Results 25,041-25,060 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Ministerial Advisers Remuneration (21 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Since my appointment as Minister on 6 May 2016, I have appointed two special advisers, Sarah Meade and Pauric McPhillips. Both advisers are paid at the relevant Principal Officer (Standard Scale) rate in accordance with the standard arrangements put in place by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Mr McPhillips, who began in the role this year, is paid at the first point of the...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Waterways Ireland Staff (20 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 282 to 284, inclusive, together. As of 31 December 2008 Waterways Ireland employed 335 staff, comprised of 118 Professional, Technical and Administration staff (who are primarily office based although Waterways Ireland does not classify staff by such a category) and 217 Operational (Industrial) staff, including 9 fixed term operational (industrial) staff...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Titles (20 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The Government, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 6(1) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1939 (No. 36 of 1939), made the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2016 - Statutory Instrument No. 357 of 2016 - on 5 July 2016. The Order came into effect on 7 July 2016 and provides that the title of my...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Investigations (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has looked into this matter and replied to correspondence last week. I consider that this matter is now closed.

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Reports (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs was established on 9June 2016. The Department has responsibility for all the matters that previously came within the remit of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, which was itself established on 2 June 2011, and in addition is also responsible for certain functions transferred from the Department of the...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Legal Cases (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 529, 531 and 532 together. I am advised that there is a confidential legal agreement in place with Meath Partnership which was entered into by the then Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. In terms of investigations, I understand that there is a Garda investigation ongoing but it clearly would not be appropriate for me to make any...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Contracts (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 530 and 534 together. I understand that Meath Partnership operates a number of programmes/initiatives on behalf of the State and also conducts its own business as a private limited company. Accordingly, my Department would not have details of the nature referred to by the Deputy nor would it have information on fundraising activities that Meath...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Leader Programmes Data (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER funding agreement for County Meath was awarded to Meath Local and Community Development Committee (LCDC), of which Meath Partnership is an implementing partner, along with Meath County Council, which is the lead financial partner. On 8 July 2016, I launched the LEADER programme in Virginia, Co Cavan, where I signed funding agreements with 20 local action groups, including Meath LCDC.

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: While Meath Partnership operates a number of programmes/initiatives on behalf of the State, it also conducts its own business as a private limited company. Accordingly, Meath Partnership is obliged to provide information relating to travel undertaken in respect of programmes under my Department’s remit only. In that regard, I am advised that travel and subsistence to the value of...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Funding (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I assume that the Deputy is referring to investment in arts culture. In this regard, the Programme for a Partnership Governmentcontains a very important commitment to work to progressively increase funding to the arts, including the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board, as the economy continues to improve. I can assure the Deputy that I will be engaging with my colleagues in Government and...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Plan (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to forward a draft of Culture 2025to the Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs later this week.

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Film Industry (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The Irish Film Board (IFB) has primary responsibility for the support and promotion of film-making in Ireland, in respect of both the indigenous sector and inward productions. The following table shows the allocation from my Department to the Irish Film Board from 2011 to 2016: Table 1 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Grant to Irish Film Board (€million) 18,431 15,690 14,858 13,962...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Special Areas of Conservation (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 539 and 540 together. Following the public advertising of the intention by Ireland to designate special areas of conservation, these sites were transmitted to, and subsequently adopted by, the European Commission as sites of community importance or European sites. Once adopted by the Commission, these sites are known as candidate special areas of...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: EU Directives (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: I indicted in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 148 of 30 June 2016 that there is a facility, under section 42 of the Wildlife Acts, for a person to obtain a permit, to take certain actions, including the scaring, capturing or killing of birds where they are causing serious damage to buildings and other structures, food (including human food products), agricultural crops, forestry...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: EU Directives (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: My reply to Parliamentary Question No. 465 of 12 July 2016 indicated that while Ireland, like all EU Member States, is bound by the requirements of the Birds Directive, there are circumstances under which member states can derogate from certain provisions of the Birds Directive in cases where there is no other satisfactory solution. These applications can be made by individuals and public...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Ministerial Advisers Data (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Details are provided below regarding staff paid from my Department’s Vote whose appointments are coterminous with my term of office as Minister or coterminous with the terms of office of the two Ministers of State at my Department. In relation to my two special advisers, both have Degrees in Journalism and extensive experience relevant to their role and both are paid in accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Road Projects Status (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has had extensive engagement, including significant pre-planning engagement, with Galway County Council in regard to this road project and most recently my colleague, Mr. Sean Kyne, T.D., Minister of State, chaired a meeting of Galway west elected representatives, officials of Galway County Council and officials of this Department. As the Deputy knows, it was agreed that...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Leader Programmes Expenditure (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: The total allocation for the LEADER 2007-2013 and LEADER 2014-2020 programmes in 2016 is €40m. To date in 2016, approximately €1.2m has been expended on projects under LEADER 2007-2013, with a further estimated €0.7m to be spent before year-end. The remaining allocation, some €38m, was earmarked to cover preparatory support for the development of LEADER...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Cross-Border Projects (19 Jul 2016)

Heather Humphreys: Government approval to restore a 2.5km stretch of the Ulster Canal from the Shannon-Erne Waterway to the International Scout Centre at Castle Saunderson, Co. Cavan was granted on 24 February 2015. The project, which comprises three work phases, is being undertaken by Waterways Ireland, who have an allocation of €2.7 for the project in 2016. Phase 1, the site investigation work,...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Hedge Cutting Season (19 Jul 2016)

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 cutting...