Results 1-20 of 16,410 for are speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: ...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 people who are laid off during the...

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

Heather Humphreys: ...800,000 workers to be brought into a retirement savings scheme for the first time. Implementation of AE is needed because both pension coverage and pension adequacy, particularly in the private sector, are too low. It is estimated that only one third of private sector workers are actively contributing to pension schemes. Such a low level of pension coverage is not acceptable. As I...

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

Heather Humphreys: ...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 years have passed. Gradually, we are going to increase contributions. In the first year, it will be 1.5% of gross wages. That will be the percentage of the employee's contribution and the employer's contribution, and the...

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.

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: 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: 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: ...pension. The Supreme Court judgment overruled a previous High Court decision and found in favour of the claimant and his children. In simple terms, the Court found that section 124 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended) is inconsistent with the Constitution insofar as it excluded the claimant from the category of persons entitled to benefit from it. The Court...

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

Heather Humphreys: ...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 Government has now decided to bring greater equity to the welfare supports being provided to...

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

Heather Humphreys: ...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 443,000 children are now eligible for funding. The Hot School Meal option of the programme was introduced in 2019 and is currently solely available to primary schools. Since my appointment as Minister for...

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: ..., dependent on satisfying the eligibility conditions. Additional payments may be made in respect of a qualified adult and qualifying children. The two main long-term disability income support payments are invalidity pension and disability allowance. Invalidity pension is a social insurance scheme paid from the Social Insurance Fund. Eligibility is based on PRSI contributions and...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Report of the Child Maintenance Review Group was published in November 2022 and the Government accepted the Group's recommendations regarding the social welfare system. These changes include decoupling child maintenance and social welfare and represent significant reforms, which will be of great benefit to lone parents. Amendments to both primary and secondary legislation as well...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Social Insurance Fund (SIF) fully funds payments on a wide range of schemes relating to pensions, working age income supports, illness, disability and carers schemes, child related schemes and some supplementary payment schemes such as telephone support allowance. A small number of schemes such as fuel allowance and household benefits are funded through both the SIF and Vote 37. ...