Results 13,641-13,660 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Youth Assembly (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department published Our Rural Future, a new five-year rural development policy, in March this year. It is the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in Ireland for decades. The policy has a vision for vibrant towns and villages across rural Ireland, with economic, environmental and societal sustainability as an underlying theme, where communities, including...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: In May, I announced funding of €15 million under the 2021 Town and Village Renewal Standard Scheme. The 2021 Scheme is a key part of Our Rural Future – the Government’s five year strategy to revitalise rural Ireland. This year the scheme has a particular focus on vacancy and dereliction, and supporting efforts to bring vacant properties back into use in our towns and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 273 together. The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) 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 Government has provided €53.5m for the scheme in 2021 which operates from June to September. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Records Section of my Department is responsible for the maintenance and issuing of social insurance records in respect of social insurance contributors to the Irish social insurance system. I can advise the Deputy that if the personal public service number (PPSN) of the person concerned is provided to the Records Section via the dedicated TD mailbox,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: A person may apply for whichever of the Department's schemes that best fits his or her needs and circumstances. He or she must satisfy the entitlement criteria and conditions for receipt to be granted payment. Disability Allowance (DA) is a means-tested payment for people with an injury, disease or disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Jul 2021)

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. Where a person in receipt of full-rate CA has a qualified child they are entitled to claim an IQC at the following rates:...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced as an emergency measure in the exceptional circumstances of Covid-19 to help cushion the financial impact on people temporarily laid-off work as a direct result of public health measures mandated by the Government. To date, over €8.2 billion has been paid to support people on the scheme. As restrictions are lifted and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine the sustainability of the State Pension system and the Social Insurance Fund, in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment.  The Commission was also asked in its Terms of Reference to examine the issue of retirement ages in employment contracts that are set below the State Pension qualifying age, and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Please find two tables below.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Widow's Pension (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Widow’s, Widower’s and Surviving Civil Partner’s pension is paid to the husband, wife or surviving civil partner of a deceased person and is available to those who satisfy the necessary PRSI contribution conditions, either on their own record or on that of the deceased spouse or civil partner, provided the applicant is not cohabiting. The legal context governing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment is a weekly tax-free payment available to employees with children. It gives extra financial support to people on low pay. Currently, there are approximately 10,500  Working Family Payment customers who are in receipt of some form of maintenance. The average maintenance payment is €58.60 per week. As there is a housing disregard...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) section has a target of processing 90% of all new applications within a ten week timeframe. This target has been consistently achieved and exceeded every month since April 2020. As at the 30th June 2021, there were 1,852 claims awaiting decision and the average processing time was 8.5 weeks. Processing times can be affected by the volume of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Child benefit is the principal way the State assists families with the costs of raising children.  It is paid in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years, or to the age of 18 in respect of children who are in full-time education or who have a disability.   The Department invites child benefit applications by contacting the parents of new born...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 9 February 2020. According to the records of my Department, they have a total of 898 qualifying full-rate paid and credited contributions from their date of entry into insurable employment on 8 November 1971 to end-December 2019.  This equates to a yearly average of 18 contributions, which gives an entitlement to a standard State pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Communications (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is aware of many reports that people have received one or more scam calls purporting to be from officials from this Department. These fraudulent phone calls and text messages claim to be from the Department and are seeking personal information e.g. PPS number / Bank Account details.  Other institutions have also been the target of similar fraudulent...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: In line with standard practice, a review of One Parent Family Payment entitlement was undertaken in the case of the person concerned on 22/4/2021.  The person concerned was asked to provide relevant information/documentation in order to complete this review.  Payment was suspended when means could not be determined as certain information regarding a number of bank accounts was not...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The rollout of community CCTV schemes across the country has benefitted many communities, helping people to feel safer in their local areas. It is a priority of mine to ensure that community groups continue to be supported in their valued contributions to their local CCTV schemes while ensuring sufficient and proportionate oversight of statutory data protection considerations. Since...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Properties (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The number of staff by location and function in each office of my Department is provided in the table below, along with the information requested on whether each property is State owned or leased. The Deputy will appreciate that the costs of leases are commercially sensitive. Buildings occupied by Department of Justice Number of Staff Function Leased/Owned...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will appreciate, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the general management and administration of Garda business, which includes the deployment of members of An Garda Síochána throughout the State. As Minister, I have no role in this independent function. As of 31 May 2021 there were 328 Gardaí assigned to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (15 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be aware that in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. The allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner and his management team, in light of identified operational demands. This includes responsibility for the allocation of Garda...