Results 2,861-2,880 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (7 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Rural and Community Development has overall policy responsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014. Local Authorities have responsibility for all operational matters under the Control of Dogs Acts including licensing and enforcement. My Department publishes annual statistics in respect of a range of the dog control responsibilities of local authorities....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Transport (6 Mar 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 1.75million customers when spouses and companions are included. The estimated expenditure on the Free Travel in 2024 is €104 million. As part of Budget 2024, I was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Matters related to foster caring are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, More widely, this Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current State pension (contributory) system provides for a range of measures including PRSI...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: This Government acknowledges the important role that carers, including Foster carers, play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current State Pension (Contributory) system provides measures including PRSI credits, Homemaking Disregards and HomeCaring Periods to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (6 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: A statement of widow's contributory pension paid in 2022 has issued to the person concerned. Payment statements can also be requested online via which is the quickest way to get a payment statement. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (6 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Since 2018, my Department has not sanctioned or paid any “exit packages” separate from, or in addition to statutory severances. My Department paid out severance payments to Ministerial Personal Staff at the dissolution of the Dáil under the terms laid out by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and has paid redundancies in accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (6 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Neither my Department or bodies under my aegis, have granted or paid any severance or redundancy packages of €200,000 or above, for the years in question. My Department paid out severance to Ministerial Personal Staff at the dissolution of the Dáil under the terms laid out by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and paid redundancies in accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (6 Mar 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 March...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (6 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance 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; it is not intended to meet these costs in full. The payment is made over the winter season - from September to April - at the weekly rate of €33 or, if preferred, by way of two...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Mar 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. My Department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 26 September...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (6 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. My Department received an application for IP for the person concerned on 23 January 2024. The medical reports were referred to my Department's Medical Review &...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (6 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has paid out severance to Ministerial Personal Staff at the dissolution of the Dáil under the terms laid out by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and has paid redundancies in accordance with statutory entitlements under the Redundancy payments Acts 1967-2014. My Department has not sanctioned or paid any “exit packages” in addition...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Mar 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 Rural and Community Development: Public Parks (6 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department recognises the importance of playgrounds in communities throughout Ireland. Applications for the delivery and upgrade of playgrounds are welcome under a number of schemes operated by my Department such as the CLÁR Programme, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS), the LEADER programme, and the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP). In 2023 I launched the Community...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (6 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of private rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities. As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded into the future. As the L2779 is a local road it comes under the responsibility of the local authority to maintain per the Roads Act 1993 and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (6 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: With regard to my Department, I can confirm that between the years 2018 and 2024, no exit payments were made, with the exception of severance payments to two Ministerial advisers in 2020. These were made at the end of their contracts, following a change of Government, in accordance with Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform guidelines. With regard to agencies of the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (6 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that between the years 2019 and 2024 no exit, severance or redundancy packages were paid by my Department, with the exception of severance payments to two Ministerial advisers in 2020. These were made at the end of their contracts, following a change of Government, in accordance with Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform guidelines. Neither of these payments...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (6 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Rural and Community Development was established in July 2017. I can confirm that between the years 2017 and 2024, no staff members of my department received any exit payments. However, in 2020, two Ministerial advisers in my Department were paid severance payments. These were made at the end of their contracts, following a change of Government, in accordance with Department...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regional Development (6 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: While my Department continues to put in place a range of supports to towns and villages across rural Ireland, it has no function in relation to the establishment of twinning arrangements between Irish towns and a foreign location. A local authority may enter into arrangements for the twinning of its administrative area or a part of it or establish other similar links with any other area,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (5 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy has been on to me many times about this. We have spent a lot of time when it came to Inis Oírr. They carried out simulation exercises and they did that in Cork. It went on and on.