Results 9,261-9,280 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year. The allowance paid for each eligible child aged from 4 to 11 years on or before 30 September 2020 is €150 while an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated cost of increasing the rate of Fuel Allowance by €1, €5.50 and €10 per week is as shown in the table below: Weekly rate increase Cost for 2020/2021 Fuel Season €1 €10.5m €5.50 €57.5m €10 €104.6m These estimates are based on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The fuel allowance is a payment of €24.50 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €686 each year) from October to April, to over 369,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €261.35 million in 2020. 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. It...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 779 and 780 together. The Back to Education Allowance Scheme (BTEA) is designed to support second chance education. It enables eligible persons to pursue education and to continue to receive income support for the duration of a course of study. The weekly rate of payment is linked to the persons' underlying payment, for example jobseekers allowance, and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Illness benefit is a short term payment made to insured people who are unable to work due to illness. The payment is funded by the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) through the payment of PRSI contributions by workers and employers and, in the event of a shortfall between contributions received and benefits paid, the Exchequer. The SIF is central to Ireland’s system of social protection...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Allowance is a means-tested payment for carers who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention on a full-time basis and whose income falls below certain limits. The principal conditions for receipt of the allowance are that full time care and attention is required and being provided and that the means test which applies is satisfied. At the end of July...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Support Grant (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing the carer's support grant by €100 and €300 is as follows: Annual Increase Cost of Increase €100 €14.0m €300 €41.9m It should be noted that this costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to a lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Direct Provision Payments (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Applicants for International Protection accommodated under the system of Direct Provision operated by the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) of the Department of Justice and Equality are provided with full board accommodation and other facilities/services. My department administers the daily expenses allowance (DEA) which is paid to protection applicants who live in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2011 provided for increases to the State pension age to make the State pension system more sustainable as life expectancy increases. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State Pension (Transition). This measure standardised the State pension age for all at 66 years. The legislation provided for increases to the State pension age - to 67...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Department received an application for Illness Benefit from the person concerned on the 10th August 2020. Unfortunately, the person concerned does not satisfy the PRSI qualifying conditions for a payment of Illness Benefit. In order to qualify for Illness Benefit, a person must have 104 total PRSI contributions paid at class A, E H or P. A person also must have 39 weeks of PRSI...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The allowance paid for each eligible child aged from 4 to 11 years on or before 30 September 2020 is €150 while an allowance of €275 is paid for each eligible child aged...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Ministerial Advisers (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The appointment of Special Advisors is as provided under Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. Guidelines for the Appointment of Ministerial Staff of the 33rd Dáil, including the relevant terms and conditions of appointment of Special Advisers, were approved by Government on 4th August 2020 and have been published by the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform on...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government includes a number of commitments in relation to the LEADER programme, including the question of increasing the rate of aid applicable to private enterprises from 50% to 75%. My Department has engaged with a number of Local Development Companies who work closely in the delivery of the LEADER programme, to obtain their views on the proposal for an aid rate increase...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and is committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach. The Community and Voluntary Sector Covid-19 Stability Fund was intended to be a targeted once-off cash injection for organisations and groups currently...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Animal Welfare (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Under Section 33 of the Control of Dogs Act 1986, the Minister may make grants to any person concerned with the provision of homes or shelters for stray or unwanted dogs or with the welfare of dogs. The funding is used to provide grants to animal welfare organisations for the provision of shelters for dogs and to assist with neutering and re-homing programmes. The level of grant aid provided...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Animal Welfare (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Control of Dogs Act 1986, as amended by the Control of Dogs (Amendment) Act 1992, local authorities are responsible for all operational matters relating to the control of dogs. They have the power to appoint dog wardens, provide dog shelters, seize dogs, impose on-the-spot fines and take court proceedings against owners, where appropriate. Local authorities may enter into...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department publishes annual statistics in respect of a range of dog control responsibilities of local authorities. Information up to and including 2018 is available at the following link . It is planned to publish the 2019 Dog Control Annual Statistics on Gov.ie during October.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Housing Regeneration (8 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Action Plan for Rural Development 2017-2019 included a commitment to develop a pilot initiative to encourage increased residential occupancy in town and village centres. It was originally envisaged that a small grants scheme might be introduced to encourage the regeneration and repurposing of vacant buildings in town centres for residential purposes. A Steering Group with representatives...