Results 2,901-2,920 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: We all want to reduce the number of drownings. Sadly, I know it all too well, it will not just be a matter of one drowning. A family member may go out and it could unfortunately end up being two people in the same family who drown. That has happened on many occasions. I am happy to work with Water Safety Ireland. As the Deputy knows, I will meet the chairperson shortly and I will...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The town centre first policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. It supports the our rural future policy for a thriving rural Ireland. Last week, I attended the national town centre first day with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Kieran O’Donnell, where I announced the second round...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: A lot of work is being done across government to bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use. I am very much in favour of the bottom-up approach. That is why we have the town centre first officers. They will engage with the different stakeholders in the towns to get a unified approach, decide what their priorities are and get the applications in. In my Department, the focus is on...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, under the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, provides the vacant home refurbishment grant of up to €70,000. There is huge demand for this scheme. I have already seen houses that have been lying idle for years being renovated. It is great to see that because many of them already have services there. There is the vacant...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: No, it is not.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Hold on-----

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future contains a range of measures to support the sustainable economic and social development of rural Ireland. Under this policy, significant investment has been made in rural Ireland in recent years through various schemes such as my Department's Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, and the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure scheme, to name...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Water Safety (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Water Safety Ireland (WSI) is the statutory, voluntary body and registered charity established to promote water safety and reduce drownings in Ireland. WSI has statutory responsibility for the promotion of public awareness of water safety; advancement of education related to the prevention of accidents in water; instruction in water safety; and the establishment of national standards for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Road Projects (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 61 together. Under Our Rural Future, Ireland's 5 year rural development policy, Government has committed to increasing the level of investment in the repair of non-public roads thorough the Local Improvement Scheme. This reflects the important contribution which the scheme makes to connectivity in rural Ireland. There is no other source of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57, 65 and 82 together. In recent years, we have all come to appreciate our community facilities even more. I know we have all witnessed first-hand the positive benefits that can accrue by making greater use of our community centres. Community centres are a vital resource for any community. They are where we go for community activities and events, and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development. LEADER funding is available in all areas of Ireland with the exception of the five main cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. The programme is delivered through Local Action Groups and is based on a community-led approach to rural development. It supports...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, Galway County Council is the responsible authority for the maintenance and development of pier infrastructure on the Aran Islands. A steering committee consisting of representatives from my Department and Galway County Council meets on a regular basis, with the most recent meeting taking place on 20th February, to monitor progress on the development of the piers on...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Services (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In July 2023, I launched the new Public Library Strategy 2023-2027 "The Library is the Place: Information, Recreation, Inspiration". This sets out 66 strategic actions under 9 strategic objectives and 3 strategic enablers for our public libraries, for the next five years. It is an ambitious forward-looking strategy which sets the direction of travel for the public library service and seeks...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Water Safety (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Water Safety Ireland (WSI) is the statutory, voluntary body and registered charity established to promote water safety and reduce drownings in Ireland. WSI has statutory responsibility for the promotion of public awareness of water safety; advancement of education related to the prevention of accidents in water; instruction in water safety; and the establishment of national standards for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Policies (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Budget 2024 provides the Department of Rural and Community Development with a gross allocation of €431 million. This will provide €210 million for capital investment, with the remaining €221 million for current expenditure. These allocations represent a core funding increase of €4 million for capital and €12 million for current, compared to 2023. The capital...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Policies (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future commits to developing an effective rural proofing model to ensure the needs of rural communities are fully considered in the development of Government policies. Last year, my Department published a body of research including the international experience of rural proofing. The international evidence is very clear that effective rural proofing has been difficult to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure throughout rural Ireland. Under the 2023 ORIS scheme, applications were invited under the following four measures:Measure 1: small scale projects requiring funding of up to €30,000, Measure 2: medium scale projects with funding of up to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flood Relief Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is funded into the future. In 2023 alone, a record investment of almost €30 million was allocated to local authorities nationwide, bringing the total amount invested in LIS since its re-introduction in 2017 to almost €130 million. €422,764 was allocated to Louth...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) supports capital projects in towns, villages and rural areas across Ireland. To date, 215 projects have been approved for RRDF funding of €414 million for projects costing €571 million. Calls for applications to the Fund are sought under two categories – Category 1 and Category 2. Category 1 relates to large scale...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: International Protection (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In May 2023, together with Government colleagues, I announced details of €50 million in funding for some 900 projects under the Community Recognition Fund. This Fund recognises the efforts of communities who have gone above and beyond during what has been a very challenging period for our country. It will support towns and villages nationwide that have shown such generosity in...