Results 1-20 of 25,654 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I am glad to announce I have approval from Cabinet for the pay-related jobseeker's payment. I think that is a step in the right direction. It is to protect people so they will not have a cliff edge drop in their income if they are unfortunate enough to lose their job. I will start to bring that legislation through the Dáil this evening. I take the Deputy's point about the particular...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Second Stage (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: It is a pleasure to be able to bring this Bill before Seanad Éireann. I have been very encouraged by the support it has received from across the political spectrum and from stakeholders. Auto-enrolment, AE, has been talked about for more than 25 years in this country. There was a major straw man public consultation on it in 2018. This was followed by a series of Government decisions...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Second Stage (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Senators for their contributions. I will address the issues that have been raised in the time I have. Senator Burke asked about a review of the Bill. Section 43 provides for a detailed review every five years. He and Senator McDowell both raised the issue of the cost to employers. This scheme will be brought in gradually over ten years and the 6% will not kick in until ten...

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Second Stage (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: We are not proposing any changes to that. I will clarify that with the Senator.

Seanad: Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Second Stage (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I will be clear on it. I do not want to give the Senator the wrong answer. Again, all funds will be pooled for investment. Each person will not have their own investment fund. That is not what will happen. I think that is a misunderstanding by Mr. Fagan and Mr. Kenny. I thank the Senators for their contributions. I hope I have addressed them as best as I can. I will provide...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) and Urgent Needs Payments (UNPs), and certain supplements to assist with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 22...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance is payable in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and where the level of that disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 21...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Maternity Benefit is paid for 26 weeks at a rate of €274 per week. In 2024, it is estimated that my Department will spend approximately €280.7 million on Maternity Benefit. The estimated annual cost of extending Maternity Benefit by an additional 26 weeks to bring the total number of weeks paid leave to 52 weeks is €289 million. This estimate is based on a full year...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Process (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Commencement of the provisions of the Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 is set out as follows: It is my intention that Part 2 of the Act will come into operation very shortly by way of a Commencement Order. I am also preparing Regulations that will give effect to certain provisions of Part 2 that will also come into operation at the same time. The purpose...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My department provides a comprehensive package of carers’ income supports including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending on these payments is expected to amount to over €1.7 billion this year. The Carer’s Allowance is the main scheme by which the Department provides income support to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: While I have responsibility for Parent's Benefit which is associated with Parent's Leave, my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has responsibility for both Parent's Leave and the separate Parental Leave scheme, which is unpaid. Parent’s Benefit is a payment for employed people, who are on Parent’s Leave from work, and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Under the law as currently enacted, entitlement to a Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory pension is only available to a surviving partner who was party to a marriage or civil partnership. On Monday 22nd January, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in relation to the entitlement of an unmarried co-habitant to a Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Government has recently implemented changes in terms of providing suitable but sustainable support to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs). Following the introduction of new legislation in March, newly arrived BOTPs in designated accommodation receive €38.80 per week if they are over 18 years of age and €29.80 per week if they are under 18 years of age. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement. Following the expansion of the programme in recent years, some 2,600 schools and organisations, covering...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that there is no record of any appeal by the person concerned having been...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 1...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (28 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 318 and 319 together. My Department provides a suite of income supports to those who cannot work due to illness or disability, including COVID-19 and long COVID. Eligibility for these payments is generally not dependent on the type of illness or disability but on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s...