Results 301-320 of 16,410 for are speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is responsible for the allocation of Personal Public Service Numbers (PPSNs) to people, including those who are returning emigrants, who require one to access public services or take up employment or education. The national average processing time to deal with PPSN applications is currently two weeks. While the PPSN application process is relatively straightforward,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions. I confirm that my Department received an application for DA from the person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Widow's Pension (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...by the Supreme Court on 22 January, with regard to entitlement to an unmarried cohabitant to WSCPCP. The Supreme Court recognises that legislative amendment is required. Officials in my Department are considering the legislative changes required to address the ruling. Until such time as the legislation has been enacted, my Department will not be in a position to assess the entitlement of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Benefit Payment for 65-Year-Olds was introduced in line with the Programme for Government commitment to address the position of people who are required to or choose to retire at age 65 before the State pension age of 66. The payment is designed to bridge the gap for people who retire from employment or self-employment at age 65 until they qualify for the State Pension at age 66. This...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...supports through programmes that include the Community Services Programme; the LEADER programme; CLÁR; and, the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme. Further details of these programmes are outlined below. The Community Services Programme (CSP) through a social enterprise model, provides an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR Programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of depopulation over a defined period. Since the programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported a wide range of measures with over €70 million being approved for almost 2,400 projects...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that there are not any ISDN, PTSN or copper-based leased lines in use by my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Animal Breeding (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has policy responsibility for the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 and the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014. My officials are reviewing the existing legislative provisions under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 and the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014, taking account of recommendations from, inter alia, the Report of the Working Group on Control of Dogs, the Joint...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme supports the improvement of non-public rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities. The 2024 was launched last week with a record investment of €40 million across 2024 and 2025. Under the terms of the Scheme for 2024, eligible road projects are those that involve the construction or improvement of non-public roads...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...across Government, and sets the strategic framework for the delivery of capital investment under my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme. Details in relation to projects awarded funding are regularly published by my Department. The information requested can be found in the links set out below to the published information across counties, years and schemes. The Rural...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...Fund was first introduced in 2023 to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. The funding is specifically targeted at projects that are located in cities, towns and villages that are hosting the Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection and/or International Protection Applicants including towns identified for the rapid build homes...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...just announced the successful projects under the 2023 scheme, with a further 82 projects set to receive €20.4million in funding. In line with the commitment in Our Rural Future , TVRS priorities are reviewed at the end of each scheme year to ensure that funding is targeted effectively to support vibrant and attractive communities and to respond to changing needs and opportunities....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Authorities (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Local Authorities are key delivery partners for many of the schemes operated by my Department, and funding of €210,458,015 and €245,528,487 was made available to local authorities in 2022 and 2023 respectively. On occasion funds are returned to the Department for a number of reasons. For example, projects which have been pre-funded may return funds where the project is...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Projects (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ..., LEADER, the Town and Village Renewal scheme and the Local Enhancement Programme. It is also why I introduced the new Community Centres Investment Fund with targeted support for these centres. are a vital resource for any community. Under the 2022 Community Centre Investment Fund in particular, over €45.8 million was committed for improvement and refurbishment works on over...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Offices (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The community welfare service is committed to providing a quality service to all citizens, ensuring that applications are processed and ensuring that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. It is a key service and deals with approximately 12,000 claim applications per month. Over 2,600 additional needs payment claims are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Offices (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...back to the Deputy with an answer. The intention is not to lose documents or anything like that. The tracking of the receipt of documentation submitted to the office is being followed up. We are going through the issues the Deputy has raised. We do not want this to happen. We want people to get their payments efficiently. The Deputy will appreciate the thinking behind this. There...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Offices (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy and I think the same way on this. We want people to get their money. Like the Deputy, I want them to get it when they need it. We are sorting out the issues the Deputy has raised with me and will learn from them. I advise all Deputies to bring any issues to my attention and I will take them up and see whether we can get them sorted. The Department of Social Protection is here...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. The activation support programme provides funding to local organisations and agencies to implement training and education initiatives. It is focused on the needs of social welfare recipients, and their families, who are very distant from the labour market. There is a plethora of other initiatives that help people to get back into the labour force. The Department makes...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Programmes (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Government is committed to supporting older people to access timely, high-quality, person-centred and integrated care in the most appropriate setting and to support positive ageing across the life course. To this end, the Minister for Health and the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and older people brought forward a proposal for the establishment of an independent...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Programmes (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...role as Minister for business about how they could contribute. We should tap into that resource. I know some of those involved well and they have a lot to offer. I agree with the Deputy. We are missing a trick in terms of the valuable resource that we have in our older generation. As he said, we need some way to activate them. I am happy to examine how we can keep them in the...