Results 10,221-10,240 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Island Communities (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy may be aware, I have agreed that once-off emergency funding would be made available by my Department to Cork County Council to support the provision of a temporary ferry service for Dursey Island while the county council repairs the existing cable car infrastructure, which is owned and operated by the local authority. It is important to note that council is responsible for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Island Communities (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I know that the Deputy is absolutely committed to finding a solution. My Department has tried to do everything it could but the tender response received by Cork County Council in April 2022 was limited. 10 o’clock We thought we would be able to assist in providing a seven-day service but, as it transpired after the tenders came out, all there is now is a much smaller service, in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Deputy Carroll MacNeill is dead right to make the case. I suggest the council continues to send in applications. Kilternan got €80,000 in 2017. Stepaside got €100,000 in 2018. I encourage the Deputy's local council to keep sending applications. The urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage offers...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Strategies (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Our Rural Future is the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in Ireland for decades. The policy contains more than 150 measures for delivery across the whole of Government, with the underlying theme of economic, environmental and societal sustainability. The policy has a vision of ensuring vibrant and thriving rural...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Strategies (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In response to Deputy Stanton, decentralisation is now by choice and is called remote working. That is the best decentralisation and it is working. That is the good news. Deputy Kerrane raised the matter of the report on rural-proofing. I have only just received the report. I will fully consider the options presented in consultation with my officials and I will weigh up the merits and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Vacant Properties (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. The Town Centre First policy is a major cross-Government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. Key to this is the establishment of the national implementation office to assist in the delivery and implementation of the policy, and to co-ordinate stakeholder engagement at a national level....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Offshore Islands (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Public consultation meetings have begun and have been held on a number of island communities before Covid-19 restrictions resulted in the suspension of the process. Online public consultation meetings were then arranged for the remaining island communities via videoconference call, although this was logistically more challenging due to various factors such as broadband quality. Thankfully,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Offshore Islands (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: There is a strong commitment across Government to support development of the islands. I could give a list of the different things that have happened on the islands recently. There has been much more investment in them. There has been a major focus on them since responsibility for them has come into the Department of Rural and Community Development. I think that is recognised. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The town and village renewal scheme is part of a range of measures to support the revitalisation of rural areas. The programme is funded under Project Ireland 2040 as part of Our Rural Future. The scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the local authorities. Since the introduction of the scheme in 2016, more than €113 million has been approved for more than 1,400...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In response to Deputy Stanton, CPOs are a matter for the local authorities. It will be up to them to decide to purchase a property compulsorily. We will give them the money and they will need to go through the procedure. They can acquire it. The building acquisition measure is a new stream within the town and village renewal scheme. It will provide up to €400,000 to each local...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Digital Hubs (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for his words of encouragement. Our Rural Future, Ireland's Rural Development Policy 2021-25, recognises the potential of remote working hubs as key economic assets for our rural towns and villages. Accordingly, over recent years, my Department has invested some €100 million in the sector to build, improve and expand hubs. In May 2021, I launched the national hub...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Digital Hubs (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Deputy O'Connor referred to Youghal. I had a great time there with him and Deputy Stanton. It is wonderful what is happening in the town. It certainly is being regenerated and if there is any support we can give to people there, we will, of course, do so. I visited the boardwalk, which is a great addition to the town. Well done to those involved. This is what I want to see happening....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Offshore Islands (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As she knows, the Government is committed to publishing a ten-year policy on island development, with associated three-year action plans. My Department has completed the bilateral meetings with all relevant Departments. These bilateral meetings have provided an opportunity for detailed discussion of the issues raised by island communities and for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I know about the milk tanks coming in these roads and there were a few concerns that they would not come in any more because they were in such bad condition. Thankfully, I am aware of one case where the road was fixed and the milk tanker is going in to collect the milk. The Deputy will appreciate that and I mention the challenges that rural people face. The only thing I have to make to him...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I know this is something the Deputy has raised with me on a number of occasions. The development of the Caladh Mór pier on Inis Meáin is included in the NDP. As the Deputy will be aware, Galway County Council is responsible for the development of stage 3 of this project. As part of the preparatory works, the National Maritime College of Ireland was requested by Galway County...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: We need the draft business case from Galway County Council and these different surveys have to feed into it. To be honest with the Deputy, I had to ask my officials what a bathymetric report is. Apparently it measures the depth of the waters, the underwater features and the marine species. It is a mapping of the sea floor. I am asking the same questions the Deputy is asking. She has...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: If I knew how to do these reports, I would do them myself and I am sure the Deputy would do the same because it seems to be going on and on. Work has been done on the pier. As we know, it is dangerous for the ferry operators to come in when the tide is at a certain level. There is an issue impacting the cargo ferry in that there are many occasions on which large differences in the sea...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I made a large additional allocation last year, which was welcomed, and I am committed to supporting the LIS. Some local authorities did not spend all of their allocation last year. Donegal was one of those. Its spend was €35,000 short. We allowed it to carry that amount into this year, but its 2022 allocation has been reduced as a result of the shortfall in delivery. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Funding is allocated each year based on the geographical area of each county, with a minimum and a maximum allocation applied, and the basis for allocating funds is reviewed each year. My Department has received indicative figures from the local authorities for the applications on hand. We need to be sure that the figures provided for each county are comparable. The officials are...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The focus of the LIS is to support the continued improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities but that represent vital infrastructure for rural residents. The scheme is also used to fund non-public roads leading to important community amenities such as graveyards, beaches, piers, mountain access points or other tourism and heritage sites. ...