Results 13,561-13,580 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Services (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: On 31 August, the Government published 'COVID-19: Reframing the Challenge, Continuing Our Recovery and Reconnecting', which is Ireland's plan for the next and final phase of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From 20 September, indoor and outdoor group activities, including those in libraries are permitted and this includes access to study spaces and PCs, where this is in line with the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department was established on 19 July 2017. It has utilised the services of Common Purpose Ireland for limited individual staff training purposes. In common with other staff training the courses were selected to meet identified training needs of particular staff. The details and expenditure costs were provided in the answer to Parliamentary Question No. 825 of 15 September 2021. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The €7 million Streetscape Enhancement Initiative, which is a commitment in Our Rural Future, is designed to make 124 of our rural towns and villages more attractive and welcoming places for locals and visitors alike. Property owners will be part funded to improve the facades of buildings, carry out artwork and install features such as canopies and street furniture. The initiative...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The €7 million Streetscape Enhancement Initiative, which is a commitment in Our Rural Future, is designed to make 124 of our rural towns and villages more attractive and welcoming places for locals and visitors alike. Property owners will be part funded to improve the facades of buildings, carry out artwork and install features such as canopies and street furniture. The initiative...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Projects (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The construction of a new helipad referred to by the Deputy is a project being undertaken by Mayo County Council, with financial assistance from my Department. My Department provided funding for the purchase of land for this project in late 2020. Mayo County Council submitted an initial design however the Department required amendments to the original design and I understand that a revised...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (28 Sep 2021)

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. My Department commissioned an external review of the Walks Scheme to examine the delivery and...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I am getting a briefing on this matter this afternoon. I will bring forward plans on the recreation scheme in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Housing Schemes (23 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 295 and 296 together. The requirements to provide birth certificates to access housing supports is a matter for each local authority. Arrangements are already in place between Local Authorities and the Department of Social Protection to enable information, including birth information, to be made available to enable applications to be processed. I understand...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Jobseekers Benefit is a social insurance based statutory income support provided by the Department for people who are covered by PRSI paid contributions and satisfy the other qualifying conditions of the scheme. The Social Welfare (Covid-19) (Amendment) Act 2020 provides for the attribution of social insurance contributions to insured persons who were beneficiaries of the pandemic...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (23 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is currently at an advanced stage of the first phase of procuring new employment services. This phase involves the procurement of employment services for seven counties in the Midlands and North-West across four lots. These counties do not have an existing local employment service and represent the first phase of an expansion of employment services. The funding approach for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (23 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned attended an in person medical assessment on the 25th August 2021 to have her continued entitlement to claim Illness Benefit reviewed. It was the Medical Assessor's opinion that she was capable of work. A letter issued to her on the 8th September 2021, affording her the opportunity to provide any further medical evidence she believed was relevant to her case before a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (23 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The over 80 allowance is an increase of €10 per week on the basic pension rate, which is automatically awarded to qualified pensioners on attaining 80 years of age. Only one such allowance is payable in respect of each pension. An Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA) is paid, generally, where a pensioner has an adult dependent (e.g., a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant who is...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Recreation Policy (23 Sep 2021)

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. My Department commissioned an external review of the Walks Scheme to examine the delivery and...

Garda Siochana (Functions and Operational Areas) Bill 2021: Referral to Select Committee (22 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Justice pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)(a) and 181(1). Question put and agreed to.

Garda Siochana (Functions and Operational Areas) Bill 2021: Second Stage (22 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputies for their contributions and for their support for this Bill. I would like to mention a number of amendments I intend to introduce on Committee Stage. They relate to the drug testing of members of An Garda Síochána, as well as trainees, civilian staff, reserve members and applicants. The amendments were recommended by the Garda Inspectorate in its report from last...

Garda Siochana (Functions and Operational Areas) Bill 2021: Second Stage (22 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to introduce this Bill to the House. The purpose of the Bill is to make some technical changes necessary to facilitate the roll-out of a new Garda operating model. In September 2018, the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland was published. The report presents a clear vision for the future of An...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (22 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Subject to the standard qualifying conditions for State Pension (Contributory) also being satisfied, the State pension system currently gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workplace, often to raise families or in a full-time caring role. This is provided through the award of credits and/or the application of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Cybersecurity Policy (22 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department implements a security-by-design and defence-in-depth approach to cyber security and has 24/7 cyber defence systems in place that react to any threat to its systems in the event of a cyber incident or security breach. My Department also works closely with the National Cyber Security Centre and the Office of the Government CIO to ensure that best practice principles are followed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Flexible Work Practices (22 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Civil Service departments and offices have been working in line with Government Covid-19 guidance, which provided for home working to continue where possible. As an essential service, staff in my Department have continued, throughout the pandemic, to work both on site in office premises and remotely to deliver for our customers across our nationwide network of offices. The number of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Flexible Work Practices (22 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Civil Service departments and offices have been working in line with Government Covid-19 guidance, which provided for home working to continue where possible. The Government has now published Ireland’s plan for the next phase of the response to the pandemic - COVID-19: Reframing the Challenge, Continuing Our Recovery and Reconnecting. Under this plan, the advice to work from home...