Results 2,881-2,900 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Sorry, Inis Meáin. At least they are finished that.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: It seems to take an awfully long time to anything with islands. I will be straight with the Deputy. I would like to see it move a bit quicker. At least now stage one of the tender is over. We are at the second stage. Galway County Council has completed the evaluation. Now it will ask for the more detailed tenders to come in. That will take up to four months to assess. I will keep the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The officials from my Department and Galway County Council meet on a monthly basis. The last meeting was on 20 February. I get updates, particularly when I have parliamentary questions. I will continue to maintain the pressure to make sure we move this on but Galway County Council has a role here as well. It needs to keep the momentum going too.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Island Communities (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I do not have the date here but we are keeping the pressure on Galway County Council. The maps have been agreed, so if there is anything the Deputy can do to ensure the council gets the necessary contracts in to us, we will be happy to get them signed and moved on. I know how important it is that there should be a primary care centre there. I will take the matter up with the Minister for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Control of Dogs (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. My Department has policy responsibility for the Control of Dogs Act and local authorities have responsibility for all operational matters, including enforcement. The Control of Dogs Act set out a number of legal obligations with which all dog owners must comply. The Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 set out further requirements on compliance...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Control of Dogs (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The local authorities will be part of this stakeholder group. I updated the Government today on the work I am doing in the Department on dog control. The sum of €2 million has been provided in funding to local authorities to enable them to upgrade dog shelters and purchase equipment to support the local dog wardens in their work, but also to fund a neutering campaign. My...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Control of Dogs (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank both Deputies for their questions. To go back to the dogs, I am also in contact with the local authorities. They will be on the stakeholder group. There are many different stakeholders when it comes to dogs. The farming community will be represented on it. I thank Deputy Donnelly for providing the example of Fingal County Council, which obviously runs a very good show when it...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Galway County Council is the responsible authority for the maintenance and development of pier infrastructure on the Aran Islands. In July 2023, I gave approval to Galway County Council to issue a request for tender for the development of the Inis Oírr pier. Galway County Council is the contracting authority and is therefore responsible for all aspects of the procurement process. A...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Island Communities (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Connolly for raising this issue. As the Deputy is aware, the land on which the Inishbofin is located is currently owned by Galway County Council. These lands were acquired by way of a compulsory order by Galway County Council on behalf of the Department. Part of the site is intended for eventual use by the HSE for a primary care centre. The transfer of these lands...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Island Communities (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As I said, the matter is with Galway County Council at present. My Department was in touch with it in November and again in January to get its solicitor to complete the legal aspects. The Deputy is correct. I was reading the file and the project goes back a good while, to say the least. The Inishbofin airstrip was completed in late 2010 but, in July 2013, the then Minister of State...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The towns recently announced - Bagenalstown, County Carlow, was mentioned - will all get funding of €30,000 to work on their plans, and they can also get money to support their town teams and build capacity within communities. You have to encourage people to become engaged, speak up, make their views known and get the applications in. My focus is on utilising the buildings that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputies for the issues they raised. Under the second measure in the town centre first suite of supports, Newtownmountkennedy is the designated town in County Wicklow and Kanturk is the town in County Cork. It is very much about supporting these towns. The town centre first officer who will be appointed for each county can work with towns that need that support. Youghal is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Island Communities (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I try to meet the islands communities at the Comhdháil na nOileán AGM if I can. I was not able to do so last year but I hope to do so this year. I like to see action, just as Deputy Connolly does. Some good things have happened on the islands. Last week, I announced the largest ever expansion of Ireland's national walks scheme with 62 new trails, across 17 counties. This...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Island Communities (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As the Deputy will be aware, last June I launched Our Living Islands, the national islands policy, on Arranmore island, County Donegal. The policy recognises the challenges facing the offshore islands in relation to housing, which was one of the most pressing issues of concern raised by island communities during the public consultation process...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Island Communities (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Many of the actions the Deputy referred to lie with the Department of housing. However, I have engaged directly with the island communities and I know that housing is the big issue. If you are living on an island, there are additional construction costs for transporting materials. That is why I am keen, as part of our islands policy, that my Department provide the 20% top-up to the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47, 60 and 67 together. The town and village renewal scheme is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. It is a key driver of the national rural development policy, Our Rural Future, and the town centre first policy. Since the launch of the scheme in 2016, more than €156 million has been...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Island Communities (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, I launched Our Living Islands - the National Island Policy 2023-2033 in June of last year. Our Living Islands is a substantial document, a ten-year policy backed up by rolling three-year action plans. It has time-bound commitments so that Departments and agencies across Government can be held to account for its implementation. Following the publication of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Island Communities (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The monitoring committee will meet at least twice in the full year, typically in spring and autumn. The committee may appoint subcommittees from time to time to discuss particular items as necessary. Members will be invited to submit items for inclusion on the agenda, which will be circulated in advance, and minutes will be kept at each meeting and circulated to members in advance of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Water Safety (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for raising this matter. Water Safety Ireland, WSI, is the statutory, voluntary body and registered charity established to promote water safety and reduce drownings in Ireland. Water Safety Ireland’s remit includes public awareness and education. It strives to reduce drownings by changing attitudes and behaviours so that our aquatic environments can be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Water Safety (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Ireland does not have the worst drowning rates in Europe. In fact, countries such as Lithuania and Latvia have considerably more, but any drowning is just awful. I live in Monaghan where there are a lot of lakes. There are a lot of lakes in Cavan; there are 365 of them, actually. I am very well aware of the dangers of our water systems, both those at sea and on lakes in inland counties. ...