Results 16,461-16,480 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Civil Registration Service (30 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The provisions governing registration of solemnisers are contained in Part 6 of the Civil Registration Act 2004, as amended. This Part sets out that only members of a religious or secular body, or members of staff of the HSE, may become a Registered Solemniser. A religious or secular body must apply to the General Register Officer by nominating a member of that body to perform marriage...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Poverty (30 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government recognised the challenges of rising prices last October in Budget 2022 when we brought in a package of tax and social welfare measures worth over €1 billion. Last month, the Government agreed a further package of €505 million, including the €200 energy credit and a lump sum payment of €125 for those in receipt of the fuel allowance. Budget 2022...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (30 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 90 together. Primary weekly social welfare payments are intended to enable recipients to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. In addition to these primary payments, my Department also provides a range of other payments, both cash and non-cash, on a weekly, monthly, or less frequent basis. These payments are considered secondary in nature. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (30 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, legally and habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. For the purposes of the means-test, at application stage and through the lifetime of a claim, an applicant...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned applied for Back to Education Allowance on 03 December 2021. This application was refused on 21 December 2021 on the grounds that it was a late application as the submission date was significantly beyond the requirement that it be no more than 30 days following the commencement of the course. The person concerned requested a review of this decision. The decision was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (30 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB), under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection, is the statutory body with responsibility for the Citizens Information Service (CIS). CIB provides funding to 22 companies in order to deliver services on its behalf. This includes eight CIS companies that operate a national network of Citizens Information Centres, including South Leinster CIS which...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (30 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment for parents caring for a child with a severe disability in their own home. Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) ceases to be payable when a child reaches age 16 years. Disability Allowance (DA) can then be paid from age 16 if the qualifying conditions for that scheme are met, even if the child is in fulltime education. Following a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Disability allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged over 16 and under 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency test. A decision as to whether or not a person is eligible to receive a DA payment can only be considered on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned has been awarded a widows contributory pension at the weekly rate of €213.50 with effect from the 22nd April 2022. In addition they have also been granted the qualified child increase at the weekly rate of €48.00 each for the two children. Payment will commence into the nominated bank account from that date. The Widowed Parent Grant of €8,000 has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (30 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Department currently has 58 Branch Offices at various locations throughout the country. The Castlepollard office is one such Branch Office. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (30 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned has been in receipt of a monthly Diet Supplement since February 2014. My officials have advised the Diet Supplement payment for January 2022 was not collected at the post office and the payment subsequently expired. No further payment issued beyond the date of expiry. Following your representations my officials have reinstated the Diet Supplement payment and a payment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Based on the evidence supplied in support of this person’s application, their application for disability allowance (DA) was disallowed on the grounds that the medical qualifying condition was not satisfied. The person in question was notified in writing of this decision on 25 November 2021. Further medical evidence was received and a review of this decision was carried out. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (31 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 312 to 314, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Parent’s Benefit is a scheme for parents in the first 2 years after their child’s birth or adoption. It is paid while on parent's leave from work if he or she has sufficient PRSI contributions. The number of applications for Parent's Benefit are not available at county level. Table 1 below shows the number of claims registered and claims awarded in each quarter from the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: A total of 353,355 individuals have availed of a supplementary fuel allowance payment of €125 in March 2022. Around 6,496 of these individuals were based in Cavan, 5,084 were based in Monaghan and 10,860 in Meath. Note that the above figures do not include people on the Community Employment, Tús or Rural Social Schemes who were also in receipt of the supplementary fuel allowance.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (31 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Training Support Grant (TSG), available through my Department, is designed to support quick access to short-term training where the training is not delivered by a State provider. A grant of up to €1,000 per jobseeker can be provided where an immediate skills gap is identified that represents an obstacle to taking up a job offer or accessing other opportunities. Funding for short...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (31 Mar 2022)

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, which is supporting up to an estimated 400,000 households in 2022, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Equality (31 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In the Department of Social Protection, females comprise 68% of all staff. The Civil Service average is 58%. Employees at each grade are on Civil Service pay scales which are paid at the same rate for males and females. In the Department, while there are a greater number of senior roles from Principal and above held by men, there is significant female representation on the Management...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Transport Policy (31 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In 2020, my Department established a Wellbeing Unit within the Human Resources Division and published a staff wellbeing policy . The unit promotes physical and mental health through a variety of support initiatives including step challenges, webinars featuring specialist guest speakers, online yoga and mindfulness classes, a monthly wellbeing E-zine, annual Men’s and Women’s...