Results 3,221-3,240 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Child Benefit is a universal monthly payment made to families with children up to the age of 16 years. The payment is currently paid in respect of children until their eighteenth birthday who are in full-time education or who have a disability. Where Child Benefit is in payment, my Department issues "continuing education certificates" in advance of the child's sixteenth birthday. This is a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Tax Credits (13 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In Budget 2024, my colleague Minister McGrath announced the introduction of a temporary one-year Mortgage Interest Tax Relief scheme for eligible claimants. Lead responsibility for the provision of this tax relief rests with the Revenue Commissioners and claims can be submitted from 31 January 2024 through Revenue’s myAccount service. The expectation is that the majority of people who...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (13 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Food Poverty (13 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Diet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet because of a specified medical condition. There are currently 1,067 people in receipt of diet supplement. A review of the costs of healthy eating and specialised diets by the Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance is a payment for people who are aged between 16 and 66 with an injury, disease or disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year and, as a result of this disability, the person is substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable. The allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (13 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department's CLÁR programme provides funding for small-scale projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. Under Measure 3 of the 2023 scheme, funding was provided for "Mobility, Cancer Care and Community First Responders Transport". This measure supported community first responders and search and rescue...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (13 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Community centres are the cornerstone of community life in many towns, villages and urban areas around the country. This Government recognises the important role they play in community life in Ireland, bringing people together and providing a space to engage with those who may be marginalised or disadvantaged. With this in mind, I have put in place an integrated programme of supports for the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Projects (13 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The provision of library services, including the provision of library buildings, is primarily a matter for local authorities in their capacity as library authorities under the Local Government Act 2001. Accordingly, the delivery of library services in the area identified is primarily a matter for Cork City Council. My department has been informed by Cork City Council that a potential site...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (13 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns, villages and rural areas across Ireland. To date, 215 projects have been approved for RRDF funding of €415 million for projects costing €571 million. RRDF funding of €40.3 million has been allocated to 14 projects located in County...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (13 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of non-public 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. The scheme makes an important contribution to connectivity, which I view as an important issue for rural Ireland, whether it be...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (13 Feb 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 important contribution which the scheme makes to connectivity in rural Ireland. As you know, the scheme was re-introduced in 2017 following several years with no dedicated funding. Between 2017 and 2023, my Department has allocated almost...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (13 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme supports the improvement of 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. The scheme was reintroduced in 2017 following several years with no dedicated funding. Between 2017 and 2023, my Department has allocated almost...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Strategies (8 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 and 231 together. Matters related to foster caring, including any criteria relating to work, are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and for Tusla. This Government acknowledges the important role that carers, including Foster carers, play and is fully committed to supporting...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (8 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body under the aegis of my Department which funds and supports the eight regional companies of the Citizens Information Service (CIS). I absolutely recognise and value the essential work carried out by staff of the CIS and their dedication to their role in ensuring that people have access to quality and independent information, advice...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (8 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Benefit Payment for 65-Year-Olds, provided for under the Jobseeker's Benefit scheme was introduced in line with the Programme for Government commitment to address the position of people who are required to or choose to retire at age 65 before the pension age of 66. The payment is designed to bridge the gap for people who retire from employment or self-employment at age 65 until they...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (8 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Spring double payment due this week has been approved for payment for the person concerned. A payment of €464.00 will be available for collection in his nominated post office on 13/02//2024.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (8 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: A person who works in the fishing industry on a self-employed basis and is paid solely by the “share” of the value of the catch is regarded as a share-fisherman/woman. In addition to their liability to pay self employed PRSI class S contributions, they also have the option to pay additional PRSI contributions at class P. This contribution is over and above the PRSI paid under...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned will reach age 66 on 3 May 2024. Under the new Flexible Pension options introduced on 1 January 2024, those turning 66 now have the option, as before, to claim their pension from their 66th birthday or can choose to defer their pension, work longer and receive a higher pension payment. My Department wrote to the person concerned on 29 January 2024 advising them of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (8 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Redundancy Payments Act 1967, as amended, provides for the making of payments by employers to employees in respect of redundancy. To qualify for a statutory redundancy payment an employee must have been dismissed as a result of a genuine redundancy situation and the following conditions must be met:104 weeks continuous employment with the same employerthe job must no longer existemployee...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (8 Feb 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. Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment for a child aged under 16 with a severe disability, who requires...