Results 81-100 of 20,384 for speaker:Heather Humphreys in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (8 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Community Recognition Fund was first introduced in 2023 to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. Through the 2023 allocation, funding of €50 million was approved for some 900 projects in providing support to cities, towns and villages nationwide that have welcomed people from Ukraine and other countries. To...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (8 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) is funded under Our Rural Future. The scheme provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as walking trails, cycleways and blue ways throughout rural Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme in 2016, funding of over €113 million has supported more than 1,700 projects across the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Allowance 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. On 13 June 2023, the person concerned was notified that they had no entitlement to Carer's Allowance. As the person had...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The fuel allowance is subject to a household composition requirement where everyone who resides in the house is aged 70 or over or, if under the age of 70, in receipt of a qualifying payment from this Department, or an equivalent social security payment from a country covered by EU Regulations or a country with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement, or Revenue Job Assist....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (2 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In November 2023, I published and laid a report before the Oireachtas entitled ‘Report on measures to include long COVID in the Occupational Injuries Benefit Regulations’. This report concluded that COVID-19 does not satisfy the criteria for recognition as an occupational illness or an accident at work under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. Specifically,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In general, medical or health related benefits fall within the remit of the Department of Health and the HSE. However, my Department administers the treatment benefit scheme which provides certain dental, optical, and medical appliances benefits to insured workers, the self-employed and retired people who have the required number of PRSI contributions. These treatments are also available to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (2 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Public service pension policy is a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. However, as regards social insurance contributions, these are made in accordance with the legislation and the employment terms and conditions in force at the time they are made, and eligibility for social insurance benefits flows from those particular contributions. Civil and public...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (2 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: This is not a matter for my Department. The matter is likely to be appropriate to one of my colleagues either the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth or the Minister for Transport.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (2 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 5 April 2016. To date, my department has not received an application for State Pension (contributory). Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520 full-rate contributions paid in the state to qualify for standard State Pension (contributory). 520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of full-rate insurable employment....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (2 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an income-tested weekly payment which provides additional financial support to employees on low earnings with children. WFP provides financial support for employees who have low earnings/income relative to their family size. The WFP rate payable is 60% of the difference between the average weekly family income and the relevant prescribed income limit. To...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (2 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 basic SWA provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly benefit for eligible individuals with a disability expected to last over a year, subject to medical assessment, means testing, and Habitual Residency conditions. The Department approved a DA application for this individual on 10 August 2022, granting the maximum personal rate and additional payment for qualified child from the same date. As previously...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (2 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Under the range of capital investment programmes operated by my Department, I have prioritised the development and enhancement of community centres across the country as they are a vital resource for all of the community. Under the 2022 Community Centre Investment Fund, which was the first year of the Fund's operation, over €45.8 million was committed for improvement and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Transport (1 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. There are over one million customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2024 is €104 million. The scheme is not intended to provide transport services or to compensate for a lack of transport in rural areas. Any...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (1 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) scheme allows a person in receipt of an invalidity or illness benefit payment to enter employment or self-employment and continue to receive a partial or full payment. The amount of payment is set at 50%, 75% or 100% of their previous payment depending on the extent to which their condition is assessed to impair their capacity to work. PCB has also been...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (1 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Service, or CIS, is funded by the Citizens Information Board. I deeply value the important work carried out by employees of the CIS, in providing people with free, quality and independent information, advice and advocacy services across the country. It is important to point out that employees of the CIS are not employees of my Department, nor are they public...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (1 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Department complies with 'Circular 09/2009: Civil Servants and Political Activity' with regards to where an employee of the Department becomes elected or co-opted to a local authority. Section 9. Participation by Civil Servants in Local Elections - the following provisions apply: a. Civil servants in the craft, state industrial and manual grades and grades below clerical grades may...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (1 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 Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the case was referred to an Appeals Officer on 15 November 2023. A reply to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (1 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Yearly Average method of calculating State Pension (Contributory) payment rates has been used since the introduction of the contributory Old Age Pension (now State Pension (Contributory)) in 1961. Under the Yearly Average approach, anomalies can arise because of the date of entry into insurable employment. A late date of entry into insurable employment can result in an unusually low...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (1 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Government approved the draft Heads of Bill on 9th January for the introduction of a new Pay-Related Benefit for jobseekers. The Heads of Bill containing the General Scheme for the new scheme are published on my Department's website. The committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands completed the pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft bill in March and...