Results 17,241-17,260 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (25 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: It is important to note that the State Pension Age was never 65 years of age - 66 is the lowest the State Pension Age has ever been. Reducing the State Pension Age to 65 years would increase pension related expenditure significantly.  My Department had previously estimated that changing the pension age to 65 with effect from 1/1/2021 would cost €450 million extra in the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: If a person wishes to avail of a Jobseeker’s payment they must complete the Declaration as part of their application stating that they satisfy all the conditions for the scheme including being unemployed, capable of, available for full-time work and genuinely seeking work.  The conditions for a jobseekers payment apply to all jobseekers regardless of their current employment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Illness Benefit is the main income support provided by this department for those who cannot work due to illness of any kind.  The provisional outturn for Illness Benefit was €570.9 million in 2021. Illness Benefit is a social insurance payment and in order to qualify, the person must have the required number of Pay Related Social Insurance contributions.  They must also...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: One of the criteria to be satisfied in order to qualify for Partial Capacity Benefit is that the person must, at the time of application, be in receipt of Invalidity Pension or have been in receipt of Illness Benefit for a minimum of 6 months. The person concerned is currently in receipt of Disability Allowance which is not a qualifying payment for Partial Capacity...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Transport (25 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme.  These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators.  There are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 May 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. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 3 March 2020. The application was referred to a local...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (25 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 132 together. Matters related to foster caring are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Tusla.   More widely, this Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role.  Accordingly, the current...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated cost of increasing each weekly social welfare payment by €15, €20 & €30 is shown in the table below.  Payment €15 €20 €30 €m €m €m Social Insurance Schemes ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees, with children, on low earnings.  The scheme is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents, and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment.  There are currently approximately 46,000 families in receipt of Working Family Payment, in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated cost of increasing each weekly social welfare payment by 7% is shown in the table below: Payment - Total €m Social Insurance Schemes State Pension (Contributory) 449.4 Widow/er's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Con) Pension ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (25 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The current number of clients within Intreo employment services is 24,671, of which 3,913 are lone parents in receipt of a Jobseeker Transition Payment.  This represents almost 16% of the total. There are 383 directly employed employment services officers (287 Case Officers plus 96 Job Coaches), giving an average ratio of clients to officers of 65:1. Apart from the mandatory Activation...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Harbours and Piers (25 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Development of the Caladh Mór Pier on Inis Meáin is included in the National Development Plan. As the Deputy will be aware, Galway County Council is responsible for the development of stage 3 of this project.  As part of the preparatory works, the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) was instructed by Galway County Council to develop a model simulation for the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (25 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government's Town Centre First policy represents a whole of Government approach and aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.  The policy sets out a framework to give our towns the tools and resources required to become viable, vibrant and attractive places to live, work, and socialise. The policy is underpinned by significant levels...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Animal Breeding (25 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has overall policy responsibility for the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010.  In July 2018, following a public consultation, my Department published revised guidelines for Dog Breeding Establishments.  These came into effect on 1 January 2019.  There is a substantial shift in the new guidelines towards a focus on the welfare of dogs and pups.  Each local...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department can make a single Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.  An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for supplementary welfare allowance but who have an urgent...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: 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 or monthly supplement in respect of certain...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: 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.  Under the scheme, my Department may award a supplement to assist with on going or recurring costs that cannot be met from the person's...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is a statutory body with an information, advice and advocacy role in relation to a wide range of public and social services.  CIB lies under the aegis of my Department, which provides annual Exchequer funding to CIB to deliver on its statutory functions.  The CIB provides funding to eight Citizens Information Services companies that operate a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Poverty (26 May 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, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022.  The purpose of this payment is to assist qualifying households with their energy costs.  The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household.  It is not intended to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a range of income supports for full-time carers including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant.  Combined spending on all these payments to carers in 2022 is estimated to exceed €1.5 billion.   Carer's Allowance acts as an income support for those who...