Results 10,161-10,180 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Class S contributions paid by the self employed are not a reckonable contribution for Illness Benefit. The Department received an application for Illness Benefit from the person concerned on the 14th May 2020. She did not did not satisfy the PRSI contribution conditions necessary for payment as she was paying Class S contributions in the relevant tax years. However, she is currently receiving...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Inspections (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Social Welfare Inspectors operate under a code of practice which sets out the manner in which they are required to deal with customers. The code requires thatcustomers must at all times be treated equally, fairly, with respect and dignity, as outlined in the Customer Charter. They are required to carry out a range of inspections and reviews including desk-based assessments of customer...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Improvement Scheme (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme, or LIS, is a programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in rural areas which are not under the normal maintenance of the Local Authorities. The scheme is funded by my Department and is administered through the Local Authorities. The LIS is targeted at roads in rural areas. The main condition of eligibility for the scheme is that road...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Services (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1572 to 1575, inclusive, together. My Department has not issued any specific instructions to local authorities regarding the ‘contact and collect’ library service. The ‘Plan for Living with COVID-19’, issued by Government, states that all museums, galleries and other cultural attractions, including all public, school and academic...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Development Plan (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is currently finalising a new rural development policy for the next five years. The new policy will be forward-looking, ambitious, and will build on the progress achieved through the Action Plan for Rural Development, which concluded in 2019. It will seek to strengthen and build resilience in our rural economies and communities and will identify policy measures for delivery in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Enterprise Centres (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Over the last number of years, my Department has funded the development of enterprise centres and co-working hubs through the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, including funding for gTeic hubs in the Gaeltacht areas. The LEADER programme can also provide funding for community-based facilities of this nature. In addition, the Broadband...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Funding for a specific package as outlined by the Deputy is not available from my Department at this time. However, this year's Town and Village Renewal Scheme included three rounds of funding under an Accelerated Measure which supported smaller scale projects that could be delivered immediately to assist towns and villages in adapting to COVID-19. In total, I have allocated...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Contracts (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department entered into 6 contracts for goods and services between 2019 and to date in 2020 which did not require the use of a competitive tender process due to particular exemptions permitted under the Directive . I can confirm that the signing of these contracts were consistent and compliant with Government procurement guidelines. I have provided below, the details of the 6 contracts...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Town and Village Renewal Scheme (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I recognise that, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, some communities and Local Authorities have experienced difficulties in completing projects which were approved for funding under various programmes operated by my Department, including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. My Department is in touch with Local Authorities on an ongoing basis to review progress in delivering projects...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: National Broadband Plan (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Broadband Connection Points (BCP) initiative is a collaborative effort involving my Department, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Local Authorities, National Broadband Ireland (NBI), Vodafone Ireland and the owners and managers of the host sites. BCPs will be located in areas which do not currently have access to reliable high-speed broadband and which will,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Data Protection (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department did not identify any data protection breaches in 2019.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Capital Expenditure Programme (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that there has not been any disbursements of capital spending above €20 million on completed projects since the establishment of my Department in July 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In order to address concerns expressed by self-employed people relating to the difficulties they face in resuming activity, the uncertainty of income streams given the ongoing economic disruption and the fact that in many cases work will be of an occasional or intermittent nature during the initial period of a return to work, the Government introduced changes to the Pandemic Unemployment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was put on a statutory footing with effect from 5 August 2020 as a social welfare benefit to help mitigate the adverse economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is available to employees who lost their employment on or after 13 March 2020 as a direct consequence of Covid-19. It is also available to self-employed people whose income from...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Guardian's Payment (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Guardians Payment is made to a person caring for a child who satisfies the definition of an "orphan" under social welfare legislation. A child is considered an orphan if they are under age 18 (or up to age 22 if in full time education) and both parents are deceased; or one parent is either dead or unknown or has abandoned and failed to provide for the child and the other parent is unknown or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The SAFE registration process, which my Department uses to authenticate a person's identity when they apply for a PPSN is a face-to-face process, carried out in PPSN Centres across the country. At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, my Department temporarily postponed the SAFE registration process. This decision was taken to comply with HSE and WHO guidelines in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The 2021 Budget Estimate for the Rural Social Scheme is €52.2m. While this represents a reduction of €1.9m on the 2020 Revised Estimate, it is in line with the 2020 emerging outturn which is now estimated to be of the order of €52.3m. The Rural Social Scheme is paid on a Thursday and there are 53 Thursdays in 2020. As there will be 52 Thursdays in 2021, this will...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Parent’s Leave and Benefit will be extended from 2 weeks for each parent to 5 weeks as announced in Budget 2021. This extension will be made available retrospectively to parents in respect of children born or adopted on or after 1st November 2019. The period during which this leave can be taken will be extended from 12 to 24 months so it can be taken up to a child's second birthday...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Budget 2021 provides measures for the self-employed so that they can engage in limited self-employment and retain income support. The Budget provided that recipients engaging in self-employment can earn up to €480 over a rolling four week period and continue to maintain entitlement to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. The €480 limit is based on gross income, before tax and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced as a statutory social welfare benefit scheme on 5 August 2020 to continue to mitigate the adverse economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. To facilitate customers, streamline processes and improve payment integrity the Department has, since PUP was first introduced in an emergency manner last March, implemented system...