Results 17,421-17,440 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Development Plan (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 349, 350 and 351 together. The current LEADER programme comes to an end this year as far as new project approvals are concerned. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to prioritise a State-led programme to bridge the gap between the current LEADER programme and the next EU programme, which will not commence until 2022 at the earliest. ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Town and Village Renewal Scheme (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme has a budget of €25 million this year, following the allocation of an additional €10 million to the scheme as part of the Government’s July Stimulus Package. The 2020 scheme was tailored to help rural towns and villages respond to the challenges presented by COVID-19. This year's scheme includes an Accelerated Measure which has...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regional Development (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 355 and 358 together. A vital part of the Department for Rural and Community Development's mission is to support the creation of vibrant and sustainable communities across this country. My Department is responsible for a number of key national policies that provide, for both urban and rural areas nationwide, an integrated and strategic way of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Isolation (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 356 and 357 together. I believe that doing all we can to address individual isolation in communities is more important than ever before. Rural isolation cuts across the work of a number of Departments, and this is reflected in ongoing work on community policing, rural transport and social inclusion, among other areas. Many of my Department's policies and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: A vital part of the Department for Rural and Community Development's mission is to support the creation of vibrant and sustainable communities across this country. My Department has developed strategic interventions, funding programmes and supports which target and address basic issues of social and or economic deprivation in rural communities throughout the country. In the present COVID...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Initiatives (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 360, 361 and 362 together. My Department is committed to supporting community development across Ireland. Providing strong community supports helps to empower and develop communities that value the health and wellbeing of all. In August 2019, my Department launched Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: A five-year strategy to support the community...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department funds 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, including in Kildare. These schemes provide much needed funding, support and assistance to communities at local level. These include the €1 billion Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 364, 365 and 366 together. Communities across the country are facing unprecedented challenges posed by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union. I am focused on supporting resilience in communities and the issues arising from Covid-19 and Brexit mean that the funding and supports available from my...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: LEADER is a multi-annual programme with a budget of €250 million over the period 2014-2020. €225 million of this budget is allocated to Local Action Groups (LAGs), who deliver the programme and approve projects at local level in accordance with their Local Development Strategy (LDS). The LAG areas are, for the most part, aligned with county boundaries. The balance of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Walks Scheme (5 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department administers the Walks Scheme under which landholders receive modest payments for maintenance works on approved walking trails that traverse their land. Payments are provided in line with work plans developed and agreed with the landholders. The Scheme does not provide funding for planting of fruit trees or other types of trees.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In order to address concerns expressed by self-employed people relating to the difficulties they face in resuming activity, the uncertainty of income streams given the ongoing economic disruption and the fact that in many cases work will be of an occasional or intermittent nature during the initial period of a return to work, the Government introduced changes to the Pandemic Unemployment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was put on a statutory footing with effect from 5 August 2020 as a social welfare benefit to help mitigate the adverse economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is available to employees who lost their employment on or after 13 March 2020 as a direct consequence of Covid-19. It is also available to self-employed people whose income from...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Guardian's Payment (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Guardians Payment is made to a person caring for a child who satisfies the definition of an "orphan" under social welfare legislation. A child is considered an orphan if they are under age 18 (or up to age 22 if in full time education) and both parents are deceased; or one parent is either dead or unknown or has abandoned and failed to provide for the child and the other parent is unknown or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The SAFE registration process, which my Department uses to authenticate a person's identity when they apply for a PPSN is a face-to-face process, carried out in PPSN Centres across the country. At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, my Department temporarily postponed the SAFE registration process. This decision was taken to comply with HSE and WHO guidelines in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The 2021 Budget Estimate for the Rural Social Scheme is €52.2m. While this represents a reduction of €1.9m on the 2020 Revised Estimate, it is in line with the 2020 emerging outturn which is now estimated to be of the order of €52.3m. The Rural Social Scheme is paid on a Thursday and there are 53 Thursdays in 2020. As there will be 52 Thursdays in 2021, this will...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Parent’s Leave and Benefit will be extended from 2 weeks for each parent to 5 weeks as announced in Budget 2021. This extension will be made available retrospectively to parents in respect of children born or adopted on or after 1st November 2019. The period during which this leave can be taken will be extended from 12 to 24 months so it can be taken up to a child's second birthday...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Budget 2021 provides measures for the self-employed so that they can engage in limited self-employment and retain income support. The Budget provided that recipients engaging in self-employment can earn up to €480 over a rolling four week period and continue to maintain entitlement to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. The €480 limit is based on gross income, before tax and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced as a statutory social welfare benefit scheme on 5 August 2020 to continue to mitigate the adverse economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. To facilitate customers, streamline processes and improve payment integrity the Department has, since PUP was first introduced in an emergency manner last March, implemented system...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: LEADER is a multi-annual programme with a budget of €250 million over the period 2014-2020. €225 million of this budget is allocated to Local Action Groups (LAGs), who deliver the programme and approve projects at local level in accordance with their Local Development Strategy (LDS). County Cork is divided into three sub regional areas for the purposes of LEADER. The total...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In the present COVID environment the supports provided by my Department to assist communities are more important than ever to assist the economic and social recovery of these areas. Below is a list of the primary funding streams available to rural communities from my Department. The Rural Regeneration and Development Fundwas established as part of Project Ireland 2040 and will support a...