Results 601-620 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: Yes. The Minister has asked HIQA to examine the matter and he is waiting for the response.

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

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. He makes a valid point. When you are getting your pension and the price of everything is going up but your pension is not, it is not nice. I agree with the Deputy. I will ask the relevant Minister to speak directly to the Deputy on that point. It is a matter for An Post, given the issue concerns its pension scheme. I will raise the issue with the Minister, Deputy Ryan.

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

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. The Irish Road Haulage Association is a great organisation with which the Deputy and I are both familiar. Hauliers are hard workers who just want to get on with their jobs, and I acknowledge that. I will bring the Deputy's point to the attention of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan. I will ask him to engage directly with the Deputy.

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

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. My Department of Rural and Community Development is committed to investing in rural Ireland. We are committed to repurposing old buildings and changing them for 21st century use. There has been engagement between my Department and the local authority in Tipperary and we will continue to engage and progress the proposals it brings to us.

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

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. It is important to put matters into context. Some 140,000 children are carried to school every day on a bus provided by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education.

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

Heather Humphreys: I know about such children because there are some in my own constituency. There are still a few children for whom a bus has not been provided. Things happen. Unfortunately, we are in a very tight labour market and it is hard to find bus drivers. There is no doubt about that. To give the Deputy an example, one bus driver broke his ankle and could not drive the bus and nobody could be...

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

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. Yes, I met the Waterford workers along with the Taoiseach. This is a long-running issue and is quite complicated. We accept that. I have not received advice yet. It is a complex matter, but as soon as we do, we will be in touch.

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

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. I am not familiar with the specific case but I will ask the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to engage with the Deputy directly on this.

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

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy and he and I have discussed this at length on many occasions. He is right that some of the savings or capital allowances for means tests need to be changed. I agree with him there. My officials are finalising the report and I will give the Deputy a commitment that as soon as I receive it I will share it with him.

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

Heather Humphreys: I will go back to my officials after these questions are finished and find out where the report is. As soon as I receive it, I will share it with the Deputy because a lot of what he wants to do, I want to do also.

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

Heather Humphreys: I agree there is more we can do on our connected hubs. We now have a wonderful network. We are one of the first, certainly in Europe if not globally, to have such a network of hubs throughout our country. In fact at an OECD conference Ireland was singled out as being leaders in this field. The Deputy is right that there is more we can do. I asked the Western Development Commission, which...

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

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. I will have to check with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, when the next round of funding is due. I am more familiar with the rural regeneration and development fund, as the Deputy will appreciate. I will ask the Minister to get back to the Deputy on this. The Deputy is right that the funding has made changes. The centres of towns have been transformed by the urban...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I believe St. Brigid's will open as a community healthcare network. There will be 28 people working there so there will be a lot of services-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ------provided. Anyway, I will go back to what I am supposed to be answering here. To give the Deputy an example, a mother has two children aged 13 and eight and she is a carer for one of them. She currently receives carer's allowance with increases for her children that total €348 per week. That is a real example. Her weekly child support payment has increased by €8 for...

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

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. As he knows, the money collected from that tax is ring-fenced to support people who are less well off. We have the fuel allowance-----

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

Heather Humphreys: I have announced a fuel allowance lump sum that people will be receiving. There are two energy credits worth a total of €250 that are going to be issued before Christmas. There is a 20% reduction in public transport fares for another 12 months.

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

Heather Humphreys: In fairness Deputy, there is a very good-----

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

Heather Humphreys: -----Local Link in County Monaghan and you will have to acknowledge that.

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

Heather Humphreys: There is a great bus service there now and indeed when I get time I am going to use it one of these days. There is free public transport for children under nine-----

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

Heather Humphreys: -----and an increase in the rent tax credit of €1,000 per person. Sin é.