Results 181-200 of 16,976 for are speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 464 and 468 together. The Government acknowledges the valuable role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. The main income supports to carers provided by my department include Carer's Allowance, Carer's...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The main income supports to carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending on these payments is expected to amount to over €1.7 billion this year. The Carer’s Allowance scheme is the main scheme by which the Department provides income support to carers in the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (9 Jul 2024)

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. A travel expenses disregard is included in the CA means test on an administrative basis at a rate of €15.00....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My department provides a comprehensive package of carers’ income supports including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. At end of June, there were 97,127 people in receipt of Carer's Allowance. Combined spending on all these payments to carers in 2024 is expected to exceed €1.7 billion. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 26...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Equipment (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My department holds records of lost and stolen mobile phones for the requested period and laptops from 2020. Mobile phones lost or stolen for the requested period are listed in tabular form below. Year Lost Stolen 2014 18 0 2015 7 2 2016 3 1 2017...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...paid since entering insurable employment, and a maximum of two years provided a person has least 260 total PRSI contributions paid. Invalidity pension is a long term scheme for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the PRSI contribution conditions. Invalidity Pension has different medical and PRSI contribution conditions...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...cost of €382 million in 2024. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household. The Fuel Allowance is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Jul 2024)

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, 17 and 18 if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves. Child Benefit was paid to 652,000 families in respect of 1.2 million children at a cost of €2.4 billion in 2023....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. There are over one million customers with direct eligibility. This increases to 1.75 million customers when spouses and companions are included. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2024 is €104 million. A widow, widower or a surviving civil...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement. Following the expansion of the programme in recent years, some 2,600 schools and organisations, covering 443,000 children are now eligible for funding. In March 2023, I published an independent evaluation of the School Meals Programme which sets out the positive impact the Programme is having in terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Widow's Pension (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...pension. The Supreme Court judgment overruled a previous High Court decision and found in favour of the claimant and his children. In simple terms, the Court found that section 124 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended) is inconsistent with the Constitution insofar as it excluded the claimant from the category of persons entitled to benefit from it. The Court reached...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Environmental Schemes (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Farm Assist is a statutory means-tested income support specifically for farmers on low incomes. There are just over 3,700 claims in payment at present. The Government has provided €50.93 million for the scheme in 2024. I have introduced a number of improvements to the means test for Farm Assist in recent years. Under the Farm Assist means test, income from a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) is paid to people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance. Other people who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment but who are providing full time care and attention may also be eligible and can apply for the grant. The payment is made regardless of the carer's means but is subject to certain...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Immigration Policy (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...and in line with that of our European Union partners, the Government agreed in May 2024 that Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in state-provided serviced accommodation, where food and utilities are provided, should receive the same level of payment regardless of when they arrived. Officials from my Department and from the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 5 June...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 19...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Following the introduction of legislation in March 2024, newly arriving Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection from Ukraine who seek State-provided accommodation are accommodated in Designated Accommodation Centres for a maximum of 90 days, and are provided with food, laundry and other services and integration supports. They are entitled to a weekly payment of €38.80 per adult and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Ukraine War (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Following the introduction of legislation in March 2024, newly arriving Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection from Ukraine who seek State-provided accommodation are accommodated in Designated Accommodation Centres for a maximum of 90 days, and are provided with food, laundry and other services and integration supports. They are entitled to a weekly payment of €38.80 per adult and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (9 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and habitual residency conditions. I can confirm that my Department received an application for DA from the above-named...