Results 19,041-19,060 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In August 2019, the Department launched Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: A five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland. This Strategy sets a general direction of travel for Government policy in relation to community development, local development and the community and voluntary sector and will be implemented in partnership with sectorial...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Initiatives (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides funding towards the regeneration of Dublin’s North East Inner City (NEIC) to support the implementation of the Mulvey Report “Creating a Brighter Future” and the NEIC Strategic Plan 2020 – 2022. Funding of €6.5m will be provided by my Department in 2020 towards this initiative. The funding allocation for the NEIC Initiative...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR programme provides funding for small scale infrastructure projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population. The areas originally designated for CLÁR were selected in 2001 based on the level of population decline in each area between 1926 and 1996. The Cooley Peninsula was also included on the basis of the serious...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ministerial Responsibilities (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that the Department briefing provided to me upon my appointment will be published on my Department's website in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: National Broadband Plan (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 547 and 548 together. The Airband initiative is an exploratory project involving my Department, the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and Microsoft Ireland, to explore the possibility of using a new technology to deliver free broadband to second-level students from disadvantaged backgrounds in their Leaving Cert. cycle. The initiative will...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The second call for Category 2 applications for the Fund closed at on 28 February 2020 and there was an excellent response from all across the country, with 76 applications received. On 25 June 2020, I announced details of 24 successful projects arising from this call.The successful projects have been allocated €13m in support from the Fund and will deliver a total investment...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The second call for Category 2 applications for the Fund closed on 28 February and there was an excellent response from all across the country, with 76 applications received.   On 25 June 2020, I announced details of 24 successful projects arising from this call.  The successful projects have been allocated €13m in support from the Fund and will deliver a total investment...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Enterprise Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Since the establishment of my Department in 2017, specific supports for social enterprises have been provided through the Social Enterprise Measure of the Dormant Accounts Fund.  These supports include small capital grants and funding to organisations to deliver training and mentoring to social enterprises.  Small capital grants funding has been provided to approximately 300...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Services Programme (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Departments Community Services Programme, or CSP, currently supports more than 400 community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model.  CSP funding is provided as a fixed annual contribution to the cost of an agreed number of full-time equivalent (FTE) positions and a manager, where warranted.  The CSP co-funding...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Government is aware of the challenges currently faced by community and voluntary organisations and is committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these. Community sporting organisations are funded from a range of different sources across different Government Departments and agencies. My Department's Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) provides small...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Services Programme (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Community Services Programme, or CSP, supports community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model with funding provided as a contribution to the cost of an agreed number of full-time equivalent positions (FTEs) and a manager, where warranted. Pobal, who manage the programme on behalf of my Department assessed the business plan from the organisation...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Rural and Community Developmentwas established on 19 July 2017 to provide a renewed and consolidated focus on rural and community development in Ireland. The Civil Service HR Division of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is currently finalising central guidance for the Civil Service on working from home. My Department will be guided by this and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Enterprise Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is very much aware that many social enterprises, similar to other businesses, find themselves in financial difficulty as commercial activities have been curtailed due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.  In recognition of this, my Department recently announced a number of specific support measures for social enterprises, along with community and voluntary...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn.  The scheme operates from June to September each year. The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 795 and 832 together. The COVID-19 pandemic unemployment payment was introduced as a time limited emergency measure in response to the pandemic and Government has approved the extension of this payment until 10th August.  This payment is available to persons who were in employment prior to 13th March and lost their job as a result of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Job Losses (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My sincere thoughts are with all employers and employees faced with the prospect of forced restructuring and redundancies at this difficult time.  Many sectors and industries have been badly affected by the measures the Irish Government, like many other governments across the globe, has had to take in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.  It is probably fair to say that sectors...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The COVID 19 pandemic unemployment payment was introduced as a time-limited emergency measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. Government has recently approved the extension of the payment up to 10th August. The conditions for receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment are that a person must be of working age between 18 and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In the exceptional circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is the intention of the Government to ensure that former employees entitled to receive the Pandemic Unemployment Payment do not have their social insurance contribution records interrupted or otherwise adversely affected.  In this regard, the Department is in the process of developing legislative proposals for consideration by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 sets out the key parameters around the taking of annual leave and payment of same. Section 19 of the Act provides that an employee shall be entitled to paid annual leave equal to: (a) 4 working weeks in a leave year in which he or she works at least 1,365 hours (unless it is a leave year in which he or she changes employment), (b) One third of a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (30 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. There are no backlogs in most of the Departments scheme areas at present.  All scheme areas are up to date on claim processing with the exception of the jobseekers scheme where there...