Results 14,721-14,740 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Rights of Way (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 225 together. The Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009 provides for fundamental reform and modernisation of land law and conveyancing law and aims to simplify the law and the conveyancing process. As the Deputy will be aware, this Act contains statutory provisions concerning the registration of easements. Part 8 updated the law concerning...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda representative associations have been established to represent members of An Garda Síochána and their interests, for instance with regard to pay, pensions and conditions of employment. I can inform the Deputy that section 122 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 provides that the Minister may, after consulting with the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Correspondence (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 220 and 221 together. The Deputy will be aware from my response to parliamentary question 664 of 18 May that the correspondence of 15 December 2020 referred to by the Deputy was sent to the Garda Commissioner as it concerned matters relating to the internal governance of the association in question. I understand that the Commissioner will be responding to me...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Electric Vehicles (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has not purchased any vehicles in 2020 or 2021. Currently my Department has two diesel vehicles, a 2007 van and a 2019 van. The Deputy may wish to note that the policy going forward will be to replace these vehicles with electric vehicles. To this end, it is planned to replace the 2007 van with an electric vehicle within the next two years....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jun 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...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Further Revised) (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Chairman and members of the committee for the invitation to attend here today to discuss the 2021 Further Revised Estimate for the Department of Rural and Community Development. I am seeking approval of this Further Revised Estimate to enable my Department to continue its important work in the areas of rural development, community development and charities regulation. As we all...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Further Revised) (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Carey for raising these issues. With regard to the local improvement scheme, the Deputy is correct that there is a huge backlog in terms of the lanes that have to be funded and repaired through the local authorities. I know from my county that there could be a waiting list of ten years, and it is the same across the country. In 2017, my predecessor, Deputy Ring, reopened the...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Further Revised) (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I will reply to the first question before passing to the Minister of State. I thank Deputy Donnelly for the questions on the Estimates. There was extra support in 2020 of €50 million for the Covid-19 stability fund, which was a once-off payment. There was also an increase in the July stimulus package of €10 million provided in the Revised Estimate for the islands. The...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Further Revised) (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Kerrane and I will first address the issue of remote working. The Tánaiste is absolutely committed to remote working and is bringing through legislation that will give workers the right to request to work remotely. Some people will wish to work remotely for a number of days a week while for others, it is about going into their offices for a couple of days, so we must...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Further Revised) (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Chair and Deputy Ó Cathasaigh. Like the Deputy, I am committed to the town centres first policy. I have been talking to my colleagues in government about this initiative and we are having another meeting today to progress this scheme. Attending will be the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, the Minister for Housing, Local...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Further Revised) (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Chairman and Deputy Ó Cuív. I will pass the community services programme, CSP, question to my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien. In the meantime I will try to answer other questions the Deputy has raised with me. He mentioned CLÁR. As he and I know, it is a great source of funding to help local communities in depopulated areas. Since it was...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Further Revised) (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy referred to the position of Roonagh Pier on the mainland for the ferry to Clare Island. There is no doubt that it needs work. I announced funding of €139,000 for refurbishment work for Roonagh as part of the capital works scheme funded through the islands unit in partnership with Mayo County Council. Large-scale redevelopment of the pier is a matter for the local...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Further Revised) (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I do not know where that came out of. Certainly, as far as I am concerned, working from home can often increase productivity, not reduce it. I could not see any reason people would have reduced wages because they work from home. Sometimes working from home is a better solution for people and productivity is much better. The person is not spending hours commuting and he or she is better...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Further Revised) (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I will try my best and if I miss any, come back to me. I thank members for those questions. Of course, as rural Deputies we are all passionate about remote working. It is the game changer for which rural Ireland has waited for a long time. I do not want to let it slip away. Above all things, I want to see it supported, I want to see it working, and I want to see people enjoying a better...