Results 14,081-14,100 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Civil Service (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, in April of this year the Government approved the drafting of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill, a commitment in the Programme for Government and Justice Plan 2021. This general scheme was developed to deliver on the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) following publication of its fundamental in-depth...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including the stationing of Gardaí and their allocation to Garda units. As Minister for Justice, I have no direct role in these matters. I am assured by An Garda Síochána that local and senior Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that on the 26 August, 2021, “Operation Tombola” was initiated in the DMR in all Divisions and will remain in place in the lead up to and over the Halloween period. The Deputy will wish to be aware that proactive policing initiatives within the DMR under ‘Operation Tombola’ include but are not limited to the following...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the general management and administration of the Garda organisation under the Garda Síochána Act 2005. This includes the deployment of members of An Garda Síochána throughout the State. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions. I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Functions (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I understand the Deputy to be referring to authorisations made under the provisions of the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act 1993 and the Criminal Justice (Surveillance) Act 2009. I can inform the Deputy that it is the Minister for Justice who may, in accordance with the provisions of the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Services (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: On 31 August, the Government published 'COVID-19: Reframing the Challenge, Continuing Our Recovery and Reconnecting', which is Ireland's plan for the next and final phase of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From 20 September, indoor and outdoor group activities, including those in libraries are permitted and this includes access to study spaces and PCs, where this is in line with the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department was established on 19 July 2017. It has utilised the services of Common Purpose Ireland for limited individual staff training purposes. In common with other staff training the courses were selected to meet identified training needs of particular staff. The details and expenditure costs were provided in the answer to Parliamentary Question No. 825 of 15 September 2021. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The €7 million Streetscape Enhancement Initiative, which is a commitment in Our Rural Future, is designed to make 124 of our rural towns and villages more attractive and welcoming places for locals and visitors alike. Property owners will be part funded to improve the facades of buildings, carry out artwork and install features such as canopies and street furniture. The initiative...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The €7 million Streetscape Enhancement Initiative, which is a commitment in Our Rural Future, is designed to make 124 of our rural towns and villages more attractive and welcoming places for locals and visitors alike. Property owners will be part funded to improve the facades of buildings, carry out artwork and install features such as canopies and street furniture. The initiative...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Projects (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The construction of a new helipad referred to by the Deputy is a project being undertaken by Mayo County Council, with financial assistance from my Department. My Department provided funding for the purchase of land for this project in late 2020. Mayo County Council submitted an initial design however the Department required amendments to the original design and I understand that a revised...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (28 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Walks Scheme, which is funded by my Department, contracts landholders to undertake maintenance work on National Waymarked Ways and other priority trails that traverse their lands. The landholders receive modest payments for maintenance work undertaken in line with agreed work plans. My Department commissioned an external review of the Walks Scheme to examine the delivery and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to over 370,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021.  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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (29 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Under social welfare legislation, the date of entry into insurance is the date a person becomes an insured person and enters employment for which a social insurance contribution is payable, once they are 16 years of age.  This contribution can be paid at the full, modified or self-employed social insurance rate. Where a contributor has a mixed social insurance record with both...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards the cost of their winter heating needs. The main eligibility conditions for receipt of fuel allowance are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, satisfy a means test and live alone or with other qualifying persons.  The fuel allowance means test is linked...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (29 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Regarding information technology, my Department engages service providers (individuals or organisations) to provide assistance with specific technical skills and projects.  The procurement of such services supports my Department in providing a high-quality service to the public in a cost-effective manner and is governed by a comprehensive regulatory framework. The total...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: There are currently in excess of 156,000 persons in receipt of means-tested disability payments from the Department, comprising some 154,500 persons in receipt of the Disability Allowance (DA) and some 1,060 in receipt of Blind Pension (BP). The means assessment of DA reflects the fact that there is an expectation that people with reasonable amounts of income or capital are in a position to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (29 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine sustainability and eligibility issues with the State Pension and the Social Insurance Fund, in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment. The Commission has now concluded its work and has submitted its final report to me.  The report itself is extremely detailed, running to several hundred pages, and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (29 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department is not in a position to say how many parents avail of Parents leave in a specific week or month as this data is not collated.  Data on the number of Parents benefit claims that have been awarded each month in the period January - August 2021, is available and is set out in the following table.  It should be noted that while a claim may be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reports (29 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government commits the Government to use the research into the cost of disability to individuals and families to properly inform the direction of future policy.  My Department commissioned Indecon International Consultants to carry out research into the cost of disability in Ireland. The report has been received and my Department is considering it in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: EU Agreements (29 Sep 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be aware that Ireland's participation in the European Union’s Schengen Agreement is limited to some of the policing co-operation agreements under which participating member states co-ordinate policing activities. This includes the current second generation of the Schengen Information System (SIS II).  SIS II is a centralised secure database used by...