Results 18,701-18,720 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all customers. Where a GP vacates a practice and the locum who replaces them has not previously been issued a DSP panel number by my Department, the practice concerned notifies my Department and the locum is asked to complete an application as soon as possible. Pending approval and assignment of a panel number, paper certification...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, I have secured a package of almost €2.2 billion for Social Protection measures as part of Budget 2023.  This represents the largest Budget package for the Department of Social Protection in the history of the State and will help to support our pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and families during this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Child Benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child Benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16 and 17, if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves. In 2021, Child Benefit was paid to 630,000 customers in respect of 1.2 million children. The number of Child Benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned reached pension age on 24 August 2022 and their application for State pension (contributory) was received on 08 August 2022. The person concerned was initially disallowed State Pension (contributory) as they did not have the requisite 520 paid contributions. They were notified of this decision in writing on 22 August 2022. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Cost of Living Disability Support Grant of €500 will be made to those currently on a Disability Payment (Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension & Blind Pension) The person concerned is not in receipt of disability allowance (DA) as they are in receipt of state pension non contributory As the person concerned is not in receipt of a qualifying payment, they will not be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As part of Budget 2023, the Social Protection budget has been designed to assist people with cost of living increases through a mix of lump sum payments, increases to weekly payment rates and an expansion of the fuel allowance scheme. The measures introduced include the provision of a one-off €500 Cost-of-Living payment, which will be paid in November 2022 to recipients of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 541 and 543 together. As part of the overall social welfare Budget 2023 package of €2.2 Billion, I am pleased to have secured a major expansion of the Fuel Allowance scheme, which will benefit up to 81,000 households. From January 2023, the allowable means threshold for those aged under 70 will increase by €80 from €120 to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist qualifying households towards the cost of their heating needs. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. The payment is made over the winter season at the weekly rate of €33.00 or, if preferred, by way of two lump sum payments. For the 2022/23 season, the first lump sum (€462.00) was paid during the week beginning 26th...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 Oct 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: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, 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 costs of a household. Only one allowance is paid per household....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The IORP II Directive, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Cybersecurity Policy (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 885 and 887 together. My Department's ICT managed services are provided by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). The OGCIO implements a multi-layered approach to cyber security and to protecting ICT systems, infrastructures and services. The OGCIO builds resilience into its ICT solutions as a matter of course, and has...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Proposed Legislation (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has overall policy responsibility for the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. Following a public consultation, revised guidelines for Dog Breeding Establishments were published in July 2018 and 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 authority is responsible for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ministerial Staff (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) was established on 19th July 2017 to provide a renewed and consolidated focus on rural and community development in Ireland. Please see details of special advisers working in my Department below: - Name of Adviser Salary Pay scale Minister, Heather Humphreys Niall O'Connor ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Data (18 Oct 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. A hub identification and mapping exercise began in late 2020 and is ongoing. In furtherance of this...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Services (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: This document contains information on the number of members of the National Library Service in each of the years 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022, by county in tabular form, as requested by the deputy. It also contains some information on how the numbers are calculated. <a href="https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/debates/quest...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I announced over €12.5M in funding for almost 600 projects under Category 1 of the Community Centres Investment Fund earlier this month. All applications to the Community Centres Investment Fund were subject to a competitive assessment process based on the assessment criteria as set out in the fund guidelines. Unfortunately, the groups the Deputy refers to either did not meet the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Funding under the Community Centres Investment Fund (CCIF) will be available under 3 Categories: - Category 1 : Small scale projects/improvements to facilities - €10,000 to €25,000 Category 2 : Larger scale projects - €25,001 to €100,000 Category 3 : Major projects - €100,001 to €300,000 All applications to the Fund are subject to a competitive...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ministerial Staff (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: On the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issues guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The appointment of Special Advisers is subject to section 11 of the Public Service Management (PSMA) Act 1997. The appointment of individual Special Advisers is a matter for each Government Minister subject to the terms...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (18 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I announced over €12.5M in funding for almost 600 projects under Category 1 of the Community Centres Investment Fund earlier this month. All applications to the Community Centres Investment Fund were subject to a competitive assessment process based on the assessment criteria as set out in the fund guidelines. Unfortunately, the group the Deputy refers to did not meet the required...