Results 221-240 of 2,224 for long speaker:Heather Humphreys

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...Nos. 13, 14 and 15 are technical amendments to include references to the new section 6D, which sets out the ten-year transitional arrangements for the total contributions approach. Amendment No. 16 is quite long. It sets out the substantive and consequential changes required to the Act to provide for the ten-year phased transition to the total contributions approach, or the aggregate...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...Deputy asked me and I am waiting to get an answer. I asked the question of how many people this would impact. It is approximately a third, a third and a third. It is people who do not have the long attachment with the workforce and those who cannot avail of the caring period. What helps this is the caring period-----

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: By 2033, approximately one third of claimants at that stage could be worse off if they do not have the long attachment to the workforce and if they do not have credits for caring periods.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...the jobseeker's transitional payment would be contrary to the policy goal, which is to change the one-parent family payment. That was introduced in 2015. The changes we are doing are to tackle the long-term social welfare dependency and its associated poverty risks. This is done through a tapering of income supports and a more active engagement process offering enhanced education,...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Yes, and then we can have a long lunch.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: .... I believe we have responded comprehensively to that in terms of retaining the pension age at 66, introducing the new flexibility to allow people to defer their pension, providing a pension to long-term carers and the small incremental increases in PRSI over the next five years, which will make the system more sustainable. We always said that, in keeping it at 66, because of the...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: .... In fact, the old transition pension was not available for self-employed workers, which means many manual workers would not have got it. I take the point that in the case of somebody who has a long work history and who is genuinely not able to work, we should try to do something for them. I am looking at it. However, it would mean that whatever I come up with, I will have to bring...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...Deputy were unrelated to employment or redundancy incomes. They arose after the individual made drawdowns from a privately held Revenue Approved Retirement Fund. Approved Retirement Funds have a long-term investment nature and capital drawdowns are subject to a PRSI deduction in the same manner as other investments, such as dividends and interests. The PRSI charged on such incomes is...

Policing, Protests and Public Order: Statements (28 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...than any other party, has introduced nastiness and divisiveness into Irish politics. We saw it again at the weekend when a member of its Front Bench said Helen McEntee needed to be taken out. I am around long enough to know what the term "taken out" means, especially as I live on the Border. I trust our gardaí to look after our citizens. I trust their judgment a lot more than...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (28 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...of enhanced State Pension provision for people who have been caring for incapacitated dependents for 20 years or more. It will do this by attributing the equivalent of paid contributions to such long-term carers to cover gaps in their contribution record for the periods that they were caring for an incapacitated dependent. The measure will be available to individuals who reach State...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (28 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...carer is not in receipt of Child Benefit, they can still qualify for Homemaker’s Scheme or HomeCaring Periods provided the caring periods are confirmed by Tusla. Despite these measures, some long-term carers of incapacitated dependents may still face barriers in accessing the State Pension (Contributory). They may for example have difficulty establishing the minimum number of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...workforce to care for someone in need of full-time care and attention. Carer’s Benefit is payable for a maximum period of 104 weeks for each person being cared for. It can be taken in one block or in separate periods as long as the combined total does not exceed 104 weeks. The payment is complemented by the Carer's Leave Act 2001, which allows employees to leave their employment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (28 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...to care for someone in need of full-time care and attention. Carer’s Benefit is payable for a maximum period of 104 weeks for each person being cared for. It can be taken in one block or in separate periods as long as the combined total does not exceed 104 weeks. Carer’s Benefit can continue to be paid on a short-term basis and the carer continues to be regarded as...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Second Stage (23 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...Commission’s recommendations. One of the most important of these, and one I believe is endorsed by all members of this House, is to provide enhanced access to the State contributory pension for long-term carers. This will mean some carers will receive a contributory pension for the first time. The other pension reform included in the Bill is to introduce new flexibility to the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (23 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance scheme is a means tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders with their winter heating costs. The payment is a contribution towards heating costs. The payment is made over the winter season at the weekly rate of €33.00 or, if preferred, by way of two instalment payments. Only one Fuel Allowance is payable per...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (22 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel Allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long term social welfare payments with their heating needs. The current weekly threshold for the fuel allowance means test for a single person under age 70 years is €465.30. It was decided on 1st November 2023 that the person concerned was not entitled to a fuel allowance as her income, derived from a private...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (22 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. One allowance is paid per household. Qualifying payments for Fuel Allowance are those payments that are considered long term payments and an applicant must also satisfy a means test. The person concerned is in receipt of Illness Benefit. Illness Benefit is a short-term payment for those who are certified by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (22 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...(other than a Jobseeker's payment or Supplementary Welfare Allowance) or is being claimed as a qualified adult on their spouse / partner's payment, a half-rate CA can be paid to the person, as long as all the normal conditions for receipt of CA are satisfied. An applicant for CA is not available for full time work and, as a result, they do not meet the eligibility criteria for a...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Service 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (22 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: ...is why we acted decisively, earlier in the year, to provide a spring package which contained more than €402 million in additional social protection supports, including a €200 cost-of-living payment to long-term social welfare recipients, including those receiving the working family payment; a €100 child benefit additional lump-sum payment per child; a €100...