Results 10,261-10,280 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the opportunity which remote working presents and also the potential of remote working hubs as key economic assets for our rural towns and villages. My Department has invested some €100m in the development of remote working facilities across a range of schemes.  For example, the Rural...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. I launched this year's programme in February with a total budget of €7 million.  This represents an increase of €1.5 million on the budget for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The sustainability of the communities on our off shore islands is a core objective of the Government, as set out in its ‘Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, Our Rural Future’. The policy acknowledges the importance for island communities of access to reliable, safe and affordable connectivity services to and from the mainland.  Contracts for these services are procured by...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period.  I launched the 2022 CLÁR programme in February with a total budget of €7 million. This represents an increase of €1.5 million on the budget...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35, 40 and 55 together. The Town Centre First (TCF) 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...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: a five-Year Strategy to Support the Community & Voluntary Sectors in Ireland, launched by Government in 2019, set a general direction of travel for government policy in relation to community development, local development and the community and voluntary sectors and copper-fastened the renewed relationship and partnership between...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Since 2017, the Department has provided funding of over €2 million to the Irish Shows Association for Agricultural Shows throughout Ireland. I recently announced an increase in funding to €700,000 for 2022 to support the return of the agricultural shows after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic. Some 120 events are set to benefit and I hope that this funding...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Harbours and Piers (31 May 2022)

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. My Department is aware of this issue regarding the sandbank, which can hinder freight services to the island. Officials from my Department meet on a regular basis with Galway County Council to discuss issues relating...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER Programme is one of the key interventions of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development launched last year. The 2014-2020 LEADER programme had a total allocation of €250 million. €225 million of this budget was allocated directly to the Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver the programme and approve projects at local level. This...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Tidy Towns (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I was pleased to be in a position at the 2021 SuperValu TidyTowns awards ceremony to announce a funding package of €1.5 million to support TidyTowns groups in preparing for the 2022 competition. This brings the total funding allocated to TidyTowns groups to €6.7 million since my Department was established in 2017.    I launched the 2022 SuperValu...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: 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 towns and villages, with a key objective to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Harbours and Piers (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Development of the Caladh Mór Pier on Inis Meáin is included in the National Development Plan. 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 (NMCI) was instructed by Galway County Council to develop a model simulation for the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Construction Industry (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund has to date approved funding of €278 million for 191 projects nationwide costing over €377 million.  Projects are initially approved for funding in principle and then progress through a comprehensive approval process before final confirmation of funding is provided by my Department.  At each stage of this approval...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to publishing a 10 year policy on island development with associated three year action plans. My Department has completed the bilateral meetings with all relevant Government Departments. These bilateral meetings have provided an opportunity for detailed discussion of the issues raised by island communities...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 56 together. Our Rural Future clearly sets out the transformative effects that remote working can have in communities across Ireland. 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 Network - connectedhubs.ie.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) is part of a range of measures to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland. The scheme is funded under Project Ireland 2040 as part of “Our Rural Future”. Since the introduction of the Scheme in 2016, almost €113 million has been approved for more than 1,400 projects across the country. In February, I announced almost...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Walks Scheme, which is funded by my Department, contracts landholders to undertake maintenance work on National Waymarked Ways and other priority trails that traverse their lands. The landholders receive modest payments for maintenance work undertaken in line with agreed work plans.  Last September, I announced the approval in principle of 31 new trails...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In delivering on its mission, my Department provides a wide range of strategic interventions, funding programmes and policies to support communities and individuals, including people with disabilities. A large proportion of my Department’s schemes already provide support to people with disabilities and it is not intended to add a specific requirement for a quota at this time. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Public Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) Project is progressing well with 268 sites now live with the remaining sites to be installed by the end of the year. In total there will be approximately 300 Public BCPs in the network across Ireland. As the site connection rate grows the focus of the project is turning towards stimulating demand for use of the sites. There are a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, the Government's rural development policy for 2021-2025 places a clear emphasis on the transformative effect that remote working can have for rural communities.  It also prioritises the revitalisation of rural towns and villages and recognises the importance of addressing the issue of vacant buildings in this regard. A key deliverable under Our Rural Future was the...