Results 1-20 of 16,368 for are speaker:Heather Humphreys

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...

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

Heather Humphreys: One of the most important skills anybody on this board would have is financial skills and the ability to make good judgment when investments are being are being considered. I absolutely recognise the mandate and the key role ICTU has in representing workers. I do not want to tie the hands of any future Minister. If an application is made through the PAS, I have no doubt the Minister of the...

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

Heather Humphreys: I move amendment No. 1: In page 10, between lines 1 and 2, to insert the following: “ “contributing participant” shall be construed in accordance with section 57;”. These amendments are purely technical in nature. They are standardising the language in the Bill and improving its coherence. They have been identified by the Office of the Parliamentary...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel scheme is available to people over 66 years and to people in receipt of certain social welfare payments who are under 66 years. From 29th July 2024, Free Travel is also available to persons who are medically certified as unfit to drive for a period of at least 12 months. Free Travel recipients must be permanently resident in the State. The scheme permits travel for free on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (22 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 desire to process appeals quickly has to be balanced with the competing demand to ensure that decisions are consistent and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (22 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. Means are any income belonging to the carer and their spouse/civil partner/cohabitant including property (except their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Illness Benefit is the primary short term income support provided by my Department to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type and who are covered by social insurance. Eligibility for illness benefit depends on the person's PRSI record and class. People must have made the required number of contributions in class A, E, H or P to qualify. In general, self-employed people...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...and advice) through delivering reports, studies, assessments, recommendations, proposals, etc. that contribute to decision making or policy development. Details as requested by the Deputy are set out below. 2023 Consultant Purpose Value Social Finance Limited Consultancy for employment service for people with a disability ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: .... People over the age of 70 receive the Household Benefits Package, with one package provided per household. The package is also available to people living in the State aged 66-69 years who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments or who satisfy a means test. The package is available to some people under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...members of an Garda Síochána, the fire service and the prison service, who may retire from their work after 30 years of service. Matters relating to pension provision for public servants are for my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Tidy Towns (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...of the competition, and with our highly skilled and competent panel of adjudicators. My Department's role is to facilitate the administration of the adjudication process only, but my officials are not actively involved in the formal adjudication of competition entries. Adjudication of competition entries typically takes place during the months of June and July over an intensive 6 week...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (21 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: School Meals Programme (21 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. As part of this significant expansion plan, all remaining primary schools were contacted last year and requested to submit an expression of interest form if their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (21 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Diet supplement, administered under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet because of a specified medical condition. There are currently 1,021 people in receipt of diet supplement. A review of the costs of healthy eating and specialised diets by the Irish...