Results 1-20 of 226 for going forward speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: ...on this. We have to come together and work together. The organisations representing the disability groups also have to come up with their ideas and solutions and we have to try to find a pathway forward. I know, and we all know, there are people with severe disabilities and we know they are never going to work. We need to make sure they are not being asked to fill out forms and such...

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

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this. I propose to take questions Nos. 11 and 48 together. In budget 2024, the Govemment decided to extend the payment of child benefit to 18-year-olds who are in full-time education or have a disability. This was one of my key priorities in the budget. With many children now starting primary school at age five, together with the increase in pupils doing...

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank all the Deputies for their contributions. I have listened intently to all the suggestions and views that have been put forward. There are some areas of difference. Some are quite fundamental to the Government's agreed design. It is fair to say that there has been a broad welcome from all sides of the House for the core idea of auto-enrolment, which is to find a way to provide...

Disability Justice: Motion [Private Members] (17 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...by my Department in August of last year. The new scheme will combine the two grants, simplify the application process and extend the eligibility and funding for the seven supports that will be available. I look forward to launching the new reformed scheme in the coming weeks. I have been pleased to work with Epilepsy Ireland in recent months to extend my Department's free travel scheme...

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Second Stage (16 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...coverage is not acceptable. At this point, I reiterate that the State pension is, and will remain, the bedrock upon which the Irish pension system is founded. This is the policy intent of this Government and it is a view that I know is shared across the House. However, the State pension is about ensuring that retired people stay above the poverty line. To ensure that workers can...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...to Illness Benefit. This has been processed and their Illness Benefit claim is now in payment. Arrears have issued paying them fully up to date, and their weekly payment is due each Thursday going forward. I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...€4.048 million under the RRDF for the delivery of a modern and fully resourced library for the town. It is a wonderful and important project. Mitchelstown was given €270,000 under category 2 of the RRDF to develop plans to repurpose a vacant landmark building to facilitate the overall branding and place making of a Georgian heritage cultural quarter. I visited the town...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...have all witnessed first-hand the positive benefits that can accrue by making greater use of our community centres. Community centres are a vital resource for any community. They are where we go for community activities and events, and for social supports and social interaction. They are home to many of our cultural and sporting clubs. They are also where communities come together in...

Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: From the Seanad (28 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: On Committee Stage in the Seanad, I brought forward three amendments, all of which relate to the extension of child benefit to 18-year-olds who are in full-time education or who have a disability. Of these, amendment No. 3 is the substantive amendment and will provide for the extension to take effect from 1 May rather than from 3 September. The other two amendments are technical amendments...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Payments (20 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...with the Department of Health is to examine means testing entirely. The Deputy knows that the social welfare system is to keep people out of poverty and to provide them with a basic income. Somebody is going to have to grasp the nettle and pay carers for what they do. They make a considerable contribution when they care for somebody with a disability and cannot work. It was my idea to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Pension Provisions (20 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...will certainly strengthen my hand and the hand of every future Minister when it comes to enhancing and improving the supports for care in the future. I believe a "Yes" vote for care will mean we go forward, not back. We have achieved a lot but there is more to do.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Second Stage (13 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...of the Bill, which relate to child maintenance and the liable relative provisions, stem from the Report of the Child Maintenance Review Group. As Members are aware, in line with a programme for Government commitment, the Government set up the review group to consider and make recommendations on the current treatment of child maintenance payments in the Department of Social Protection, the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Senators Burke, Keogan, Ardagh, Wall, Boyhan and Dolan for their contributions. I am very pleased to bring forward this legislation. The Senators have raised a number of issues and I will go straight to dealing with them. I said earlier that a new weekly payment of €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child is being introduced for the beneficiaries of the temporary...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Revised) (7 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...what has happened and situations where people have been attacked. A lot of that comes down to the owner of the dog who is not keeping it under control. We want a media campaign on the issue. We are going to have a targeted neutering campaign and I am also going to set up a stakeholder group. That is going to bring in all the stakeholders and there are many diverse views on dogs, as we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Library Projects (30 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I must say I had a good day with the Deputy in Carlow. We travelled around and it was lovely to go to that library. It is an old building that needs to be upgraded. As I say, applications are being assessed and I hope to be in a position to make an announcement shortly. I hope Carlow is successful. I have not had sight of what has come through, to be honest, because applications are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (30 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...fund was announced last November. There was a number of successful projects I know the Deputy was very interested in, such as the Killala Bay ships reef project, which received €50,000 and is ongoing. The Cong to Lisloughrey pier recreational trail got another €50,000. These are small schemes by any measure. There is one particularly good one in Deputy Dillon's...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (30 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. I was down at Inch beach and I announced that project. I do not know what is keeping them. They need to move on with it because if they do not spend, the money goes somewhere else. It is an absolutely amazing beach. I heard what was said about Kilderry to Milltown amenity walk. To go back to Deputy Dillon's question, I have secured an allocation of €16...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (30 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...Nos. 74, 78, 98 and 101 together. I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. Community centres are the cornerstone of community life in towns and villages throughout the country. This Government recognises the important role these centres play in bringing people together and facilitating community services and events. As the Deputies are no doubt aware, I have prioritised the...

Social Welfare (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Second Stage (18 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...for their contributions. I acknowledge Deputy Ó Cuív's commitment to the means test and the need to continually review it. It is something he has raised with me on many occasions. I look forward to receiving the report on the means test shortly. We all know that lone parents are a particularly vulnerable group, which is why I am very pleased to bring forward this...

Social Welfare (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Second Stage (18 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In line with the programme for Government commitment, the Government established a child maintenance review group to examine certain issues relating to child maintenance in Ireland. The group's terms of reference were to consider and make recommendations on the current treatment of child maintenance payments in the Department of Social Protection, the current provisions regarding liable...