Results 1-20 of 16,381 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is in receipt of state pension (contributory) (SPC) at the maximum weekly rate of €277.70. They are also in receipt of an increase for a qualified adult (IQA) in respect of their spouse at the weekly rate of €70.00. The person concerned has weekly deductions of €41.60 from their SPC for the recovery of an overpayment totalling €95,152.52...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...not qualify for a State pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. Recipients of state pension non-contributory are obliged to notify the Department of any changes in their circumstances that may affect their pension entitlement. A list of the reportable changes of circumstance is included in the initial...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...to have 520 full rate contributions. As the person concerned paid modified contributions, they were considered for a mixed insurance state pension (contributory). To qualify for this pension, 520 employment contributions are required, of which at least 260 must be full-rate contributions with the remainder made up of modified contributions. Since their full-rate contributions fall...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. If a person is in receipt of another Social Welfare payment in their own right (other than unemployment payments or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...last employer may be contacted in circumstances where additional information is required in order for their jobseekers to be processed and a decision made on their claim. All jobseeker applicants are required to make a declaration that they meet all the conditions for a jobseekers payment. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Advertising (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...My Department administers more than 90 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. The department is committed to ensuring that members of the public are fully aware of the welfare supports and services that are available, as well as ensuring key changes are communicated to them and online public information campaigns, including via social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability. These include contributory payments based on PRSI contributions, such as Illness Benefit and Invalidity Pension, and non-contributory payments based on a means test, such as Disability Allowance and Blind Pension. Disability Allowance is the only Social Welfare payment which...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...their working activity with their spouse and, therefore, reckonable contributions were not attributed for the period of this working activity. The type of employments exempted from PRSI liability are listed in schedule 1, part 2, section 1 of the social welfare (consolidation) act 2005 (as amended). Since their contributions fall short of the requisite 520 full-rate contributions,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: There is a range of supports provided by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme. These supports can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single Additional Needs Payments (ANPs). The Department may make an ANP to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance 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, a means test and Habitual Residency conditions. As previously advised to the Deputy, the financial position of the person concerned has been...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Reports (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...for the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014. Local Authorities have responsibility for all operational matters under the Control of Dogs Acts including licensing and enforcement. Local Authorities are well placed to target measures in their areas. My Department has no role in the issuing of fixed penalty notices but I believe Dog Wardens are well placed to detect and deal with offences...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...last year through the project development measure under ORIS 2023. Applications submitted under measures 2 and 3 of the 2023 scheme, which includes the Durrow Community/Family Cycle Trails application, are currently being assessed. I expect to be in a position to make a further announcement very shortly on the successful projects under these measures.

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Systems Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...expressed to my officials suggests that this type of provision would be unconstitutional with regard to infringing the property rights of employers and their right to earn a livelihood. My officials are in the process of following up on formal legal advice on this question. I will provide that when I get it. While some worker representatives, including ICTU, have clearly expressed to...

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Systems Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ..., he or she must take into account the potential long-term impact of investment decisions on environmental, social and governance factors. The wording of the Bill currently makes that optional and we are moving towards making it obligatory. I recall that a number of Deputies, including Deputy Sherlock, expressing support for Deputy Ó Cathasaigh's amendment. I am happy to make...

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Systems Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...it will require time to determine the appropriate standards that should apply in respect of employments that will be exempt from the requirement to make AE contributions. As the Deputy will be aware, the Bill sets out that the Pensions Authority will assist the new authority in this work over the coming years, so the Pensions Authority will be involved. It is happy to work with us. ...

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Systems Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...happen. Year 7 is not that far away. At that stage, the employer and employee contribution rates should be moving from 3% to 4.5%. The latter is closer to most employment-based schemes, which are generally around 5% for employers and employees. Employers will not have the power to compel people to join voluntary schemes if automatic enrolment is better for employees. As the...

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Systems Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The website will clearly state where the investments are made. We do not want to lose the point here. This is not State funding or State money. This is the money of the members and they have a right to know where it is going. For that reason, we are going to make sure that NAERSA produces data on the types of investment held by the investment management providers. It will ensure that...

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Systems Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...35, line 37, to delete “the website” and substitute “a website maintained by or on behalf”. This group of amendments has been identified by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel and are once again primarily of a technical nature. In the main, they relate to standardising the wording associated with how NAERSA will specify and publish various operational...

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Systems Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...page 41, line 8, to delete “or qualifying trust RAC” and substitute “, qualifying trust RAC or qualifying PEPP”. This group of amendments is essentially technical. It puts PEPPs, which are the pan-European personal pension funds, alongside other existing pension products that are available and regulated in Ireland and are relevant to this Bill. Doing so...