Results 61-80 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: The delivery of vital locally based Community Welfare Services (CWS) to meet the challenges and the needs of citizens across the country is a priority for me and for my Department. The Community Welfare Service provides a flexible service to meet the different needs of clients, who may find themselves in a financially difficult or vulnerable situation. It is a priority that this service is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (22 Jan 2025)

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 this person on 09...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has seven staff members who took a career break which included all or part of 2023 or 2024. The table below shows the grades, and the dates and duration of these career breaks. Grade Career Break From Career Break To Length of Career Break Administrative Officer 09.03.2022 11.03.2024 2 Years ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: DRCD and it's agencies do not tend to carry many vacancies at any one time. This is as a result of the priority placed in the timely backfilling and recruitment of new posts as required. The Department's approach to recruitment follows best practice and guidance from the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA). The number of vacancies, by month and by grade for 2023 and 2024...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: My Department currently has six staff members on career breaks. However, no staff in my department have been on a career break lasting 5 years or longer, therefore no requests for extensions have been received. In line with Civil Service Circular 04/2013, all staff nearing the end of a career break are required to give two months' notice of their intention to return to work. This gives...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Projects (22 Jan 2025)

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. Notwithstanding this, in April 2024, I announced the new Libraries Capital Programme for the period 2023-2027, which will invest €22.6m in 11 state-of-the-art infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: My Department maintains a focus on filling vacancies quickly using a range of recruitment approaches, both internal and external. There are currently three vacancies in my Department, shown in the table below. Vacancy Estimated Timeframe for filling the Vacancy 1 x Service Officer January / February 2025 1 x Higher Executive...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Road Network (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not usually maintained by local authorities. Since its establishment in 2017, almost €170 million has been provided by Government to local authorities for LIS. This funding has so far resulted in improvement works on almost 4,500 roads, benefitting over 20,000 landowners and residents in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Projects (22 Jan 2025)

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, the delivery of library services in Mahon Blackrock is primarily a matter for Cork City Council. In April 2023, my Department invited proposals for funding under a new...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Appointments to State Boards (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: There are four agencies under the aegis of the Department of Rural and Community Development. These are the Charities Regulatory Authority, Pobal, Water Safety Ireland and the Western Development Commission. There has been no new appointments to the boards of any of these four agencies since 01 November 2024. The start date of all appointments and re-appointments to boards are available...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns, villages and rural areas across Ireland. Funding is allocated to local authorities and other State-funded bodies, who take the lead role in individual projects. The Ardee Castle project was allocated RRDF funding of €2,147,000 in 2019. This a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: In June last year, I was delighted to announce a new round of funding to support community groups to upgrade and refurbish the community facilities in their areas. The Community Centre Investment Fund 2024 will provide funding of between €10,000 and €100,000 towards capital costs for the refurbishment of existing community centres. The window for applying for the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) is a strategic capital investment fund that is key to the delivery of Ireland's rural development policy, Our Rural Future 2021-2025. RRDF provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages and rural areas across Ireland. Funding is allocated to Local Authorities and other State-funded bodies,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: In June last year, I was delighted to announce a new round of funding to support community groups to upgrade and refurbish the community facilities in their areas. The Community Centre Investment Fund 2024 will provide funding of between €10,000 and €100,000 towards capital costs for the refurbishment of existing community centres. The window for applying for the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: Galway County Council is the responsible authority for the maintenance and development of pier infrastructure on the Aran Islands, including on Inis Oírr. There are regular meetings between officials from my department and Galway County Council to discuss and monitor the pier development on the islands. The last meeting was held on Tuesday 14 January, and the next meeting is scheduled...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Artificial Intelligence (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: My Department follows the current advice from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) as set out in “Cyber Security Guidance on Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Public Sector Bodies” published on 1 June 2023. All staff in the Department have been informed of the Department's position on this issue. Training has not been provided to staff on the use of AI. I...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a range of supports which are available to Men's Sheds. In November 2023, I met with members of Men’s Sheds at their first ever national conference in Virginia, County Cavan, called ‘Shedfest’, where I announced current funding of €1 million to support Men’s Sheds throughout the country. The initiative saw grants of up to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Properties (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has its headquarters in Dublin, and this is the only building it occupies in Dublin The address is Trinity Point, 10/11 Leinster Street South, Dublin 2, D02 EF85.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Official Travel (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: Information relating to the destination and cost of Ministerial foreign travel are regularly updated on the Department's website and are available here: www.gov.ie/en/collection/ee623f-ministerial-expenses/. The information in the table below includes the cost of flights, hotels and expenses for my travel and those officials accompanying me. Dates Destination ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (22 Jan 2025)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1757, 1758 and 1759 together. 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. ...