Results 14,901-14,920 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Birth Certificates (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be aware that the HSE is responsible for the day-to-day delivery of civil registration services and for processing birth registration applications submitted by parents to registrars at 60 locations across the country. The General Register Office has made enquiries with the HSE and has asked that contact be made with the Deputy regarding the status of the application. I trust...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned applied for State pension (contributory) on 14 October 2020, in advance of their 66thbirthday on 2 December 2020. In order to qualify for standard State pension (contributory) based solely on an applicant’s Irish social insurance record, a minimum of 520 full-rate paid contributions are required. According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is available for employees and self-employed people who have lost employment and satisfy the scheme's statutory conditions. Expenditure on PUP since its introduction last March 2020 has now exceeded €8.9 billion. To satisfy the eligibility conditions for PUP, a person cannot be engaged in insurable employment. This applies to both employees and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the important role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. The main income supports to family carers provided by my Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government, ‘Our Shared Future’, published in July 2020, committed to increase the availability of activation schemes, including those run by local employment services. The provision of activation services, including the Department’s internal Intreo service and external contracted services, is under continual review. My Department has commenced...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work payment which provides additional financial support to employees on low earnings with children.In order to qualify for WFP, the applicant or the applicant and their spouse, partner or cohabitant must be engaged in employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight. This condition must be satisfied on an ongoing basis. Once awarded,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, to 369,000 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 household. It is not...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Road Projects (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities and represent a vital piece of infrastructure for rural communities. As part of 'Our Rural Future',the Government is committed to ensuring that the Local Improvement Scheme is funded into the future. The selection of LIS roads is a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the construction of the project referred to by the Deputy is being undertaken by the relevant Local Authority, with financial assistance from my Department. My Department provided the Local Authority with funding for the purchase of land for this project in late 2020. The Local Authority subsequently submitted an initial design however the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Agriculture Schemes (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Funding may be available through the LEADER Programme for the type of project referred to by the Deputy. LEADER is a multi-annual programme covering the period 2014-2020 which is delivered through 29 Local Action Groups (LAGs) around the country. Support under the LEADER programme is provided under a broad range of themes, including Economic Development, Enterprise Development and Job...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: LEADER is a multi-annual programme for rural development co-funded by the EU through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The programme is based on a community-led approach to rural development and plays an important role in supporting communities and enterprises in progressing job creation, social inclusion and environmental projects at local level. Preparations for the design and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Agriculture Schemes (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: LEADER is a rural development programme co-funded by the EU that operates a locally-led, bottom-up approach to meeting the needs of local communities and businesses. The programme supports private enterprises and community groups in rural areas. From 2007 to 2020, LEADER was included in the suite of measures that constituted Ireland’s Rural Development Programme (RDP). The Rural...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Poverty (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Government is committed to supporting households to control and meet energy costs through a combination of monetary supports, as well as investment to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock. My Department provides a range of supports to assist people with their fuel costs. Fuel allowance is currently paid to over 369,000 at an...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Poverty (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: For those outside of social welfare supports, the Government launched a comprehensive strategy in 2016 to combat energy poverty following extensive public consultation. This strategy was spearheaded by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, who has responsibility in that area. The strategy sets out the Government's commitment to protecting...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fuel Poverty (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: We are spending over €323 million on the fuel allowance and €195 million on the gas and electricity allowance. That is a considerable amount of money. For those who have problems, as I said, there is an exceptional needs payment available under the supplementary welfare allowance from the community welfare officer for heating costs. The fund is uncapped. As it is demand-led,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The social insurance contribution-based jobseeker's benefit and the means-tested jobseeker's allowance provide income support for people who have lost their jobs and are unable to find full-time employment. The rate of jobseeker's benefit is graduated accorded to an applicant's previous average earnings and graduated rates are applied where the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Some 80% of people on jobseeker's benefit receive the full rate of €203. This amount will increase to €208 in January following the budget changes. The position is clear, in that, if someone has been working a sufficient number of hours and has the required number of PRSI contributions, he or she will get the full payment rate. If anyone is on a reduced rate, it is because...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: To clarify, I will look at a pay-related support for people who are made unemployed. This is something to which we must give consideration. Such a scheme is the right thing to do, but it will take some time to design that system. We will take the lessons from the PUP. I am committed to developing a pay-related benefit whereby someone gets a percentage of his or her earnings upon losing a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Almost €9 billion has been spent on the PUP since its introduction, demonstrating the Government's commitment to workers. The number of PUP recipients has fallen dramatically from a peak of more than 605,000 last year to approximately 57,000 this week. This represents a drop of over 90%, highlighting that the majority of people have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I appreciate the Deputy's comments, especially about the live entertainment sector. It is important to say that we are in a much better position now than previously. Music is now allowed at weddings. Indeed, I was at a wedding last Sunday and was delighted to see three different sets of musicians playing. In total, there were nine people employed at that one wedding for the day. I was...