Results 16,141-16,160 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Household Benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence.  The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test.  The package is also available to some people under the age of 66, who are in receipt of certain...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical and aural services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependent spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions. In order to qualify a person needs to have at least 260 PRSI contributions paid at either Class A, E, H, P or S, since first starting work, and also have 39...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” includes a commitment to examine options for a pension solution for carers, most of whom - particularly the carers of incapacitated children – are women.  This Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Subject to the standard qualifying...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas. I recently launched this years programme with a total budget of €7 million,  an increase of €1.5 million on the previous year. The measures being funded under CLÁR 2022 are: Measure 1:  Developing Community Facilities...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme aims to assist with the rejuvenation of rural towns and villages throughout Ireland, making them more attractive places to live, work and visit.  In line with the commitment in Our Rural Future, the 2021 scheme prioritised the renovation of derelict and vacant buildings in our town centres, with a view to bringing these...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Public Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are among the first premises for delivery under the National Broadband Plan. They are publicly accessible sites that serve areas without reliable high-speed broadband, including isolated communities in rural areas and on many of our offshore islands. Sites are provided with a temporary wireless high-speed broadband connection which they make available...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Public Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) provide supports for the whole community, remote workers, students, local community groups and schools. They can offer suites of digital skills training courses, arts and culture activities including musical instruction and access to national cultural resources and a range of eHealth and telemedicine programmes. My Department in partnership with...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Broadband officers (BBO) are based in local authorities across the country.  The role of the BBO is to provide a local point of contact for telecoms operators and the public regarding telecoms issues, and the posts are funded by my Department and local authorities. BBOs play a key role in working with National Broadband Ireland, as well as with initiatives introduced by my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Official Engagements (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Rural and Community Development are owners of the lands referred to by the Deputy. The Department have been considering options for the future of the site following a consultation process which took place in 2017. One proposal supported by local submissions was for the location of a coastguard station on the site. The Department agreed to allow the Coastguard to develop...

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

Heather Humphreys: The aim of the activation process is to support jobseekers along a pathway to sustainable employment. The approach is to help them to develop and pursue a Personal Progression Plan (PPP), including steps to identify and compete for suitable employment opportunities, to take-up relevant work experience, topursue upskilling and training programmes, to set up their own business, to return to...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 304 and 305 together. 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...

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

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of this Department, the person concerned was awarded a One Parent Family Payment with effect from 12/08/2021.  He is currently in receipt of a weekly payment of €441 which includes a Fuel Allowance payment of €33.  The person concerned is also receiving a Carer’s Allowance payment of €112 per week, a monthly Domiciliary Care...

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

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025. It represents a new milestone in the approach to rural development policy for Ireland and adopts a more strategic, ambitious and holistic approach to investing in and maximising opportunities for rural areas. The first work programme for Our Rural Future included a commitment to introduce a...

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

Heather Humphreys: Town Centre First (TCF) represents a major new policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.  It contains 33 actions which will give our towns the tools and resources they need to become more viable and attractive places in which to live, work, socialise and run a business.  Included in the actions is the establishment of a...

International Women's Day: Statements (8 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to today's discussion as part of International Women's Day. Sadly, today's debate is taking place against the backdrop of the ongoing atrocities in Ukraine. More than 1.5 million people have fled from Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion, and the sad reality is most of those are women and young children, because Ukrainian men aged between...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned will reach pension age on 09 June 2022, and has not yet applied for State pension (contributory). Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520 full-rate paid contributions in order to qualify for standard State pension (contributory). 520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of full-rate insurable...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: EU Directives (8 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Directive (EU) 2016/2341 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the activities and supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision (IORPs) ("The IORP II Directive"), sets out minimum standards for the management and supervision of pension schemes, with the objective of ensuring the soundness of occupational pensions and better protections for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (8 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical and aural services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependent spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions. In order to qualify a person needs to have at least 260 PRSI contributions paid at either Class A, E, H, P or S, since first starting work, and also have 39...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Civil Registration Service (8 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The General Register Office (GRO) is currently considering a range of revisions to improve the functioning of the civil registration system in the State. I expect to be in a position to consider proposals from the GRO for amending legislation later this year. I have been informed by the GRO that any proposals for amending legislation will include changes to the current criteria for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Mar 2022)

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