Results 7,541-7,560 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has provided a range of supports which both Men's and Women’s Sheds have availed of, depending on the works being completed. In 2020, the Community Enhancement Programme received total funding of €7.2m, including €5m under the Government's July stimulus package for repairs and upgrades to community centres and community buildings. Under this programme, 15...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has provided a range of supports which both Men's and Women’s Sheds have availed of, depending on the works being completed. For example, in 2018 the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP)provided capital funding for community groups which included €0.5m that was ring-fenced for Men's Sheds and again in 2019, €0.5m was ring-fenced under the programme for both...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Road Projects (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 45 and 64 together. The Local Improvement Scheme, or LIS, supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities. As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded into the future. The scheme makes an important contribution to connectivity in rural Ireland. I am also...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Budgets (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Following the recent supplementary estimate my Department has a gross budget of €389 million for 2022, of which €195 million is current and €194 million is capital. However, it should be noted that €10.5 million in capital funding was repurposed from capital to current to provide supports to assist the response to the Ukraine crisis, effectively reducing the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I was delighted to secure €20 million in funding under Budget 2023 to continue the Community Centres Investment Fund. This builds on the €15 million which was announced under the fund in 2022. On October 12th, I announced over €12.5 million in funding for 580 successful Category 1 applicants. And on December 8th, I announced a further €33 million in funding...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014, set out a range of requirements for all dog owners or any other person in charge of a dog. S.I. No. 442/1998, the Control of Dogs Regulations 1998, sets out further requirements that owners of specific breeds of dogs, including strains or crosses of those breeds, have to follow. Such dogs must be muzzled and led, on a sufficiently strong leash or chain...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: One of the key focuses of Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021 - 2025 is optimising digital connectivity to support vibrant, sustainable rural communities. As stated in Our Rural Future, there is an overall ambition for government to transform digital connectivity for rural communities and enterprises. I want to close the digital divide between rural and urban communities and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) aims to assist with the rejuvenation of rural towns and villages throughout Ireland, making them more attractive places to live, work, and visit. In line with the commitment in Our Rural Future, the 2022 scheme prioritised the renovation of derelict and vacant buildings in our town centres, with a view to bringing these buildings back into use. ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Bodies (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce was re-established in December 2021 with an inaugural meeting co-chaired by myself and Minister of State Ossian Smyth TD, involving participation from all key State stakeholders. In April 2022 we held a full meeting of the Taskforce with both State and Industry representatives. After this meeting the Terms of Reference and Work Programme for 2022-2023...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: On October 12th, I announced over €12.5 million in funding for 580 successful Category 1 applicants under the Community Centres Investment Fund. On December 8th, I was delighted to announce a further €33 million in funding for 278 successful Category 2 and 3 applicants. Details of the successful applicants are available on my Department’s website. Contact with...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Supervalu TidyTowns competition is a unique community movement which has a huge impact on our communities throughout Ireland. It is an extremely effective and important sustainability initiative in Ireland, both from an environmental and community perspective. It encourages communities to improve their local environment and make their area a better place to live, work and visit. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and I was delighted to secure €20 million in funding under Budget 2023 to continue the Community Centres Investment Fund. This builds on the €15 million which was announced under the fund in 2022. The huge interest in this fund shows how important community centres are for communities...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has provided a range of supports which both Men's and Women’s Sheds have availed of, depending on the works being completed. For example, in 2018 the Community Enhancement Programme provided capital funding for community groups which included €0.5m that was ring-fenced for Men's Sheds and again in 2019, €0.5m was ring-fenced under the programme for both...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy was launched in early 2021. The policy recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025. In furtherance of this commitment, my Department’s focus to date has been on strategically...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (15 Dec 2022)

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 can confirm that my department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The purpose of the Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) is to assist people with essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The ENP scheme is demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Community Welfare Service (CWS) is committed to providing a quality service to all citizens, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Approximately 70% of Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) applications are processed within four weeks. If an application is urgent, every effort is made to ensure the person receives a payment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP), formerly Family Income Supplement, is a weekly in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. To qualify for Working Family Payment the customer must be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment and have at least 1 qualified child who normally resides with them. An application...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall Social Welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Carers allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 21 October 2022. It is a condition for receipt of CA that...