Results 26,141-26,160 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Monuments (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is engaged with the monument owners and other relevant parties with the aim of transferring the property into State ownership as quickly as possible. The Department is also examining options for how best the restoration of the buildings for use as a commemorative centre can be effected with a view to having it open to the public at the earliest possible date. In that context,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Alfred Beit Foundation (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: The sale of these paintings is a matter for the committee of management of the Alfred Beit Foundation which owns and operates Russborough House. My Department has no function in the administration or sale of these art works. However, I did meet on Tuesday night with the chairperson of the Alfred Beit Foundation and two other trustees. I asked the chairperson if it would be possible to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Alfred Beit Foundation (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: The Alfred Beit Foundation met the former Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht a number of years ago. I am not aware that the specifics of the sale were discussed in 2013, but I want to be very clear that I was only informed of the decision last month. That was the first time I met the chairperson of the foundation, several months after it had entered into an agreement with...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Alfred Beit Foundation (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: As I have to be clear, I will repeat the point: the Alfred Beit Foundation is the owner of the relevant paintings at the centre of the current sales. I had a meeting with it and asked if it could approach Christie's to delay or postpone the sale. It was clearly said to me that it could not do so because if it did, it would incur a penalty of £1.4 million sterling for not proceeding...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Promotion (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: The Action Plan for Jobs 2015 was published in January this year and is the fourth in the multi-annual series which promotes a whole-of-government approach to economic recovery, export growth and job creation. The Action Plan sets out a number of actions in relation to the heritage and arts sectors. The nature of employment within these sectors encompasses a wide range of activities, from...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: National Flag (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: I understand that the Limerick City Museum has been in direct contact with the Imperial War Museum in London regarding the possible loan of the flag referred to by the Deputy. In addition, there already has been very beneficial co-operation between the National Museum and the Imperial War Museum, including in relation to existing exhibitions in Collins Barracks. I also recently visited...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Heritage Council Funding (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: The scope to provide additional funding for the protection, conservation and development of the State’s heritage is constrained by the current national economic difficulties and the significant reduction in the public finances. The Heritage Council, which my Department funds, has been allocated a sum of €4.743m in 2015 to fund its role of supporting heritage infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: National Library (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: The National Library of Ireland is a statutorily independent body. While my Department provides funding to the national cultural institutions, the management and board of each institution are responsible for all operational matters, including storage, security and conservation, and I do not have a statutory function in respect of such day-to-day matters. It is the responsibility of the...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Irish Language (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: The report entitled Nuashonrú ar an Staidéar Cuimsitheach Teangeolaíoch ar Úsáid na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht 2006-2011was published by Údarás na Gaeltachta on 29 May. The report provides an update on statistical information contained in the Comprehensive Linguistic Study of the Use of Irish in the Gaeltacht 2007 andtakes account of Census data from 2006 and...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: National Archives (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: By their very nature, archives, particularly State archives, grow continually due to the annual statutory intake of records. As a result, storage and increasing demands on space are ever-present issues for the National Archives. The use of off-site storage responds to this demand. The Government has recognised the demands facing the National Archives and, in December 2014, approved phase...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: National Monuments (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: As I indicated in my reply to today’s Priority Oral Question No. 2, I secured the approval of the Government to acquire the national monument at Nos. 14–17 Moore Street for the State, following the decision of Dublin City Council to reject proposals that would have given the Council full ownership of the monument, along with NAMA funding to cover the full cost of restoring it...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: National Archives (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: The digitisation of records held by the National Archives has been an immense success. Since 2007, over sixteen million people have accessed online the digitised records of the 1901 and 1911 Census returns. Other projects in respect of which digital records are available on-line include: - The ‘Soldiers’ Wills’ containing wills of Irish soldiers who died serving in the...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: National Parks and Wildlife Service Staff (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: Hare coursing is administered by the Irish Coursing Club, a body set up under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minster for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Under the terms of the Wildlife Acts, licences are required by the Irish Coursing Club on behalf of their affiliated clubs to facilitate the tagging and the capture of hares. Such licences...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Film Industry Development (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: Primary responsibility for the support and promotion of film-making in Ireland, in respect of both the indigenous sector and inward productions, is the responsibility of the Irish Film Board. This includes assistance with locations for the making of films. The Film Board has a good track record of using Irish scenery as a major asset in attracting film makers to Ireland. Detailed information...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts in Education Charter (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: Both the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, and I are committed to implementing the Arts in Education Charter. A major objective in the Charter was the establishment of a National Arts in Education Online Portal for arts education in Ireland. The Charter Implementation Group gave detailed attention to the planning and design of such a portal and, with the assistance of...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Architectural Heritage (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: Funding for the protection of built heritage will continue to be provided by my Department in 2015 via a number of schemes. This includes making €624,000 available this year under the Structures at Risk Fund to support properties protected under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and deemed to be at significant risk of deterioration. Since 2011, over 100 structures have...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Commemorative Events (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: One of the core objectives of the Government’s Ireland 2016Centenary Programme, which was launched on 31st March last, is to capture the imagination of our young people so that they may better understand the events of 1916. My Department has been working with the Department of Education and Skills to ensure that the Centenary Programme reaches every school in the country. Key events...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Film Industry Development (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: Primary responsibility for the support and promotion of film-making in Ireland, in respect of both the indigenous sector and inward productions, is the responsibility of the Irish Film Board. This includes assistance with locations for the making of films. The Film Board has a good track record of using Irish scenery as a major asset in attracting film makers to Ireland. Detailed information...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Special Areas of Conservation Designation (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: The draft National Raised Bog Special Area of Conservation Management Plan provides for the future restoration and management of 53 raised bog candidate special areas of conservation and was developed arising from a motion in Dáil Éireann in March 2012, put forward by the Technical Group and unanimously supported by all members. It sets out the approach to how each of the candidate...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Architectural Heritage (18 Jun 2015)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has established an Irish Historic Houses Steering Group, the objectives of which is to advise me with regard to strategies to support the sustainable future of larger Irish historic houses, in particular with regard to the complexities of balancing private ownership with public benefit, and to ascertain if existing supports provided by various government Departments, local...