Results 19,861-19,880 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (8 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The scheme for the Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants closed on 31 July 2022 with the International Protection strand closing on the 07 August 2022. This once in a generation scheme allowed eligible applicants the chance to regularise their status, access the labour market and begin their path to citizenship. I am advised that the person concerned was not eligible to make an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (8 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Stormont House Agreement, concluded by the two Governments and the Northern Ireland Parties in December 2014, provides for a framework of measures to address the legacy of troubles-related violence in Northern Ireland. The framework of measures agreed include the establishment of the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval (ICIR). Given the cross-border nature of the ICIR, in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Funding (8 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department’s vote has a gross expenditure budget of just under €499 million in 2022. Funding is provided for a broad range of goods and service across the country and it is not possible to give a breakdown on a county by county basis for all areas of expenditure, as it is not categorised in this way. The Department's annual appropriation account reflects the total spend...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (8 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 401 to 404, inclusive, together. The Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014, set out a range of requirements for all dog owners or any other person in charge of a dog. S.I. No. 442/1998, the Control of Dogs Regulations 1998, sets out further requirements that owners of specific breeds of dogs, including strains or crosses of those breeds, have to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (8 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Details of funding for Limerick for 2022, as requested by the Deputy, are set out below. My officials are currently collating project details and these will be forwarded to the Deputy when finalised.  Scheme/Programme Limerick Funding allocation 2022 Connected Hubs €464,351 Strengthen and Support Volunteering ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (8 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: All applications to the Community Centres Investment Fund are subject to a competitive assessment process based on the assessment criteria as set out in the fund guidelines. Category 1 applicants were notified of the outcome of this process in October. Details of successful applicants are available on my department’s website at www.gov.ie/drcd. The group the Deputy refers to...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I do not propose to accept the amendment but I get what the Senator is saying. People coming from abroad are not excluded from applying for carer's allowance if they meet the habitual residency condition. It applies across the board. It is a requirement for eligibility for means-tested social assistance payments and child benefits. It is aimed at restricting access to such payments by...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: It all depends on the various different cases when it comes to the habitual residency clause because some people may have lived in the country before or they may have been out only a short time and be back. I would say to people to submit an application. The best thing that anybody can do is just apply.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I do not propose to accept the amendment. The carer's allowance is a qualifying payment for access to both the back to education allowance and the back to work enterprise allowance. The back to education allowance is a second-chance educational opportunity scheme. It supports certain social welfare recipients to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: To clarify, we give credits for home caring periods. In the new pension proposals, anyone who cares long-term, which is more than 20 years, will be taken into account as credits for the person's contributory pension. We have it for the short term and for the long term as well.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: If the Senator does not press the amendment, I will agree to do this report. Fuel allowance is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, lone parents and long-term unemployed people in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income. People on long-term payments are unlikely to have...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I will speak to amendments Nos. 5, 6 and 12, which have been grouped together. The Department partly funds the excellent, detailed work of the Vincentian MESL Research Centre and has used this research as a key input into consideration of budget options in recent years. I value the insights this research provides. The Vincentian MESL Research Centre at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I do not propose to accept this amendment. I would like to make the general point that legislation is not the appropriate place for seeking reports. I accept, however, that this is an opportunity for the Senator to raise these matters and discuss them with me. I have made the point about including in primary legislation, particularly legislation as complex as the Social Welfare Acts,...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As I said earlier, assessing the household means, in other words, the means of the entire household, is the best way of targeting income supports where they are most needed. I am doing a full review of it. We are happy to look at it on an individualised basis as well and can certainly do that when we are doing the review. We are, as I said, open to looking at it and seeing how we can...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Senator. As she knows, I have already committed to initiating a wide-ranging review of means testing in the Department next year. I take on board her point about somebody with a disability who wants to bring somebody in to live with them. We can consider those things.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Senator. I do not propose to accept this amendment because I am already addressing the two issues she is requesting a report on. As the Senator is aware, the report of the child maintenance review group was published on 16 November. The Government established that group in 2020 to examine several issues regarding child maintenance in Ireland. The terms of reference were to...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I do not propose to accept the amendment. The €12 increase to the weekly rate of social welfare payments from January 2023 supports recipients across all weekly schemes, including pensioners and those of working age. It also includes a proportionate increase for adult dependants which means that the basic increase for a two-adult household will be between €20 and €22.80...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I do not propose to accept this amendment. The jobseeker’s transitional payment can be paid until a lone parent’s youngest child turns 14. The big thing about that payment is that people do not have to be looking for work. To extend eligibility for the payment until the youngest child turns 18 would be contrary to the Government’s policy goal of tackling long-term...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: They actually can take up part-time work if they wish, as I understand it.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I can understand that some people might have childcare issues and want to be home when their children come home from school and so forth. It is about trying to strike the balance. In fairness to the staff in the Intreo office in the job activation sections they take a practical approach to this. It is a tight labour market at the moment. If we can find that balance where we can allow...