Results 13,961-13,980 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As she will be aware, responsibility for public procurement lies with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth. However, socially responsible public procurement is a whole-of-government priority. It is critical that public funds are used for the maximum benefit of society. Social clauses can also play an important role in rural...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. I absolutely agree with her on the benefit of including social clauses. It is important and, where possible, there should be social benefits. My Department is particularly focused on social enterprises. We have a strategy to promote these but it a question of how to get that other aspect into the public procurement process. As the Deputy will know, the Minister of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Programmes (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I do not have specific information on the area the Deputy raised. Many playgrounds have been funded, however. I have had the pleasure to visit many of them and I have seen the benefits they bring to schools and communities. In addition to the funding that is provided through my Department, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, launched the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Island Communities (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The development of a new islands policy is one of the key elements of Our Rural Future, the Government's new rural development policy. The central objective of the islands policy will be to ensure that sustainable vibrant communities continue to live on the offshore islands. The consultation process undertaken by my Department has assisted in identifying the main challenges faced by...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Programmes (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Cairns for raising this issue. As she said, playgrounds are an important resource with positive impacts for communities. Funding provided by the community enhancement programme provides small grants to community groups to enhance facilities, including playgrounds, in disadvantaged areas. Funding is allocated by my Department to each local authority area, and the local...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Programmes (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy is right in stating that Bandon is a fine town and it should have good playground facilities. However, in many cases, applications have not been put in. That is often a problem as we must get quality applications. All of them are assessed when they come in. I do not know the specific reason Bandon has not received funding but there are many different sources of funding it...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The local improvement scheme supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities but which represent vital infrastructure for rural residents. The scheme is funded by my Department and is administered through the local authorities. Nearly 2,400 roads have already been funded for repair works...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. There was €10 million for the LIS in 2020, so I have more than doubled that this year, with funding of €21 million being made available. That is a 110% increase in funding, which is not bad going. I know the Deputy acknowledges that. I accept that the lists are long nationwide. That is why I have not been found wanting when it comes to providing...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I do not have the details of every county but my officials have liaised with local authorities and asked how many lanes they can deliver. When I launched the scheme on 14 May, local authorities were given until 11 June to provide a list of roads to be completed. All of those have now been received and approved, with one exception, which is Westmeath, for some reason. We have shown...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: National Broadband Plan (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) will bring reliable high-speed broadband to approximately 540,000 premises across the State, primarily in rural and isolated areas. These premises include homes, farms, community and health facilities, schools, and businesses. The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has contracted National Broadband Ireland to deliver the NBP in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Road Projects (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme, or LIS, is a programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in rural areas which are not under the normal maintenance of the Local Authorities. The scheme is funded by my Department and is administered through the Local Authorities. I launched the 2021 LIS on 14th May. I have also recently announced the allocation of an additional...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The increased shift to remote working as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has given us the opportunity for a greater regional distribution of jobs and to support a better quality of life for many people who previously spent many hours in long commutes. This is a key focus of the Government's new rural development policy Our Rural Future. Remote working, supported by appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The €945,000 COVID-19 Social Enterprise Regeneration Programme is a Dormant Accounts Funded Programme exclusively for social enterprises that will assist them to re-purpose or diversify their trading income while adapting to the COVID-19 operating environment. Social enterprises are businesses that work primarily to improve the lives of people. Their core objective is to achieve a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Tidy Towns (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: l was delighted to be in a position to launch the 2021 Supervalu TidyTowns competition on 21st May last. After the cancellation of the competition last year, I know that the launch of the 2021 competition was greeted with much relief and enthusiasm by the countless number of TidyTowns volunteers around the country. Special arrangements have been put in place to ensure the return of the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Digital Hubs (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Broadband Connection Point (BCP) initiative is a key part of the National Broadband Plan and Our Rural Future. It is now in the latter stages of delivery and as of 6 July, 203 BCPs are live and in use, with the remaining sites in the process of being surveyed, installed or tested. To date, 16 BCPs have been delivered in County Cork with a further 8 sites to be delivered over the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (15 Jul 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...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (15 Jul 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. I have been informed that Mayo County Council are working to finalise a detailed design and to prepare tender documents for the helipad's...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is progressing a number of national policies that provide, for both urban and rural areas nationwide, an integrated and strategic way of delivering supports, programmes and schemes, coordinating measures to address imbalances or lack of opportunity, making a real difference to people’s lives. These include the National Policy on Social Enterprise, and the Strategy to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The development of a new Islands Policy is one of the key elements of Our Rural Future, the Government’s new Rural Development Policy. The central objective of the Islands Policy will be to ensure that sustainable vibrant communities continue to live on the offshore islands. An island consultation process was undertaken by my Department to inform the policy and to ensure that the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, the Rural Development Policy for 2021-2025, is the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in Ireland for decades, focusing on sustainability and optimising opportunities for individuals, communities and businesses. It is a whole-of-Government approach to rural development which contains more than 150 measures for delivery by a wide range of...