Results 301-320 of 21,139 for speaker:Heather Humphreys in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (3 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (3 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €382 million in 2024. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household. The criteria for fuel allowance are framed in order to direct the limited...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (3 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As you will be aware, the Citizens Information Service (CIS) comprises of eight independent companies that are funded by the Citizens Information Board (CIB). CIB, in turn, is funded by my Department. As I have stated previously, I deeply value the important and essential work carried out by employees of the CIS, in providing people with free, quality and independent information, advice...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned was in receipt of Illness Benefit for a period from 4th February 2002 until the 16th July 2011. The rules and regulations governing Illness Benefit were changed in 2009 to introduce a limit on the period for which Illness Benefit can be paid. Subject to the level of relevant PRSI contributions paid, Illness Benefit is now only payable for a maximum period of 2 years. ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (3 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Since becoming Minister for Rural & Community Development, I have provided a number of supports for the further development of the Beara Breifne Way walking trail, a long distance walking route which Fáilte Ireland believes could have the potential to compete with walking trails of a similar nature internationally. Under my Department's Rural Regeneration Development Fund...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (3 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 217 together. My Department invests heavily in trails throughout the country through the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) and the Walks Scheme. ORIS provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as walking trails, cycleways, water-based recreation sites and mountain trails. Since...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Seirbhísí Oileán (3 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Mar is eol don Teachta, is é Comhairle Contae na Gaillimhe atá freagrach as cothabháil agus forbairt na gcéanna ar na hOileáin Árann, Inis Meáin san áireamh. Bíonn cruinnithe rialta idir feidhmeannaigh na Roinne agus Comhairle Contae na Gaillimhe chun plé agus monatóireacht a dhéanamh ar fhorbairt céanna ar Inis Oírr...

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

Heather Humphreys: The introduction of an automatic enrolment retirement savings system is a Programme for Government commitment and a key priority for me as Minister for Social Protection. Implementation of the AE system has been gathering pace, with the intention to commence the scheme in early 2025. Its implementation will represent the single biggest reform of the pension system in the history of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (2 Jul 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 an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 22...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (2 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The aim of the Community Employment scheme is to enhance the employability and mobility of disadvantaged and unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. Community Employment projects are sponsored by groups wishing to benefit the local community and participants are employed for 19.5 hours per week with the sponsor group. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (2 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Redundancy Payments Act 1967, as amended, provides for the making of payments by employers to employees in respect of redundancy. The purpose of the Redundancy Payments Scheme is to compensate employees for the loss of their job by reason of redundancy in cases where the employer can prove to the satisfaction of my Department that they are unable to make the payment. It is the...

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

Heather Humphreys: A person may apply for Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) and must satisfy all the conditions to qualify for a payment, including parenting alone and having the main care of a child/children who are aged between 7 and 13 years inclusive. When a person makes an application for JST they complete the JST application form and provide all the information requested including details of...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the valuable role played by family carers and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. The main income supports to carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (2 Jul 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. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 25 January 2024. It is a condition for the...

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department has delivered significant improvements since June 2020. At that time, the country was in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic and this Department introduced the Pandemic Unemployment Payment a few months previously in response to the unprecedented disruption to the labour market caused by Covid-19. Some 29.7 million PUP payments issued at a value of over €9.2 billion...

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

Heather Humphreys: The 2023 provisional expenditure on Rent Supplement is €62.9 million.

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability. These include insurance-based schemes, based on Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions, and means-tested social assistance schemes. Eligibility for the Departments income support schemes, such as Disability Allowance, is not dependent on the nature of the illness or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Paternity Leave (2 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department does not hold data on the number of individuals availing of paternity leave, only for those availing of Paternity Benefit. Paternity Benefit is a payment for employed and self-employed people who are on paternity leave from work and covered by social insurance (PRSI). It is paid for 2 weeks and is available for any child born or adopted on or after 1 September 2016. Paternity...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rental Sector (2 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Accommodation Recognition Payment is a monthly payment of €800 available to those who are providing accommodation to a person or people who arrived in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive. It was introduced in July 2022 to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection. The scheme...

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

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity Pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. An increase for a qualified adult (IQA) is payable with IP in respect of a spouse, cohabitant or civil partner of the applicant who is wholly or mainly maintained by...