Results 181-200 of 798 for 5 million speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The social welfare package in Budget 2022 was the highest in 14 years and meant that some 1.4 million people, including over 700,000 pensioners, received a €5 increase in weekly payments, and more if they have dependents. In addition to improvements in core social welfare rates, there were a number of targeted measures designed to support those most vulnerable to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...in February, which will have a positive impact on the incomes of all households in our country.  This package will cost in excess of half a billion euro. These measures include an additional lump sum payment of €125 to all households in receipt of the Fuel Allowance payment which was paid last week at a cost of approximately €49 million.  This means...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, which is supporting up to an estimated 400,000 households in 2022, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022.  The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.  The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (8 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...a desk space using their mobile device. The Connected Hubs mobile app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store for iOS devices and the Google Play Store for Android.   I also launched the 2022 Connected Hubs Call, a €5 million funding stream to further support remote working facilities, including Broadband Connection Points (BCPs), throughout the country and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant.  Combined spending on these payments to carers in 2022 is estimated to exceed €1.5 billion.   The Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment of €1,850 for each care recipient paid in a single lump sum with no...

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

Heather Humphreys: ...’ income supports including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant.  Combined spending on these payments to carers in 2022 is estimated to exceed €1.5 billion.  The Carer’s Allowance is the main scheme by which my Department provides income support to carers in the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (1 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the potential of remote working hubs as key economic assets for our rural towns and villages. Notwithstanding the clear benefits to individuals and families in terms of quality of life indicators, remote working from hubs will also support local economies, reduce carbon emissions and may arrest or reverse the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (1 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the potential of remote working hubs as key economic assets for our rural towns and villages. Notwithstanding the clear benefits to individuals and families in terms of quality of life indicators, remote working from hubs will also support local economies, reduce carbon emissions and may arrest or reverse the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Correspondence (24 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...each year as part of the annual budgetary process, and I will as always take these views on board. The social welfare package in Budget 2022 was the highest in 14 years and meant that some 1.4 million people, including over 700,000 pensioners, received a €5 increase in weekly payments, and more if they have dependents. In addition to improvements in core social welfare rates,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (22 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The social welfare package in Budget 2022 was the highest in 14 years and meant that some 1.4 million people, including over 700,000 pensioners, received a €5 increase in weekly payments, and more if they have dependents. In addition to improvements in core social welfare rates, there were a number of targeted measures designed to support those most vulnerable to poverty, including...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...each of the 28 LEADER sub-regional areas around the county. A new capital fund for the upgrade of community centres was referred to in the national development plan and an indicative budget of €5 million has been secured for this under budget 2022. It is envisaged that this capital fund will support the upgrade and refurbishment of existing community buildings in urban and rural...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (17 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 347 to 349, inclusive, and 351 together. A vital part my Department's mission is to support vibrant and sustainable communities across this country, and in doing so to deliver on a wide range of strategic interventions, funding programmes and policies to support urban and rural communities. In the 2022 Revised Estimates, my Department was allocated...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (16 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...is no limit on it. People get it as they need it. It provides once-off and regular support to those on low incomes having difficulty meeting household costs. In 2021, the Department paid €42.7 million in urgent and exceptional needs payments in respect of 55,000 claims. Approximately 92,200 payments were made in 2019 and 67,600 payments were made in 2020. It is there and it is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (15 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In Budget 2022, I was pleased to announce a number of reforms to the Fuel Allowance scheme including an increase in the weekly rate by €5 to €33, and a €20 increase in the weekly income means threshold with both measures implemented with effect from budget night. It is estimated that around 400,000 households will benefit from the Fuel Allowance payment in 2022. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...gas allowance and the free television licence, and is just one of a range of supports my Department provides to assist people with their fuel costs. My Department will spend approximately €273 million this year on household benefits, supporting more than 484,000 households. As part of the overall welfare budget package of €600 million in increases that I secured for 2022, I...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 62 together. The social welfare package in Budget 2022 was the highest in 14 years with approximately 1.4 million people receiving a €5 increase in weekly payments. In addition to improvements in core social welfare rates, the Budget package included a number of targeted measures. This focused approach to supporting those in greatest need is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Artists' Remuneration (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...own employment ambitions, be that self-employment or insurable employment. When an individual commences employment, they can avail of an income disregard of €140 per week. In addition, a 50% taper on earnings between €140 and €350 is also applied, i.e., 50% of earnings in this band are disregarded for the purpose of the means test. Earnings above €350 are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 over a full fuel season) from October to April, to 375,000 low-income households, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household....