Results 11,761-11,780 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Protected Disclosures (25 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 270 together. I can confirm that my Department has not received any protected disclosures since its establishment in 2017. A Protected Disclosures policy is in place and available to all staff in the Department and its agencies.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (25 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that an application in respect of the project referred to by the Deputy was received by my Department under Measure 2 of the 2020 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, through Kerry Co. Council. The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme provides funding for the development of new outdoor recreational infrastructure and for the maintenance and promotion of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Improvement Scheme (25 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is just one of a number of initiatives funded under my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme.  This Programme also includes the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, LEADER, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, CLÁR and the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme. The Local Authorities are heavily involved in the delivery...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rights of Way (25 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: In 2011, a Mountain Access Scheme to facilitate access to the uplands for recreational users was developed through Comhairle na Tuaithe. Two areas were selected to pilot the approach - one at Mount Gable in Connemara and the other in the MacGillycuddy Reeks in Co Kerry.   Comhairle na Tuaithe went on to establish a Mountain Access Project Steering Group in 2014, which was...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (25 Mar 2021)

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

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection (DSP) is committed to protocols which provide for a safe working environment for all staff in line with The Resilience and Recovery Plan 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 and the Guidance for Public Service Employers during COVID-19 from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. In order to provide essential services to customers, some...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The ENP scheme is demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: There are a number of basic principles which underpin the Irish social insurance system. Firstly, there is the contributory principle. Under this principle there is a direct link between the PRSI contributions that a person has paid and entitlement to a varying range of benefits and pensions. Where a person has sufficient PRSI contributions, then benefits and pensions may be paid where...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Training Support Grant, available through my Department, is designed to fund short-term training where the training is not available through a State provider. A grant of up to €1,000 per jobseeker can be provided where an immediate skills gap is identified that represents an obstacle to taking up a job offer or accessing other opportunities. Funding for courses up to and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Maternity Benefit (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Maternity benefit is a payment made for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed women who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions based on their own social insurance record. The person concerned does not qualify for maternity benefit at this time as she is not currently in insurable employment and does not satisfy the required PRSI contribution conditions. She is advised to contact her...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned was invited to attend a Public Services Card (PSC) appointment on 29/03/2021 at 11.15 am. My Department's records show that the person concerned attended the scheduled PSC appointment. A PSC will issue to him by post in the next 14 days. I trust this clarifies the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is currently finalising a procurement process that will expand the geographical coverage of employment services, into several areas of the State, where an existing Local Employment Service is currently not being delivered. These new employment services will be delivered through a revised multi-annual model that delivers a more integrated and coherent customer journey with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Disability allowance (DA) is subject to periodic reviews. The entitlement of the person concerned was reviewed and it was established that she no longer satisfies the medical condition for receipt of DA. The person concerned was originally notified of this on 29 September 2020. Further medical evidence was received and a review of this decision was carried out. The original decision...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The back to education allowance scheme (BTEA) provides people with a second chance education that will improve their prospects of securing employment. It enables eligible people to pursue approved education courses and to continue to receive income support for the duration of a course of study, subject to meeting certain conditions. To continue to receive a BTEA payment, a student must...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The State pension (contributory) and State pension (non–contributory) schemes are centrally administered from my Department’s offices located at College Road, Sligo. Details of the number of staff engaged in processing applications for contributory (SPC) and non-contributory (SPNC) pensions are shown below. Scheme No. of staff (whole time...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is available to employees and the self-employed who have lost their job on or after 13th March 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The expenditure to date in 2021 for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is €1.8 billion with over 5 million payments made. These figures are provisional and are subject to reconciliation. The table below...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: When the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP ) was initially introduced it was set at a flat rate of €203 because it was intended to last for 12 weeks and those with adult and or child dependents would apply for a jobseeker’s payment instead. However, given the scale of the social and economic impact of the pandemic, it wouldn’t have been possible to properly process the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection is in the process of changing its banker to Danske Bank. This is on foot of the Government’s decision in 2017 to tender for a single banking service for all Government Departments and Offices, a contract which was awarded to Danske Bank in 2018. My Department uses the bank for both cheque and electronic fund transfer (EFT) payments, i.e. funds...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (31 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below, and includes those in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment for the weeks specified who were working in either pre-primary education or in child day-care activities. This breakdown is based on the sector of the last known employer. Week Commencing No of Childcare workers in receipt of PUP...