Results 8,681-8,700 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Schemes (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: There has been multimillion euro investment in rural Ireland. Through the RRDF, there has been millions of euro invested in town centre regeneration projects and the conversion of old, derelict buildings into remote working hubs. There has been investment through the town and village streetscape enhancement initiative, which is now looking at repurposing whole buildings. I spoke to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Deputy Dillon has been a strong advocate for projects in County Mayo. Mayo did very well actually. I have a long list to hand of projects funded. It is important that we help these community centres. The Deputy asked me whether there is an appeals system and there is. We asked Pobal to assess these applications for us and it did so. There will be an appeal system whereby an organisation...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy O'Donnell. There is a good long list in Limerick as well. I want to thank all the Deputies. I believe everybody supported me on this scheme because it makes a huge difference to communities. That is what we are about. We are about helping people and communities to realise their ambition for their areas. There is nothing more annoying than struggling at community level and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: No, you would drown.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: It is important that we look at new schemes that help communities all the time. I value the input that I get in this Chamber and from each Member individually. At different points, Members say to me that I should look at this or that and I continually review the schemes. In fairness, there was a great number of successful applications in County Kerry, averaging around €18,000,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Cannon. He is right actually. It could be a social centre for a retirement village. I visited Bree, Wexford, a few weeks ago where they have a wonderful community centre. It is like a campus. They have everything together including the community centre, the GAA club, with a school and a crèche beside it. These are all together, so that when you leave one you just...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Schemes (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The whole purpose of category 2 funding is to help people to prepare projects for category 1 funding, which is for big multimillion euro projects. The cost of construction has gone up. We employ a quantity surveyor as part of the assessment, which is important to ensure the costs and contingencies have been included by the lead party for the project. In line with best practice in project...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Schemes (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be glad to hear the LEADER programme allocation for Cork is almost €21 million, up from €13.9 million under the previous programme. This is a 50% increase and the highest allocation in the country for the biggest county in the country. We assess applications on population and deprivation. Some counties get more funding than others based on that. There may be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 75, 82, 114 and 129 together. I am committed to supporting communities across Ireland through my Department's two strategies, namely, Our Rural Future and Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities. As part of that commitment and in line with the programme for Government, I launched the €15 million community centres investment fund in April...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The National Economic and Social Council report was positive and suggested lessons can be learned from the community call. The Deputy is right. He mentioned addiction. Two weeks ago I was in Fettercairn, out beside Tallaght, where there is a group called Connect. I think it is funded by the partnership. Its members go out at night, identify people who are vulnerable, bring them in and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. This year my Department had a budget of €378 million, which is utilised to provide supports to both urban and rural communities. The national development plan also places a particular focus on solutions to strengthen housing, climate ambitions, transport, healthcare and jobs growth for communities in every region. My Department supports the development of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will appreciate my focus is first and foremost on supporting rural communities. That is my priority as Minister for Rural and Community Development. Many of my Department's funding programmes, such as CLÁR and the rural regeneration fund, are specifically targeted at rural towns, villages and parishes. For the larger urban population areas the Government has the urban...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I am being given the job of doing the elbowing. I take Deputy Bruton's point. I appreciate there are bigger communities, more people moving in and facilities are needed. I secured €20 million for a fund targeted at new-build community centres. That fund can be drawn down in both rural and urban areas. It will be targeted specifically at areas where there has been population growth...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Schemes (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I will give the Deputy an overview of the RRDF first. The fund has to date allocated funding of €280 million for 191 projects nationwide costing over €380 million. Calls for applications to the fund are sought under two categories, namely, category 1 and category 2. Category 1 relates to large-scale ambitious capital projects with all necessary planning and other consents in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Cork's funding is up by 50%, which will make a considerable difference on the ground. Whether it is LEADER, the rural regeneration and development fund, the town and village renewal scheme, the outdoor recreation fund; CLÁR, the new community centre investment fund, the streetscape scheme or the community enhancement programme, there is a funding scheme for everything and each scheme...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department introduced specific supports, interventions and funding packages in response to Covid-19, having assessed the emerging needs of urban and rural communities impacted by Covid-19. My Department was also instrumental in setting up the local authority community response forum, or community call forums, which had a particular focus on vulnerable people in our communities. A review...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy is right that there are many learnings from Covid. I met a group of women last week - I do not know whether you would call them women's sheds, hen's sheds, sisters' sheds or whatever - to see how we can develop a national organisation similar to the men's sheds, because women do not have such an organisation in place. One lady from Dublin said she lost her mother during Covid and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Roads were always funded by the Department of Transport. In fairness to Deputy Michael Ring, when he became Minister in the Department, he started to fund them. No more than Deputy Kerrane, we are rural Deputies and know the benefits. He created a fund within the Department of Rural and Community Development. The Department of Transport has a very large capital budget, far in excess of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I appreciate the help of the Deputy in convincing people of the benefits of the scheme. I know all rural Deputies feel the same. The issue was raised in the House recently. Perhaps we can convince the Department of the Minister, Deputy Ryan, to help us deal with the backlog and get rid of it. As I said, some counties are doing quite well and have nearly cleared their backlog. Others...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (27 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: LEADER is a key programme in Our Rural Future and I am happy to confirm that the expression of interest stage to select the groups to deliver the next LEADER programme is now open. The allocations for each LEADER area have also been announced as part of this process. The procedure to select LEADER groups will be open, transparent and competitive. Central to the formation of the groups will...