Results 2,841-2,860 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Data (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to live studies, reviews and research commissioned by my Department is set out in the table below: Details of study/review/research Envisaged completion date Stakeholder consultation and revision of Public Participation Networks Implementation Roadmap Report expected to be completed in Q2 2024 ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Last year I announced a new €20 million fund to support communities with shovel-ready projects on green or brownfield sites for the construction of new community centres. My Department received 22 applications to this fund from locations all around the country. I can confirm that an application has been received in respect of the project referred to by the Deputy with...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department supports vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland by delivering a wide range of strategic interventions and investments throughout the country. These are underpinned by the Our Rural Future and Town Centre First policies whose key aim is to breath new life into rural towns and villages including by addressing vacancy and dereliction. In relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In order to achieve its business objectives my Department allocates significant resources across a number of sectors. These include local authorities, State agencies and other bodies including a range of organisations that might be considered non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO) is a key programme which provides multi-annual funding...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Meetings (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Details regarding engagements by my Department with the organisation referred to by the Deputy are set out in the table below. DRCD Unit where Minister of State/Department Unit's Officials engaged with the National Women’s Council of Ireland. Number of engagements Online meetings, webinars, briefings or in-person meetings Context of engagement ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Town Centre First Policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. It supports the Our Rural Future vision for a thriving rural Ireland which is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing and development. Central to the Town Centre First approach is the range of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Public Private Partnerships (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that neither my Department nor any of the agencies under my Department's aegis have any current or planned Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects in place.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is funded into the future. The scheme funds repair works on non-public roads not normally maintained by local authorities. In 2023 alone, a record investment of almost €30 million was allocated to local authorities nationwide, bringing the total amount invested in LIS since...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is funded into the future. This reflects the vital contribution that the scheme makes to connectivity in rural Ireland. The scheme was re-introduced in 2017 following several years with no dedicated funding. Between 2017 and 2023, my Department has allocated almost €130...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rental Sector (7 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Housing Assistance Payment scheme and the Rental Accommodation scheme, administered by the local authorities, are now by far the largest schemes providing rental supports. The Housing Assistance Payment continues to provide long term housing to those who have verifiable long term housing needs. In terms of my own department, rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (7 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: There are a number of criteria which must be satisfied to qualify for a State Pension (Contributory). These include that the person must be aged 66 or over, and that they have at least 520 paid social insurance contributions, i.e., a minimum of 10 years of paid contributions. Clergy and other religious denominations were excluded from Social Insurance on its introduction. In 1974,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (7 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable to a parent or guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and where the level of that disability is such that the child is likely to require this level...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (7 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable to a parent or guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability that requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the level of care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and where the level of that disability is such that the child is likely to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical and aural services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependent spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions. Department officials are due to meet with Optometry Ireland shortly to discuss the optical benefit scheme. The community ophthalmic services scheme standard...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 275 and 276 together. Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is in receipt of the State Pension (non-contributory) at the weekly rate of €243.50 with effect from 14 April 2023. According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has not applied for the state pension (contributory). I have arranged for an application form to issue. On receipt of the completed application form, their entitlement will be examined...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Widow(er)'s & Surviving Civil Partner's Contributory Pension is a social insurance based payment and is not means tested. To qualify for this pension, a person must: be a widow, widower or surviving civil partner; satisfy certain social insurance conditions; and not cohabit with another person as a couple. The person's application for Widow(er)'s & Surviving Civil...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) and Urgent Needs Payments (UNPs), and certain supplements to assist with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel Allowance is an administrative (non-statutory) scheme and is payable to people who satisfy the conditions of the scheme and who either live alone or only with certain qualified people. My Department received a representation and fuel allowance application from you on behalf of the person concerned on 21 February 2024. Based on the information provided to the Department, this fuel...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (7 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In Order to qualify for Jobseekers a person must be capable, available and genuinely seeking full time employment. The Person Concerned applied for Jobseekers following a request to their employer to reduce their working week to two days per week, this request was confirmed by their employer on the UP80 form submitted and signed by their employer. In response to the question on her...