Results 581-600 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions (HRC). I can confirm that my Department reviewed the DA payment of person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The new address for the person concerned and his spouse has been updated on the Department's records. The person referred to is in receipt of an Invalidity Pension from my Department with a qualified adult increase for his spouse. The change in circumstances does not affect the rates of IP currently in payment to the individual concerned. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: There is a range of supports provided by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme. These supports can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single Additional Needs Payments (ANPs). The Department may make an ANP to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Under the 2022 Community Centre Investment Fund, over €45.8 million was committed for improvement and refurbishment works on over 860 existing community centres across Ireland. In April, I approved funding of €30 million for the construction of 12 new community centres across nine counties. In June this year, I was delighted to announce a further round of funding to support...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 318, 319 and 320 together. My Department's CLÁR scheme is a targeted investment programme that provides funding for small scale infrastructural projects in rural areas that experience disadvantage and significant levels of de-population. The 2024 CLÁR programme was launched on the 12th April last. The measures being funded under CLÁR 2024 are:...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 321, 322 and 323 together. Under the 2022 Community Centre Investment Fund, over €45.8 million was committed for improvement and refurbishment works on over 860 existing community centres across Ireland. In April, funding of €30 million was approved for the construction of 12 new community centres across nine counties. In June this year,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Men's Sheds (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 324, 325, 326 and 331 together. My Department provides a range of supports which are available to Men's Sheds. Last November, I announced current funding of €1 million to support Men’s Sheds throughout the country. The initiative saw grants of up to €3,000 provided to 378 Men’s Sheds nationwide to assist them with running costs...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Tidy Towns (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 327 to 329, inclusive, together. The Supervalu TidyTowns competition is a unique volunteer-led programme that makes a hugely positive contribution in communities across Ireland. It is abundantly clear that our support for the Tidy Towns competition has delivered very tangible and visible benefits in towns and villages all over the country. I am very...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Under the 2022 Community Centre Investment Fund, over €45.8 million was committed for improvement and refurbishment works on over 860 existing community centres across Ireland. In April, I approved funding of €30 million for the construction of 12 new community centres across nine counties. In June this year, I was delighted to announce a further round of funding to support...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Tidy Towns (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Supervalu TidyTowns competition is a unique volunteer-led programme that makes a hugely positive contribution in communities across Ireland. It is abundantly clear that our support for the Tidy Towns competition has delivered very tangible and visible benefits in towns and villages all over the country. I am very conscious of the work undertaken by our Tidy Towns Groups and of the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Reviews (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department's most recent Organisational Capability Review (OCR) commenced in December 2019 under Action 20 of the Civil Service Renewal Plan. This review was carried out by a team from the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, supported and assisted by a liaison officer from the Department of Rural and Community Development. It followed a set...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 336 and 337 together. A key focus of Our Rural Future (2021-2025) is to promote remote working for public and private sector workers and improve digital skills so that all people can avail of the social and economic benefits made possible by digital technologies and to optimise digital connectivity to support vibrant, sustainable rural communities. In 2021,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 338 to 340, inclusive, together. My Department was established in 2017, and operates a large number of schemes aimed at supporting both rural development and community development. These interventions are improving not just rural areas, town centres and urban areas, but also strengthening the communities that live there. The main rural development...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. It supports a broad range of activities which aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas. The programme includes specific funding themes to support...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland's Rural Development Policy 2021 – 2025, represents the Irish Government’s blueprint for the sustainable development of rural Ireland. It sets out a vision for a thriving rural Ireland, and to that end establishes a strategic framework for the delivery of capital investment under my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme. The delivery of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Services (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The provision of library services is primarily a matter for local authorities in their capacity as library authorities under the Local Government Act 2001. Notwithstanding this, investing in our library service is a key priority for me as Minister and this is reflected in the new Public Library Strategy 'The Library is the Place', which I launched in July last year at the official opening of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not usually maintained by local authorities. As part of Our Rural Future, the government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded in the future. In April of this year, I announced over €40 million in funding for the 2024 and 2025 Schemes, having secured an additional once off...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Tidy Towns (10 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Supervalu TidyTowns competition is a unique volunteer-led programme that makes a hugely positive contribution in communities across Ireland. It is abundantly clear that our support for the Tidy Towns competition has delivered very tangible and visible benefits in towns and villages all over the country. I am very conscious of the work undertaken by our Tidy Towns Groups and of the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I am well aware of classes D and C. Those were the rules in place. It was set out very clearly at the time and people were probably aware of that. I give the Deputy a commitment that I will look at it again.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. I am sorry to hear about the experience that lady had with her mother. We are committed to improving services in the mid-west region. A lot of additional funding has been allocated to UHL by this Government to achieve that. The budget has increased by 59%, to the tune of an additional €158 million, since 2019. Funding increased from €265 million to...