Results 3,561-3,580 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: It will not be but the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, will-----
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: No, it has to be a designated centre to get the reduced payment.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: No. If they go to a designated centre, they have to get the reduced rate. However, they will all be going to a designated centre. That is the intention. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, issued a statement that any new arrivals will go to a designated centre that would qualify for the reduced payment.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: The designated centres will only include new arrivals and not existing beneficiaries. All new arrivals will go to designated centres. That is the intention. While they are there, they will receive a reduced payment. We were going into the detail of a centre that is perhaps half designated and half non-designated but that is not something I can answer.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: I do not expect that. They will no mixing them around like that. Designated centres will only include new arrivals. That is it. That is the way it is planned to do it.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: The Department of children is actively standing up arrival centres for use as these new centres. It will identify sufficient capacity of centres for designation and locations will be confirmed as they become available. Departmental officials are working on it as we speak. They are looking at designated centres for new arrivals and when those new arrivals come there, they will get the...
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: In fairness to the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, he is working on this. I am bringing the legislation through so we will then be in a position to make a reduced payment.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: This is to reduce the payment.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: This has nothing to do with the centres rather it is to reduce the payment.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: The Department of children officials are working on this. They are confident they will be able to accommodate the new arrivals in the designated centres. That is my understanding. It remains to be decided where the centres will be. The Department continually runs data modelling of arrival numbers, which allows it to plan for the arrival centre capacity required. They are doing much work...
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: I have said this previously. Officials in the Department of children are working extremely hard, as we all know. We know this is a difficult situation and there are challenges. They have said they will make accommodation available in these designated centres for new applicants, who will then receive a reduced amount. They will stay there for 90 days and then they will have options to...
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: I will not conflate this with the private rental market. That is not what it is about. They will have a reduced payment. My purpose here today is to get permission or agreement to bring forward a reduced payment for those who are coming to our shores and are being provided with accommodation in designated centres, which is to bring us in line with other EU member states.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: I have told the Deputy exactly what we are doing. When it comes to the housing situation, things are improving, more houses are being built and the figures are very positive. There will be an announcement later this week on the figures to date. It is very encouraging. Many more houses are being built and more accommodation is available. I do not want to conflate housing and this issue....
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: The Deputy is right that we want to be fair and equal, but not more attractive because that creates problems in itself. There was a drop in numbers of BOTPs coming in over Christmas. There were about 500 last week. Those coming in under this new arrangement will be provided with full board and laundry services. There will be a lot of provision made for them. The amount set is...
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: They do not get free travel from us but a lot of travel is provided as part of the offering, is it not?
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: In many cases, transport is provided. There is a centre in my own town in Monaghan where regular transport is provided in and out of a number of locations during the day into the centre of the town. Local Link has been very good in many areas in changing their routes to accommodate Ukrainian people who are living in rural areas. There is a lot of work ongoing at a community level through...
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: -----and by the way, I will bring the points and concerns the Deputies have raised with me here to the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman.
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: Once the 90 days have elapsed, beneficiaries will be required to vacate the accommodation so new arrivals from Ukraine can be supported. During the 90 days in designated accommodation, beneficiaries will be supported to find employment and source accommodation, which may be private or pledged. Of course, we have always had the support of the Red Cross, Offer a Home and private individuals....
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: -----to try to find-----
- Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)
Heather Humphreys: The Minister, Deputy O’Gorman is working on this.