Results 8,621-8,640 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: As published each Monday on gov.ie at , the number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) during the weeks specified by the Deputy are set out in Table 1. The 'Total Outflow' column refers to the overall outflow from PUP in a given week. All closed claims are part of this outflow. The 'Total Closed' numbers refer to customers who have closed their PUP claims; and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need. The means test plays a critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency – such as disability, unemployment or caring. This ensures that the recipient has a verifiable income need and that resources are targeted to those who need them most....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I am aware that community centres and voluntary organisations are currently making important preparations for reopening facilities across Ireland. Public health guidance has been issued by Government, the HSE, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC), the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and others. This guidance should be carefully considered and should form the basis for any...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: National Broadband Plan (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 536 to 538, inclusive, together. The initiative which the Deputy refers to is an exploratory project involving my Department, the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and Microsoft Ireland, to explore the possibility of using a new technology to deliver free broadband to second-level students from disadvantaged backgrounds in their Leaving Cert....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Grant Payments (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Government is aware of the challenges facing communities and is committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach. In that context my Department is providing funding supports to organisations through the Community and Voluntary Sector Covid-19 Stability Fund. This fund is intended to be a targeted...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Programme for Government (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of the Taoiseach facilitated the provision of briefing materials from Government Departments to parties engaged in Government formation discussions. I am aware that these briefing materials, including those provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development, have been published by the Department of the Taoiseach and are available at There are a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Consultancy Contracts (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is strongly committed to diversity and inclusion and enabling the achievement of equality of opportunity in all employment practices. My Department has not yet delivered diversity and inclusion training. The Department was in the process of procuring training for all staff, which was put on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions. My Department will be providing Disability...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Legal Costs (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department was established on 19 July 2017. Since that date it incurred expenditure in respect of legal fees of €2,655 in 2018 and €1,855 in 2019. In 2018, the Department was assigned a designated point of contact for the provision of legal advice through the Office of the Attorney General, and it is intended that this service provides for the majority of our ongoing...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In August 2019, the Department launched Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: A five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland. This Strategy sets a general direction of travel for Government policy in relation to community development, local development and the community and voluntary sector and will be implemented in partnership with sectorial...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Initiatives (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides funding towards the regeneration of Dublin’s North East Inner City (NEIC) to support the implementation of the Mulvey Report “Creating a Brighter Future” and the NEIC Strategic Plan 2020 – 2022. Funding of €6.5m will be provided by my Department in 2020 towards this initiative. The funding allocation for the NEIC Initiative...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR programme provides funding for small scale infrastructure projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population. The areas originally designated for CLÁR were selected in 2001 based on the level of population decline in each area between 1926 and 1996. The Cooley Peninsula was also included on the basis of the serious...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ministerial Responsibilities (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that the Department briefing provided to me upon my appointment will be published on my Department's website in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: National Broadband Plan (7 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 547 and 548 together. The Airband initiative is an exploratory project involving my Department, the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and Microsoft Ireland, to explore the possibility of using a new technology to deliver free broadband to second-level students from disadvantaged backgrounds in their Leaving Cert. cycle. The initiative will...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (14 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic emergency.  As stipulated in the scheme guidelines both employees and self-employed people can apply for the payment if they satisfy a number of qualifying conditions as set out below.  In order to qualify for the payment, an applicant must: - be aged between 18 and 66 years old and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Job Losses (14 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Section 12 of the Protection of Employment Act 1977 provides that employers proposing a collective redundancy must notify the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection of the proposed collective redundancy.  The statistics in relation to collective redundancy notifications for June 2020 are -  Redundancy Notifications June ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Definitions (14 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I confirm that an application from this lady for disability allowance (DA) was received by the Department on 7 March 2019.  The application was referred to a social welfare inspector (SWI) for a report on the person’s means and circumstances. To date the investigating officer has been unable to determine her place of residence.  The person concerned has also failed to supply...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (14 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 688, 689, 727, 731, 753, 754, 756, 759, 764, 766, 772, 774 and 786 together. The COVID-19 pandemic unemployment payment was introduced as a time limited emergency measure in response to the pandemic and has been extended until 10th August. A two level payment structure has also been introduced to link the pandemic unemployment payment level to prior...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 690, 728, 734, 737, 739 and 781 together. The COVID 19 pandemic unemployment payment was introduced as an emergency measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. One of the conditions for receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment are that a person must have been in employment immediately...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (14 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The report of the group established to conduct a review of the Gender Recognition Act 2015 was published in July 2018. Under legislative proposals to implement some of the recommendations contained in the report, there are no circumstances in which it will be permissible for a child to change gender without parental consent and the current minimum age for legal gender recognition will remain...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 21,200 recipients. The scheme provides short-term income support, to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation...