on since 2014. I would be concerned that it would be a potentially...

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2016)

Heather Humphreys: This Bill is to provide specifically for a review of the raised bogs habitat. If I were to include blanket bogs then it would fundamentally change the ambit of the legislation. Much work was done over a long period and it would be premature to extend the provisions to blanket bogs without the required scientific work and it is legislatively outside what was approved by the Government.

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I will consider this further. Perhaps the Deputy could meet my officials to consider this and we could address it on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The purpose of the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill is to provide for a review of raised bog habitats, making amendment and revocation of natural heritage area orders, and for those purposes to amend the Wildlife (Amendment) Act. Natural heritage areas are proposed for designation and de-designation under the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000. A similar procedure in relation to the designation of...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Regional Development Funding (1 Dec 2016)

Heather Humphreys: This Government aims to deliver balanced development across the regions so that as the economy recovers, the benefits are felt across the country. Responsibility for key elements of the Government's regional development strategy is shared across a number of Government Departments and State agencies. One of the key European funding lines which aims to address regional imbalances across...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Ulster Canal Restoration Project (1 Dec 2016)

Heather Humphreys: One of my main priorities since taking Ministerial office has been the restoration of the Ulster Canal. I secured Government approval to restore a 2.5 km stretch of the Ulster Canal from the Shannon-Erne Waterway to the International Scout Centre at Castle Saunderson, Co Cavan on 24th February 2015. The work to reopen this stretch of the Ulster Canal continues to progress. Waterways...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Staff Recruitment (30 Nov 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised that staffing levels across all divisions in my Department are kept under regular review in line with emerging business needs as part of the Department's workforce planning process. When posts become vacant for any reason, they are not treated in isolation as vacancies to be automatically filled. Instead, the continuing requirement for such vacant posts is critically examined...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rural Economic Development Zones (30 Nov 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for a Partnership Governmenthighlights the importance of town and village renewal in revitalising rural Ireland. In the last number of months, I have introduced a number of schemes which will support the development of towns and villages all over Ireland. In August, I launched a new Town and Village Renewal Scheme which has allocated funding of almost €10 million to 172...

Other Questions: Natural Heritage Areas Designation (29 Nov 2016)

Heather Humphreys: In November 2015, the European Commission approved funding for a €5.4 million project under the EU LIFE 2014-2020 programme for the restoration of active raised bogs in 12 special areas of conservation, SAC, sites in Ireland. This project will operate for five years and it commenced in January 2016. It is being implemented by a project team that will work closely with local...

Other Questions: Natural Heritage Areas Designation (29 Nov 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy mentioned Bord na Móna but that is under the remit of the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten, and his Department. I can raise the matter with him. The regional action plan for jobs outlines a number of initiatives to create employment in rural areas. With the Bill referred to in my reply, I am trying to find a balance that ensures...

Other Questions: Heritage Council Funding (29 Nov 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Certainly.

Other Questions: Rural Development Policy (29 Nov 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I did not catch all the names of those towns. Maybe the Deputy could say them to me again.

Other Questions: Rural Development Policy (29 Nov 2016)

Heather Humphreys: A dedicated co-ordination unit has been established within my Department and is currently working on finalising an action plan for rural development, which will act as an overarching structure for the co-ordination and implementation of initiatives across Government and which will benefit all of rural Ireland. The implementation of these initiatives will contribute significantly to the...

Other Questions: Rural Development Policy (29 Nov 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Unemployment is down again today. The figures show that it is at its lowest in eight years, at 7.3%. Like Deputy Penrose, and as a rural Deputy, I want to see jobs in rural Ireland. Jobs are being created in rural Ireland, and we want to see more. Regarding broadband, as the Deputy knows, the national broadband plan is being rolled out. The plan falls under the remit of the Minister...

Other Questions: Rural Development Policy (29 Nov 2016)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy knows, the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, has established the post office hub working group to identify potential models under which the post office could act as community hubs, especially in rural areas. This group has identified three potential options around the hub concept, and the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, expects to be in a position to report back to Government on...

Other Questions: Natural Heritage Areas Designation (29 Nov 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The Review of Raised Bog Natural Heritage Area Network, published in January 2014, concluded that Ireland could more effectively achieve conservation of threatened raised bog habitat through focus, protection and restoration of a reconfigured network. This will entail the phasing out by 1 January 2017 of turf cutting on 36 existing natural heritage areas, which will remain designated. This...