Results 721-740 of 1,049,335 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Seán Crowe OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:Noel Grealish OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor)

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Seán Crowe: Thank you. The meeting is now adjourned until, possibly, 4 p.m. on Tuesday, 12 November, when the committee will meet in private session.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the committee for the opportunity to present this request for substantive and technical Supplementary Estimates for the Department of Rural and Community Development. The substantive Estimate comprises: an additional €10 million in funding for the local improvement scheme; an additional €2 million in current funding for social inclusion supports, through the community...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: A few of us are.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Since 2017, we have put €170 into the local improvement scheme and as 5,000 roads have been completed during that time, there has been a lot of progress. I have written to the Minister for Transport on numerous occasions and every time I stand up in the Dáil I ask my colleagues to raise this with the Minister for Transport because these are roads, after all. I do not know if I...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: We have to look at all of these things and it will be in the context of the funding available to the islands, full stop. I take the Deputy's point and I acknowledge the community development projects are very important and drive projects on the island. I do not believe there is specific extra funding for them at the minute apart from what was outlined in the budget. I do not have a figure...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The savings on the Supplementary Estimate relate to slower than anticipated progress on one major library project in Swords, as well as delays in some minor projects, including the completion of some My Open Library projects. In terms of the capital for libraries, there is a libraries fund but a lot of capital comes from the rural regeneration fund because, in many places across the country...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Yellow Flag programme is funded through the Dormant Accounts Fund, which we manage. Other Departments make their pitches and get allocated funding and those decisions are brought to the Government. Every Department has its own slice of the cake and we manage our piece as it relates to the work we do. I am unsure, but I believe the Yellow Flag programme falls under the Department of...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As far as I know, the Deputy needs to raise the matter with the Minister for Education. I am not sure.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I have no problem writing to the Minister about it either. It is not a great deal of money and the programme is worthwhile.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: They all spend it. Different Departments get different funding for different programmes. Once they get the funding, it is up to them to ensure they have enough to roll out their programmes. They sometimes have to put in money from their own departmental budgets. I encountered that with a social protection programme. I believe it was the EmployAbility programme. I had to invest...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: We launched a new public library strategy in July of last year, called “The Library is the Place: Information, Recreation, Inspiration”. I launched it when I was visiting Portlaoise library. An old store – Shaw’s – had been transformed into a beautiful library. It is a fabulous building with loads of rooms, some of which are used as meeting rooms and so...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The community centre investment fund started off with repairs and refurbishment works for existing community centres. The second tranche I launched was for new community centres across the country. There were a number of them. They were centres for new communities. More people had moved into areas but had no community centres. It was particularly noticeable. Two such centres in Galway...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Yes, I certainly cannot forget about the men’s sheds and the women’s sheds, which is a growing organisation. I was particularly keen that we would have the women’s sheds as well. They have been working very well and the network is expanding. I did say to them they should use the men’s shed as a good example. Only yesterday I signed off and made sure that we get...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: No. I just want to thank members so much for their co-operation. We have come to the end of our term and this is probably our last meeting. I want to say a huge thank you to each and every member for the co-operation members have given me in getting all these Estimates through every single year and improving the budgets and for all their work because this committee has achieved a lot. We...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Thank you. On the means test, I am having a management board meeting this afternoon. It will be the number one item on my agenda.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (6 Nov 2024)

Heather Humphreys: It is to find out where that report is on means tests and to get that because we do need to change it.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (6 Nov 2024)

Mattie McGrath: I am extremely disappointed to hear the Minister of State read out another waffle from the Department. The Department is currently assessing the options. Just imagine that. I have a document here from December 2022, when the Department promised 12 modular classrooms to deal with the accommodation. In February 2023 the Department of Education changed it and listed five modular classrooms,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (6 Nov 2024)

James Browne: I thank the Deputies for raising this issue and giving me an opportunity to outline the position of the school. The Department of Education continues to provide very significant funding in support of the education of children with special educational needs, which is a priority for this Government, with over a quarter of the entire education budget dedicated to special education in recent...

Estimates for Public Services 2024: Message from Select Committee (6 Nov 2024)

Estimates for Public Services 2024: Message from Select Committee (6 Nov 2024)

Catherine Connolly: The Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach has completed its consideration of the following Supplementary Estimates for Public Services for the service of the year ending on 31 December 2024: Votes 4 to 6, inclusive, 9, 11, 12, 14 and 17 to 19, inclusive.