Results 25,221-25,240 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: I will take the last question. Deputy Ó Cuív knows that the Ulster Canal project is very close to my heart. There were great plans for it but, unfortunately, they did not materialise. I am delighted, therefore, that I got work started on it and was the first to do so. Funding has been made available through the Waterways Ireland budget for the first part of the canal, which goes...
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: There are no plans at the moment to expand the number of waterways under the remit of Waterways Ireland. The first priority is the existing waterways. Waterways Ireland does a great deal of work on recreational activities on the waterways. I recently attended the opening of a recreation-based facility for canoeing and so on in Ballyconnell on part of the Shannon-Erne waterway. There has...
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: I am happy to work on a cross-Border basis and I am all for wider co-operation. We need to do that in terms of arts, heritage and the natural heritage. There is a lot of departmental co-operation. Yesterday, I met the two new Northern Ireland Ministers, Paul Givan and Chris Hazzard. I had a very good working relationship with the previous Ministers, Carál Ní Chuilín and...
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: The project going on at the moment relates to Castle Saunderson. That will be a huge benefit to the scouting centre there, which receives in the region of 11,000 visitors every year, mostly young people from various countries. Those responsible for the project are absolutely delighted that they will get this additional facility. Deputy Smyth would be very familiar with Castle Saunderson...
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: It is very well advanced.
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: There might be a question about a couple of matters that must be resolved, including old ownership issues.
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: Regional development and rural affairs comprise a new and important part of the work of my Department. The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring, will address the aspects related to his brief. This is a key priority for the Government. Over €61 million has been allocated for these purposes in my Department's Vote this year, with €40 million allocated for the Leader element...
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: The €40 million allocation for the Leader programme is all capital. The old programme is in its final stages and is nearly closed. Then we will have the new programme. We had a successful pilot scheme, REDZ, the rural economic development zones. I want to look at this in terms of getting money out to the Leader groups.
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: Yes.
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: It is correct that the administration element of the Leader programme is paid out of the €40 million capital allocation for this year. It is all in the capital allocation.
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: The focus has to be to move development from the east coast and move investment and jobs into rural areas and the regions. I will be shortly developing an action plan for rural Ireland and I will be happy to take on Deputies’ suggestions for it. All the different Departments will feed into that plan. The Action Plan for Jobs is successful. It sets targets, is measured and is...
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: I will let the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring, deal with the post office issue. I want to see the town and village enhancement scheme rolled out as soon as possible. I have some ideas, but I want to work through the local authorities. The best approach is to get them to engage with local communities. I want the town teams to come forward with proposals on how they can improve...
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: I am not aware-----
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: As that responsibility has only recently been moved to my Department, I will have to come back to the Deputy with an answer. I am sorry, I do have the answer. There was no programme last year. It is a new programme this year.
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: Yes, that was to finish off of the 2014 programme.
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: I will seek further clarification for the Deputy because I do not have the-----
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: There is a total allocation of €250 million for the Leader programme and €40 million is in the budget for this year. I want to get this moving. That is the main thing. I want to see the funding out in the communities because that is where it needs to be. I am attending an event in Virginia in County Cavan on Friday and I will be signing the contracts there for at least 18 of...
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: That scheme belongs to the Department of Social Protection. However, there is a special Cabinet sub-committee and I will raise the issue of the rural social scheme there. That sub-committee holds to account every Department that relates to rural Ireland. They will be asked the relevant questions concerning what they are doing for rural Ireland. The Taoiseach chairs that sub-committee,...
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: The aim of the REDZ scheme is to support and develop the town centre and local retail economy, ameliorating the pressures businesses were experiencing following the recession, and to develop the concept of community leadership following the abolition of town councils. We want to work with local authorities and chambers of commerce as that is very important. We must work with business...
- Select Committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (5 Jul 2016) Heather Humphreys: Absolutely not. It is not necessary to have anything. If there is a good community group, it is fine.