Results 16,401-16,420 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Contracts (23 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department, which was established in July 2017, engaged the company Word perfect translations ltd. for Irish Translation Services 12 times at a total cost of €10,870. The table here provides a breakdown of the details. Dates Company was engaged from 2017 to date in 2022 The services used Cost € Number of times used 2017 ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Contracts (23 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department, which was established in July 2017, has not entered into any contracts with the company referenced (details supplied).

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (23 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Earlier this month, I announced the introduction of a new Community Centres Investment Fund (CCIF). This new capital Fund will provide funding of €15 million for the upgrade and refurbishment of existing community centres across the country for use by everyone in our communities. Under the Fund groups and organisations based in both rural and urban communities can apply for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (24 Mar 2022)

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 an independent body comprised of knowledgeable and experienced academics, pension experts, members of civil society and representatives of workers and employers. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Communications (24 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department communicates with its customers through a number of channels - namely by post, phone, online, public information campaigns and face to face. In 2020, over 1.6 million people received a weekly Social Welfare payment from my Department in respect of over 2.3 million beneficiaries. Over the past two years, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, communication with customers was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (24 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Department received a claim for invalidity pension (IP) from the person concerned on 08 December 2021. He was refused IP on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. He was notified on 24 January 2022 of this decision, the reasons for it and of his right of review and/or appeal. He requested a review of this decision on 04 February 2022 and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Offices (24 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Department currently has 58 Branch Offices at various locations throughout the country. Each contracted Branch Office is operated and managed, under a contract for services, by a Branch Manager who is required to act as an agent for the Department in the area served by the office. Branch Office managers operate on a contract for service and are independent contractors. The contract...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Offices (24 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Department currently has 58 Branch Offices at various locations throughout the country. Each contracted Branch Office is operated and managed, under a contract for services, by a Branch Manager who is required to act as an agent for the Department in the area served by the office. Branch Office managers operate on a contract for service and are independent contractors. The contract...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (24 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB), is a statutory independent body as set out in the Comhairle Act 2010 which operates under the aegis of my Department. CIB provides funding to 21 companies in order to deliver services on its behalf. This includes eight CIS companies that operate a national network of Citizens Information Centres, including North Leinster CIS which encompasses Co....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Investigations (24 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB), under the aegis of my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the Citizens Information Service (CIS). CIB provides funding and support to eight regional CIS companies, including North Leinster CIS. Each of these companies is overseen and governed by a Board of Directors and run by a Regional Manager. A Service Level Agreement (SLA)...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) is an employment support to private sector employers, the objective of which is to encourage employers to employ people with disabilities and thereby increase the numbers of people with disabilities participating in the open labour market. The scheme provides financial incentives to private sector employers to hire people with a disability for between 21 and 39...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The supplementary welfare allowance 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. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment to help meet essential, once-off...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for Invalidity Pension on 26 January 2022. It was decided that the relevant year in this case is 2021. According to the Department’s records there are 0 weeks qualifying contributions paid or credited for her in the contribution year prior to the relevant date (2020) and 0 weeks qualifying contributions paid or credited for her in the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (24 Mar 2022)

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. I can confirm that the person concerned was in receipt of CA in respect of her care recipient from 31 May 2012 to 30...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. There are no delays in processing claims once all of the necessary information is provided to establish entitlement to Carer's Allowance. The average number of weeks to award new Carer's Allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Agriculture Industry (24 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, Farm Assist is a form of Jobseekers Allowance. It is a means-tested payment for low-income farmers. To qualify, a customer must be a farmer in the State, be aged between 18 and 66, and satisfy a means test (as is the case for all Jobseeker’s Allowance claims). To enable the accurate enumeration of recipients of Farm Assist, the Department uses a unique...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (24 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, Farm Assist is a form of Jobseekers Allowance. It is a means-tested payment for low-income farmers. To qualify, a customer must be a farmer in the State, be aged between 18 and 66, and satisfy a means test (as is the case for all Jobseeker’s Allowance claims). To enable the accurate enumeration of recipients of Farm Assist, the Department uses a unique...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (24 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Farm Assist is an important income support for farmers on low incomes, enabling them to continue to farm while also receiving a State income support. The means test for Farm Assist takes account of all income sources and operating costs, and is flexible to allow for significant fluctuations from one year to the next. Income and expenditure figures for the preceding year are generally...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Calafoirt agus Céanna (24 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Tá forbairt an Chaladh Mhóir ar Inis Meáin san áireamh sa Phlean Forbartha Náisiúnta. Mar is eol don Teachta is faoi chúram Comhairle Contae na Gaillimhe atá Céim 3 d’fhorbairt na céibhe sin. Bhí cruinniú ag oifigigh na Roinne le Comhairle Contae na Gaillimhe agus coiste áitiúil ar an 18ú Feabhra chun an dul...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I answered him last week on it but I will tell him the latest anyway. I understand they sent a proposal on Friday evening - I do not know what time it was sent at - but this is Tuesday so it has taken them a long time to get the proposal here. I am happy to look at it and I will certainly engage with my officials. The Deputy should remember, in...