Results 341-360 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Allowance 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. The total number of reviews of Carer’s Allowance carried out in 2023 was 12,616 and 12,393 have been carried out to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Illness benefit is the primary short term income support provided by my Department to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type and who are covered by social insurance. Eligibility for illness benefit depends on the person’s PRSI record and class. The person must have made the required number of contributions under class A, E, H or P to qualify. In general,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Properties (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department does not own any vacant properties. With the exception of the Department headquarters in Dublin, Áras Mhic Dhiarmada, which is held by the Minister on behalf of the Social Insurance Fund, all buildings and property occupied by the Department of Social Protection, are owned or leased by the Office of Public Works.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (22 Oct 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 Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel Allowance 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 allowance has been received from the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: A person should always apply for Illness Benefit if they are medically certified as unfit for work. Eligibility for Illness Benefit depends on the person’s PRSI record and class. People must have made the required number of contributions in Class A, E, H or P to qualify. In general, self-employed people make PRSI contributions at Class S which does not count towards eligibility for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The introduction of an automatic enrolment (AE) retirement savings system is a Programme for Government commitment and a key priority for me as the Minister for Social Protection. Implementation of the AE system is now well underway, with the enactment of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Act 2024 and the signing of a contract with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP), formerly Family Income Supplement, is a weekly in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. To qualify for Working Family Payment the customer must have at least 1 qualified child who normally resides with them and be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment. The WFP renewal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Disablement Benefit is a compensatory scheme for persons who have suffered a loss of faculty due to injury arising out of and in their insurable employment. To qualify for Disablement a loss of faculty must be assessed at 15% or more. An application for Disablement Benefit was received on the 20 June 2020. A decision issued on 2 March 2021 stating that he did not qualify for the scheme as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Grant Payments (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As per the definition of a social enterprise in the Department of Rural and Community Development’s publication Trading for Impact, the National Social Enterprise Strategy 2024 - 2027 - 'a social enterprise is defined as an enterprise whose objective is to achieve a social or environmental impact, rather than maximising profit for its owners or shareholders. It pursues its objectives...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 860 and 861 together. In November 2023, I announced the establishment of a €2 million capital fund under a new Dog Control Support Initiative. Under this initiative, funding was provided to Local Authorities to upgrade their dog pounds and shelter facilities, and to move towards cleaner, electric vehicles for dog wardens. A county-by-county...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Control of Dogs (XL Bully) Regulations 2024 (S.I. No. 491/2024) that banned XL Bully type dogs came into force in two stages beginning on the 1st October 2024, with a full ownership ban coming into force on the 1st February 2025. The ban is being brought in over two stages to give XL Bully type dog owners who wish to keep their XL Bully type dog the time to obtain a 'Certificate of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: A vital part of my Department's mission is to support vibrant and sustainable communities across the country, including towns like Athy and Monasterevin. My Department provides targeted investment which improves lives, enables rural regeneration, facilitates new working opportunities and fosters regional enterprise growth. I was delighted to secure a 9% increase in my Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Town Centre First Policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. It supports the Our Rural Future vision for a thriving rural Ireland which is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being and development. In December 2021, funding of €2.6 million was...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 865 to 867, inclusive, together. My Department administers a range of measures to support the revitalisation and regeneration of rural towns and villages including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF). The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) was introduced in 2016 and is one of a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Projects (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department operates a range of capital funding schemes across both its rural development programme and community development programme. These schemes include the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the LEADER programme, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, and the Community Centre Investment Fund. Our funding under the National...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department operates a large number of schemes which fund a large number of projects and groups throughout the country each year. Funding announcements, and the list of approved projects for each announcement, are published on www.gov.ie. Information on approved allocations is collated on a county basis. Given the extent of schemes referred to, the time period referenced, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 870 and 871 together. The Local Improvement Scheme, or LIS, supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are generally not maintained by local authorities. My Department reintroduced the scheme in 2017 after several years without dedicated funding. Between 2017 and 2024, my Department allocated almost €170 million to local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Properties (22 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department does not own any vacant properties of any type.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Oct 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 Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence,...