Results 18,061-18,080 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (14 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy was launched in early 2021. The policy recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025. In furtherance of this commitment, my Department’s focus to date has been on strategically...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Covid-19 does not constitute a prescribed disease or illness as set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 as it does not meet the criteria laid down in the Act. Section 87 (2) of the Act states that a disease or injury shall be prescribed for the purposes of this section in relation to any insured persons, where the Minister is satisfied that— (a) it ought to be treated,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 12 January 2018. They applied for State pension (contributory) on 02 August 2019. State pension (contributory) was awarded from 31 January 2019, allowing for the maximum backdating of six months from the date of receipt of the original application. Current social welfare legislation on late claims stipulates that claims received on or after 5/6...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In 2021, a total of 1,573 (4%) applicants resident in the state submitted an application more than six months after their 66th birthday. Current social welfare legislation on late claims stipulates those claims received on or after 6 April 2012 may only be backdated for a maximum of six months. Backdating of a late claim beyond six months will only be considered in circumstances where the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Sep 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 an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Sep 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 and insurability of employment. In the details supplied with this question the Deputy states that the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) advised that the Chief...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: An application for an Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) was registered for the person concerned on 21/07/2022. In order to complete an assessment of the application, further information was sought from the person on 26/07/2022 and 07/09/2022. The following information remains outstanding: Written confirmation that the person concerned does not hold any savings. Details of the water group...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 364 and 365 together. The Community Welfare Service (CWS) of my Department delivers the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme which is the safety net within the overall social welfare system. This scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. The CWS is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Insurance Industry (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: IORP II, which became effective from 13 January 2019, 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 scheme members and beneficiaries across the European Union. IORP II requirements were transposed into Irish law by way of the European Union (Occupational...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (14 Sep 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 the person concerned was receiving Carer's Allowance and had their payment suspended effective from 30 September...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The annual Carer’s Support Grant is available to all carers providing full-time care to an older person or a person with a disability, regardless of their means or social insurance contributions. The Carer’s Support Grant is fully exempt from income tax, PRSI and USC. The objective of the Carer’s Support Grant is to support carers in their caring role and carers may use...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,700 schools and organisations benefitting 260,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Following a competitive tendering process run my Department in accordance with EU procurement rules, 17 community and voluntary sector organisations were successful and were awarded contracts to provide the new Intreo Partners Local Employment Service (IPLAES). This replaces Local Employment Service and Job Club contracts. 16 of these contracts are now in place and the new service is being...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Matters related to foster caring are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and of 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 State Pension (Contributory) system provides for a range of measures...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 373 to 375, inclusive, together. The key role of the Department of Social Protection is that of income support. The Department is charged with identifying where a person has an income support need and providing that income support, for example in the form for instance of a jobseeker’s payment, a disability allowance, or a carer's allowance. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As an essential service, staff in the Department of Social Protection continued, in 2021, to work both onsite and remotely to deliver services to our customers as part of temporary working arrangements put in place by local business areas. It is necessary for staff providing front line customer services to do so in-person at office locations. The number of staff who were working remotely...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year. This year, the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payment has been increased by €100 for the 2022 scheme year,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Illness Benefit is a social insurance scheme provided by my Department to those who cannot work due to illness and who have the required number of Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions. Illness Benefit is payable for a maximum two years, depending on continued eligibility. Additional payments for qualified children and qualified adults may also apply. The rate of Illness Benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Illness Benefit is the primary income support payment for people who are covered by social insurance and who are unable to attend work due to illness of any type. Eligibility for Illness Benefit depends on the person’s PRSI contributions. People must have made the required number of PRSI contributions in Class A, E, H or P in order to be eligible for Illness Benefit. In general,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (14 Sep 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The delivery of crucial CWS to meet the challenges and the needs of vulnerable customers across the country remains a priority for my Department. The continued availability of locally based CWO is a cornerstone of the service. CWOs can facilitate emergency and in-person meetings in 51 Intreo Centres, including at Newbridge Intreo Centre which covers the Naas area, across business...