Results 6,241-6,260 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (25 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Department has had one contract with KPMG over the last 12 months to the value of €336,405. I am satisfied that the contract awarded was subject to a rigorous assessment of need and was compliant with EU Directives and national legislation and guidelines. I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Services (25 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The rules for children and young people borrowing age appropriate books from public libraries are primarily a matter for local authorities, in their capacity as library authorities under the Local Government Act 2001. However, I am advised that it has always been the case that parental consent is required for library membership for under 18s. The new library management IT system, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (25 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The provision of library services, including the provision of library buildings, is primarily a matter for local authorities in their capacity as library authorities under the Local Government Act 2001. Accordingly, progress on the works in Ballaghaderreen Library, and the timeline for completing the project are, first and foremost, a matter for Roscommon County Council. I am advised...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (25 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) was introduced in 2016 and is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland making them more attractive places to live, work, and visit. Since the introduction of the scheme in 2016 over €149 million has been allocated to more than 1,600 projects across Ireland. It has supported a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (25 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: In January I launched the Community Recognition Fund which aims to support the development of community infrastructure and facilities in recognition of the contribution being made by communities across the country in welcoming and hosting significant numbers of arrivals from Ukraine and other countries. The funding is specifically targeted at projects that are located in communities,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (25 Apr 2023)

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 regularly to monitor progress on the development of the piers on the Aran Islands, and held their most recent meeting last week. It is my...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (25 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to publishing an islands policy, in line with the Programme for Government commitment and commitments made in Our Rural Future. I received the initial draft of the policy before Christmas, and since then officials from my Department have engaged intensively with colleagues across Government Departments and agencies to agree firm...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Harbours and Piers (25 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, Galway County Council is the responsible authority for the maintenance and development of Inis Oírr pier. A steering committee consisting of representatives from my Department, Galway County Council and the Consulting Engineers meets regularly to monitor progress on the work being undertaken. The most recent meeting took place last week. Galway County Council...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (25 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future is the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in Ireland for decades. It commits to developing an effective rural proofing model to ensure the effects of significant new proposals on rural communities are fully considered, and better target the particular challenges and opportunities facing them. To advance this measure, my officials commissioned...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (25 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 663, 666 to 668, inclusive, and 671 together. My Department's mission remains to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. My Department continues to liaise with stakeholders in communities around the county including through the Local Authorities, Local Community...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (25 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 664, 665, 669 and 670 together. A vital part of my Department's mission is to support vibrant and sustainable communities across this country. My Department provides targeted investment and supports in both rural and urban communities, which enables rural regeneration, facilitates new working opportunities and fosters regional enterprise growth. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (25 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development launched in 2021, which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. The programme is based on a community-led approach to rural development and plays an important role in supporting communities and enterprises in progressing job...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future is the whole of Government policy for sustainable rural development in Ireland. It was published in March 2021 and is the most ambitious rural development policy for Ireland in decades. It contains more than 150 measures intended to support the post–covid recovery in the short-term, economic and social development in the longer terms as well as environmental and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Contracts (25 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has not had any contracts with KPMG in the last 12 months.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (20 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Where a customer’s appeal is successful, every effort is made to implement the decision of the Appeals Officer (AO) within three weeks of notice of the decision being received from the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (20 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department understands the many pressures faced by customers and always seeks to ensure that claims are handled quickly and efficiently. I am pleased to report that claim processing is up to date, with processing targets met, or exceeded, on average for all the main scheme areas. Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. Schemes that require a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (20 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments (ANP) to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. An ANP is an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments, and certain other Supplements available to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from a person’s...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (20 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) is a means-tested payment made to people who are unemployed and who do not qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit. Amongst other qualifying conditions a person must be capable of work and available for full-time work. According to the records of my Department, the person concerned was awarded JA with effect from 19/12/2022. Following the person’s commencement...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (20 Apr 2023)

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. I confirm that my Department received an application for DA from the person concerned on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Data Protection (20 Apr 2023)

Heather Humphreys: One of my statutory functions as Minister for Social Protection is the authentication of a person's identity in the manner described, and for the purposes set out, in primary legislation. Once a person has authenticated their identity by way of the SAFE registration process, they are issued with a Public Services Card (PSC) which can be used as proof of identity when accessing public...