Results 11,041-11,060 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) identification and selection process closed at the end of 2020 resulting in 300 public sites identified for a broadband connection. Since then approximately 259 Public BCPs have been connected by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) and are now in operation, with a further 41 Public BCPs due to come on stream in the coming months. As the selection...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The project referred to by the Deputy was the subject of an application to the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) under the 3rd call for Category 2 applications in 2021. Calls for applications to the RRDF are sought under two categories – Category 1 and Category 2. Category 1 relates to large scale ambitious capital projects with all necessary planning and other...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In line with a commitment given in “Our Rural Future”, funding of €50,000 has been allocated to the Vintners Federation of Ireland(VFI) to support a “Pubs as Community Hubs” pilot programme. "Pubs as Community Hubs" will explore how the rural pub can be utilised as a space for community activities and services which may not be currently available locally....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Renewable Energy Generation (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Climate Action Plan 2021 contains a number of measures to increase the rollout of renewables on the grid to help reduce emissions. A key priority within these measures is enabling citizen and community participation in the energy transition across the country, including in rural communities. Whole-of-government collaboration requires us all to work together across our organisations...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ferry Services (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy may be aware, I have agreed that once-off emergency funding will be made available to Cork County Council to provide a temporary ferry service for Dursey Island. This funding for the service ensures that Dursey Island residents and the local farming community will continue to have reliable mainland connectivity while Cork County Council repairs the existing cable car...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (5 Apr 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: Rural Schemes (5 Apr 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 draft CAP Strategic Plan, which includes LEADER, was submitted to the EU Commission by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine at the end of December 2021. This is in line with the timelines set by the EU Commission. The process of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future 2021-2025 is the most ambitious rural development policy for Ireland in decades. It was published in March 2021 and contains more than 150 measures across the whole of Government, for both short-term recovery and longer-term development. Delivery of the Our Rural Future rural development policy is monitored through a series of Work Programmes and Progress Reports - the First...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Community Centres Investment Fund is a new capital fund with a budget of €15m to support community groups with the upgrade and refurbishment of existing Community Centres. This is an investment in both rural and urban communities across the Country. The Community Centres Investment Fund will support community groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with the upgrade and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Vacant Properties (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme 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 2021 scheme prioritised the renovation of derelict and vacant buildings in our town centres, with a view to bringing these buildings back into use. The scale of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regeneration Projects (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 137 and 139 together. My Department delivers a range of programmes and schemes to assist in rural and community development, which are available to eligible community groups and organisations throughout the country. In the 2022 Revised Estimates, my Department was allocated €378 million. My Department's programme supports include: CLÁR 2022:...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Outdoor Recreation and Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as trails, walkways, cycleways, blueways and bridleways in rural areas. The scheme is funded by my Department in partnership with Fáilte Ireland. The scheme objectives include facilitating the development of outdoor recreational...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware,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. In February, I launched this year's programme, with a total budget of €7 million, an increase of €1.5 million on the previous year....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Transport (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Social insurance contributions are made in accordance with the legislation and the employment terms and conditions in force at the time they are made and eligibility for social insurance benefits flow from that. Civil and public sector employees, recruited prior to 6 April 1995, pay social insurance contributions at modified rates under classes B, C and D. Amongst the class B...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department does not maintain records of the number of persons who meet with the Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) in Intreo Centres and Outreach locations. The following tables show: - the number of Basic weekly Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) in payment in December 2019, 2020 and 2021 in the locations concerned. - the number of SWA supplements (including Rent Supplement, Diet...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: On 4 March 2022, the Council of the European Union unanimously adopted the implementing decision regarding the Temporary Protection Directive. This means that people arriving from Ukraine under the Temporary Directive have been granted the status to avail of income supports from my Department. The priority for my Department is the allocation of PPSNs and the provision of immediate financial...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Sector Staff (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The table below sets out the number of staff who are presently absent from work on full pay due to suspension or workplace disputes in the Department of Social Protection (DSP) and in its associated agencies and public bodies. Absent on pay due to suspension: 0-3 months 0 Absent on pay due to suspension: 3-6 months 0 Absent on pay...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 518 and 520 together. Primary weekly social welfare payments are intended to enable recipients to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. In addition to these primary payments, my Department also provides a range of other payments, both cash and non-cash, on a weekly, monthly, or less frequent basis. These payments are considered secondary in nature. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment for parents caring for a child with a severe disability in their own home. An application for Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 24th March 2022. Applications are processed in date of receipt order. Currently applications received in mid January 2022 are being dealt with. The Deciding Officer will...