Results 3,381-3,400 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (1 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. I confirm that my Department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 30 March 2023. It is a condition...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: A person may qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit in respect of any day of unemployment as set out in section 62(1), Chapter 12 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 where they meet the conditions of the scheme. A day is not normally treated as a day of unemployment if the person is engaged in an occupation from which they derive any remuneration or profit, which would include being...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (1 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Farm Assist scheme was introduced in 1999 to provide income support for low income farmers. It replaced the former Smallholders’ Unemployment Assistance payment. In line with the then pre-existing arrangements for Unemployment Assistance (including Smallholders), any income from self-employment was exempt from the Class S social insurance charge applied to self-employed workers,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (1 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies. My Department provides assistance to eligible households in the immediate aftermath of emergency weather events under the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme. The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, administered by my Department through the local Community Welfare Service, was activated to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) is a means-tested payment for unemployed people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment and who meet the qualifying conditions of the scheme. According to the records of my department, the person has not recently made an application for JA. If the person feels they meet the qualifying conditions for the scheme they can submit an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (1 Feb 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. The person concerned must complete a Fuel Allowance application form and submit it to the Department in order to have their eligibility assessed and a formal decision made. To date, no application for fuel...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Projects (1 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The delivery of public library services, including the provision of library premises, is a matter for each local authority in accordance with the Local Government Act, 2001. Accordingly, the delivery of library services in Bettystown is primarily a matter for Meath County Council. I understand that Bettystown Library is a seafront building which will also house a lifeguard station and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (1 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. This legislation makes provision for dog licensing arrangements and the functions of dog wardens. Local Authorities have responsibility for all operational matters under the Control of Dogs Acts. Section 15(1) of the Control of Dogs Act...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (1 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR Programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of depopulation over a defined period. Since the programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported a wide range of measures with over €70 million being approved for almost 2,400 projects throughout...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (1 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a range of supports which are available to Women’s Sheds, depending on the works being completed. In December 2023, I was delighted to launch the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) which replaces my Department’s Community Enhancement Programme, with capital funding of €6 million to assist thousands of community groups across the country. The overall...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (1 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In December 2023, I was delighted to launch the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) which replaces my Department’s Community Enhancement Programme, with capital funding of €6 million to assist thousands of community groups across the country. The overall €6 million LEP includes a special ring-fenced capital fund of €1 million to provide support for Women’s...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (1 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: Broadband Infrastructure (1 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 by 2025. There are currently 343 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the platform. Table 1 attacehd sets out the total number of hubs onboarded in each county. My...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (1 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) provide onsite connectivity for community use at publicly accessible premises, such as community centres and sports clubs. They are located in rural and isolated areas including on a number of off-shore islands and support remote working, digital skills training and a range of community initiatives. Of the 299 BCP's installed, 294 are live and operational....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (1 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme was introduced in 2016 and is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme over €156 million has been allocated to more than 1,700 projects across Ireland. As committed under Our Rural Future, Ireland's rural development policy, and in line with the Town Centre...

Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (31 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As I said to the Deputy earlier, this is to bring us in line with other European countries. Reducing the payment to €38.80 per week for new Ukrainians coming into this country from now on it brings us better in line. We need to be careful here because there is a distinction between the IPAS legislation and what we are talking about today. This is not about international protection,...

Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (31 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I think he will find that they will say they have been. I have been to the centres and I have met people and spoken to them. I can tell the Deputy that they were very glad of the welcome they received here.

Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (31 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I do not know if the Deputy ever leaves Dublin but if he was to go down to any of the communities such as in Clare, for example, he would see the welcome they received there. They received the same in many other counties. I ask the Deputy not use words like that because it does not reflect what is happening here.

Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (31 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: To Deputy Ó Laoghaire's point, there is a dedicated complaints system, if people are not happy. There is an IPAS centre for refugees in my own county of Monaghan. I have visited it on many occasions. The standard of accommodation has improved considerably over the years. It is not, as Deputy Murphy claims, some kind of substandard accommodation that people are living in. There are...

Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (31 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The temporary protection directive expires in March 2025. My colleague, the Minister for Justice, was at a Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Brussels at which the issue was discussed. We will move forward on the matter in consultation with our EU partners. On Deputy Murphy's question, I said it could well be the case that, down the road, we may have to make the decision that...