Results 41-60 of 235 for going forward speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...oversee the delivery of the policy and ensures there is clear stakeholder visibility in relation to implementation. The Group met in December 2022 and April 2023 and will meet on a quarterly basis going forward to ensure that momentum is maintained. The Town Centre First National Implementation Office was established last year and will be key to the success of the policy. The Office...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Child Benefit) Bill 2023: Second Stage (24 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...Bill (Child Benefit) Bill 2023 to Seanad Éireann. The purpose of the Bill is to give legislative effect to the child benefit summer bonus of €100 for each qualifying child, announced by the Government in February of this year. I am glad to say that the Bill received broad support in the Dáil. I welcome the support of all parties in the Dáil in that regard. It is...

Confidence in Government: Motion (29 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on this motion of confidence this morning. I was disappointed to see the Labour Party table a motion of no confidence. I served in government with members of the Labour Party between 2011 and 2016, and when it came to making the really hard decisions that were needed to get this country back on a sound economic footing, the Labour Party never...

Reform of Carer's Allowance Scheme: Motion [Private Members] (22 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important issue of the carer's allowance payment. I thank the Independent Group for bringing forward the motion. It is a timely discussion. I meet carers all the time through my constituency office and I see first-hand the unbelievable work they are doing. Since my appointment as Minister, I have made a number of improvements within the social...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Code (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...working on advancing the various implementation issues to ensure early implementation of the reforms. We are doing what we can on an administrative basis but in terms of the means test, we must go through that and bring forward legislation, which I want to do as quickly as possible. There are a few issues we need to look at because legislation is complex and we might need to make...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 42 – Rural and Community Development and the Islands (Further Revised) (1 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...as a stand-alone Department. By taking that decision, the Government has ensured a sustainable focus on rural and community development and the islands. I am delighted to be here again to bring forward this Estimate, which represents the largest-ever allocation for this Department and will ensure the excellent progress made in recent years continues throughout 2023. Gross expenditure...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 42 – Rural and Community Development and the Islands (Further Revised) (1 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...these are the communities that have been impacted and we want to know how we can reward them for making sacrifices. I want to see consultation with communities. I want people on the ground to come forward with suggestions on what they need to make their communities better places. That may be a new community centre or skateboard park, for example. I do not know what they want but they...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (18 Jan 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I was very pleased to publish the Report of the Child Maintenance Review Group in November, together with my colleague the Minister for Justice. The Government established a Child Maintenance Review Group in 2020 to examine a number of issues regarding child maintenance in Ireland and to prepare a report for the Minister for Social Protection on: (i) The current treatment within the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Second Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...financial pressures that many in our communities are facing. Yesterday, the State was 100 years old. This is the largest social welfare budget package since the State was founded. We have brought forward an unprecedented set of one-off lump sum payments, at a cost of €1.2 billion, to assist people with the cost-of-living pressures. These measures, which do not require...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (6 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: There are special units in every single division. Having spoken to some gardaí recently, they said the number of people coming forward to these specialised units dealing with domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is increasing. We are breaking down that stigma for some people who may be worried about coming forward and may be afraid. They are now going to specially trained people...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...report to identify cases whereby a customer has sought to change the payment method for their CA payment through MyWelfare is now in place. This will ensure that similar cases will be captured going forward and allow for the payment method for CSG to be brought in line with the CA payment method. Payment in this case will be returned by Ulster Bank and will re-issue to the person...

Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I am happy to give the Deputy this report, which is with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. We have done the work on it and we are discussing how we can go forward. The Deputy can press the amendment if he wants. I will give him the report and all I have, however.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Strategies (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Pathways to Work 2021-2025 is the Government’s national employment strategy. The goal of Pathways to Work is to help ensure that as many jobs as possible go to people who are unemployed. One of the strategy’s five key strands is ‘Working for All – Leaving No One Behind’, which has the objective of promoting better labour market outcomes for all, including...

Dog Breeding Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I welcome the debate. I thank the Deputies for bringing forward the Bill and for all their contributions. As I said earlier, the proposals in this private Members' Bill are consistent with my Department's overall objective to promote responsible dog breeding in Ireland. Deputy Donnelly mentioned crossbreeding, which is just awful. Mixing a small dog like a Pomeranian with a big dog really...

Dog Breeding Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputies Tóibín, Canney and Grealish for bringing forward this Private Member's Bill. I am pleased to inform the House that the Government is not opposing the Bill. I have two dogs myself, a miniature Yorkshire terrier called Rusty and a King Charles spaniel called Lady. Like everybody else, they are part of the family and we would be heartbroken if anything happened to...

Social Welfare Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Naughten for giving me some of his time. I also thank Deputies for their contributions. There has been good engagement. There were always going to be some areas where there were differences, but there has been a broad welcome for the measures in the Bill from all sides of the House. We can never do everything we want in a single budget. There will always be more requests...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Surviving Cohabitant’s Pension) Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...of personal pain which are known to Senators across the House. Senator Wall was in touch with me directly last week on this matter. I fully accept the spirit in which this Bill is being brought forward in. I know the motivation behind the Bill is the very sad case of Johnny O'Meara who lost his long-term partner, and the mother of his three children, Michelle. Unfortunately, Johnny did...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Properties (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...that these works will take approximately 12 months to complete. There will be no disruption to DSP services which will continue to be delivered from Block 2 while works in Block 1 are ongoing. Staffing levels are regularly reviewed to ensure that the best service is delivered to customers and will continue to be monitored going forward.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Services (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...found that there is not a single typical cost of disability; rather, there is a spectrum from low to high additional costs of disability, depending on individual circumstances. This is why the Government referred the report to the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group, which is chaired by the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability. This group comprises of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ..., Indecon found that there is not a single typical cost of disability; rather, there is a spectrum from low to high additional costs of disability, depending on individual circumstances. The Government referred the report to the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group, which is chaired by the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability. This group comprises of...