Results 3,141-3,160 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (20 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 398 and 402 together. The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Supports provided under the scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Feb 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 their schedule for oral hearings is currently up to date. Under the governing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (20 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department understands the many pressures faced by customers and always seeks to ensure that claims are handled quickly and efficiently. I am pleased to report that claim processing is up to date, with processing targets met, or exceeded, on average for all the main scheme areas. Carer's Allowance and Carer's Benefit claims are being processed an average of two weeks quicker than they...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (20 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the attached tabular statement. Table 1: State Pension (Contributory) claims registered, awarded, rejected and pending, by year. Year Registered Awarded Rejected Pending at end December 2019 41,551 20,737 16,063 4,883 2020 38,808...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (20 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Rural and Community Development was established in 2017 and 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...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (20 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Last year, I announced a €20 million fund to support communities with ‘shovel-ready’ projects on green or brownfield sites for the construction of new community centres. These shovel ready projects have all necessary planning and consents secured so they are already at an advanced stage and ready to commence following a tender process. This Community Centres Investment...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (20 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Community Recognition Fund recognises the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. Funding of €50 million for some 900 projects is supporting towns and villages nationwide that have welcomed people from Ukraine and other countries. The Fund aims to support the development of facilities that will be used in the future by all members...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (20 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 set out requirements that owners of 11 specific breeds of dogs, including strains or crosses of those breeds, must comply with. As a cross of restricted breeds, the dog in question is covered by the 1998 regulations and must adhere to the rules. In public, restricted dogs, and any crosses thereof, must be:muzzledon a sufficiently strong leash or chain not...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Services (20 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The provision of energy saving kits in public libraries was first introduced as a pilot scheme across 10 Dublin libraries in early 2016, with the objective of assisting householders to better understand their energy use and reduce their energy bills. The pilot scheme was subsequently expanded to all library authorities. Devices available in the energy saving kit focus on three key areas of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Tourism Funding (20 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. It supports a broad range of activities which aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas. It is delivered through Local Action Groups (LAGs) across...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (20 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Community Centres are the cornerstone of community life in towns and villages around the country. This Government recognises the important role that these centres play in bringing people together and facilitating community services and events. I have prioritised the development and enhancement of Community Centres across the country. Under the 2022 Community Centre Investment Fund in...

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

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs over the lifetime of the policy. There are currently 346 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the Connected Hubs platform. My Department has invested significantly in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Feb 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. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (15 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Habitual Residence Condition is a social welfare condition that a person must satisfy to receive a social assistance payment. A person who is subject to a deportation order is considered not to satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition as they do not have an unqualified legal right of residence in the State. As such they are ineligible for social assistance payments. My department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (15 Feb 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 30 November...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (15 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Section 9 of the Irish Sign Language (ISL) Act, 2017 assigns responsibility to the Minister for Social Protection to provide funds to facilitate users of ISL to access social, educational and cultural events and services (including medical) and other activities. I have assigned the implementation of this important responsibility to the Citizens Information Board (CIB), the statutory body...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (15 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Section 9 of the Irish Sign Language (ISL) Act, 2017 assigns responsibility to the Minister for Social Protection to provide funds to facilitate users of ISL to access social, educational and cultural events and services (including medical) and other activities. I have assigned the implementation of this important responsibility to the Citizens Information Board (CIB), the statutory body...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (15 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Section 9 of the Irish Sign Language (ISL) Act, 2017 assigns responsibility to the Minister for Social Protection to provide funds to facilitate users of ISL to access social, educational and cultural events and services (including medical) and other activities. I have assigned the implementation of this important responsibility to the Citizens Information Board (CIB), the statutory body...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Feb 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 system is underpinned by legislation which sets down the roles, powers and functions of the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Feb 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 system is underpinned by legislation which sets down the roles, powers and functions of the Social...