Results 1,681-1,700 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (20 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development, which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. It supports a broad range of activities, which aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas. The 2014-2022 programme has concluded and as of 31st December...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (20 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223, 226, 227, 228 and 231 together. My Department operates a range of programmes and schemes that support and assist urban and rural community groups throughout the country, benefiting individual communities as well as their broader regions and catchment areas. Groups and projects supported by my Department deliver on a range of objectives. Some groups...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Services (20 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The provision of library services is primarily a matter for local authorities in their capacity as library authorities under the Local Government Act 2001. However, investing in our library service is a key priority for me as Minister and this is reflected in the new Public Library Strategy 'The Library is the Place', which I launched in July last year at the official opening of the new...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (20 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: One of the key focuses of Our Rural Future, the Government's Rural Development Policy 2021 - 2025, is optimising digital connectivity to support vibrant, sustainable rural communities. I want to close the digital divide between rural and urban communities and ensure that those living in rural communities are provided with the same opportunities as those in larger urban areas. Throughout my...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (20 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland's Rural Development Policy 2021 – 2025, represents the Irish Government’s blueprint for the sustainable development of rural Ireland. It sets out a vision for a thriving rural Ireland, and to that end establishes a strategic framework for the delivery of capital investment under my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme. The delivery of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Defibrillators Provision (20 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In supporting community and sporting organisations, some of my Department's programmes fund the purchase of capital equipment which could include the provision of defibrillators. The Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) provides funding to community groups and organisations across Ireland, with a focus on areas of disadvantage. Typical projects funded can include the renovation of community...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (20 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Rural and Community Development has overall policy responsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014. Local Authorities have responsibility for all operational matters under the Control of Dogs Acts including licensing and enforcement. The Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 set out requirements that owners of 11 specific breeds of dogs, including strains or crosses of...

International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Motion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I am pleased to give my support to Ireland opting into the EU migration and asylum pact. We can all agree on the immense value that people coming here to work, live or study bring to Ireland economically, socially and culturally. The importance of the international protection process for those fleeing persecution and Ireland's duty to provide shelter for those most vulnerable also need to...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Senator McDowell for his amendment. I do not propose to accept it because a consequence of this amendment would be further delay to this transformational societal initiative. This has been flagged for nearly 30 years and implementation is well overdue. I believe it is in the best interests of future automatic enrolment, AE, participants to have the scheme up and running as soon as...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I agree with Senators Burke and Ardagh. There are many people, as we speak, waiting for this system to get up and running, especially the 800,000 people who do not have any private pension cover apart from the State pension. That is particularly low-paid workers and women. As I said, it is important we move on as quickly as we can. Contracts are already in place and we will be signing up...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Senators will notice that I am bringing forward several dozen Government amendments today. The key point I would make about the Government amendments is that without exception they are all of a technical nature and do not in any way relate to new or changed policy. This is the first point that applies to every amendment I will propose today. The second point is that the vast majority of...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Senator for bringing forward these amendments. Unfortunately, I do not propose to accept them. On the amendment in respect of a report on a universal pension, this issue does not come within the scope of the Bill. The national automatic enrolment retirement savings authority, NAERSA, will have no remit to consider such a proposal. In any event, a report is not necessary...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I believe that automatic enrolment will address the pension gap. I believe it will make a significant difference. A total of 800,000 people who do not have other provision other than the State pension will now have a pension for their retirement. The Senator discussed the issue around tax relief at length. Tax relief is a tax policy matter and is not for this Bill.

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I do not propose to accept these amendments. Amendment No. 7 would prevent the authority from arranging for the investment of contributions with procured commercial investment management providers. Part 4 of the Bill provides considerable detail about how the new authority will engage with external investment management providers with a range of appropriate safeguards to ensure that...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Senators for bringing forward these amendments. I do not propose to accept them. The membership of the board of the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority, NAERSA, is not constituted on the basis of sectoral representation. Instead, it is based on what that person has to offer to the authority, and that is their skill set and experience. One of the...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Once money is given to a person, it is his or her money. It is in his or her pot. It is that person's pension pot. The money is a top-up for that person, so it becomes his or her property. That is what I mean when I say this is not State investment. This is for the members of the scheme. It is their money. It is not State money. That is why I said that.

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: You are misrepresenting me.

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: No, the Senator is misrepresenting me.

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: To be very clear here, and I have already said this, there are loads of provisions in the Bill to take account of the ESG. The State's obligations with regard to relevant international agreements would include the sustainable finance disclosure regulation, the UN Global Compact and the Paris Agreement, which guide the international community on matters such as carbon emissions and investment...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: All ESG matters are fully and comprehensively addressed in the Bill.