Results 15,741-15,760 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In February 2021, I introduced the "Benefit Payment for 65 year olds" in line with the Programme for Government commitment, to provide a benefit payment for people who are aged 65 and who are required to retire, or who chose to retire, without a requirement to sign on, engage in activation measures or be available for and genuinely seeking work. This new payment was designed specifically to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 321 and 322 together. Under current eligibility conditions, applicants must have 520 full-rate paid contributions in order to qualify for standard State pension (contributory), based on their Irish contribution record. Calculation of an applicant’s entitlement to State pension (contributory) is based on their social insurance record from their date of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Two specific Covid -19 related income support payments have been introduced since 2020 - the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Covid (Enhanced) Illness Benefit. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced as one of a number of measures to provide income support to those who had lost their employment as a result of COVID. To date, over 870,000 people have received payment under...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that there are currently 6,879 appeals at various stages of the appeals process. Under Article 13 of the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department publishes recipient numbers in annual and quarterly formats; annual reports, including an archive of reports dating from 1998 onwards, are available through gov.ie/dsp/statistics. Quarterly data covering the period Q1 2014 through Q4 2021 inclusive, is published through the national open data portal, data.gov.ie. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: A basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) is a weekly allowance paid to people who have insufficient income to meet their needs and those of their families. If a person has claimed a social welfare benefit or pension but it has not yet been paid and they have no other income, they may qualify for basic SWA while awaiting a decision on their claim. The person concerned is currently in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an appeal from the person concerned was disallowed by an Appeals Officer on 26 January 2021. It was subsequently reviewed twice by the Chief Appeals Officer under Section 318 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 and once by an Appeals Officer under Section 317 of the Act. The outcomes of these reviews, issued on 10 May 2021, 28...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) is a means-tested payment made to people who are unemployed and who satisfy the qualifying conditions of the scheme. One of the qualifying conditions is that a person must be available for full-time employment and be genuinely seeking work. A person’s entitlement to JA is reviewed on a continuing basis to ensure that they continue to satisfy the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person referred to was awarded invalidity pension with effect from 28 October 2021 and received her first payment to her nominated bank account on 06 January 2022 and received arrears due on 13 January 2022. The person in question was notified of this decision on 22 December 2021. I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 7 December 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 7 October 2021. Based on the evidence supplied this person’s application for disability allowance (DA) was disallowed on the grounds that they failed to supply the information which was requested by this Department and the medical qualifying condition was not satisfied. The person in question was notified...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages across rural Ireland. A total of €277 million has been allocated to 191 projects across the country, worth a total of €375 million. Calls for applications to the Fund are sought under two categories – Category 1 and Category 2....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR Programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. A list of the CLÁR designated rural areas can be viewed on my Department's website at the following link www.gov.ie/en/collection/ab7580-clar-funding-area-maps/ ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (3 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR Programme provides funding under a number of different Measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. The level of funding provided for the CLÁR programme in 2021 was €5.5 million and this was increased to €7 million under Budget 2022. In 2021,...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Chairman and members of the committee for the invitation to attend here today to discuss and seek approval for the Revised Estimates for 2022 for the Department of Rural and Community Development. First, I wish to thank members for their pre-budget submission and for their continued interest in and support for the work of the Department. We have a huge amount in common in...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In fairness, the proof of the pudding is in the eating and we can all see the huge difference that rural investment is making right across communities, towns and villages the length and breadth of the country. The regional enterprise development fund sits with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and we have a role in complementing that in terms of providing infrastructure....

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Kerrane for her question. First, I want to acknowledge the good work done by LEADER companies. The budget for 2014 to 2020 was €250 million and the budget for the next seven-year programme is the same, at €250 million. We have matched a portion and come up with additional funding of €70 million. The LEADER companies specifically asked for that. They...