Results 3,621-3,640 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Working Family Payment is a tax-free payment which provides an income top-up for employees, with children, on low earnings. It is a targeted measure that is directly linked to household income and therefore directly supports low-income working families. The average payment made to families is currently some €146 per week. Estimated expenditure on the scheme for 2024 is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The annual Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) is paid to people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance. People who are not in receipt of one of these social welfare payments but who are providing full-time care and attention may also be eligible and can apply for the grant as a standalone payment. The payment is made regardless of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Household Benefits Package (HBP) comprises of the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. Only one Household Benefits Package is payable per household. For those aged 70 or over, the HBP is not means tested and there is no requirement to be getting a qualifying payment. For those aged 66 years or over, the HBP may be payable to those who are getting a social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The General Register Office (GRO) are responsible for maintaining the register of births in Ireland. The register contains the particulars of all births occurring in the State and in certain exceptional circumstances, births that occurred outside the State to children of an Irish Citizen. A birth certificate for a person can only be issued from the register if there is an entry for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (23 Jan 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, a means test and Habitual Residency conditions. My Department received correspondence from the person concerned on 7 November 2023,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the level of care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and the level of the child's disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The number of persons in receipt of Disability Allowance at the end of December 2023 was 162,351 and expenditure for the month of December was €199,650,525. The number of persons in receipt of State Pension Contributory at the end of December 2023 was 506,723. Expenditure on State Pension Contributory for the month of December was €818,858,449.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Waste Management (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: There is a range of supports provided by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme. These supports can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single Additional Needs Payments (ANPs). My Department may make an ANP to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. The Department received a claim for IP for the person referred to on 20 September 2023. The claim was refused on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity Pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy certain Social Insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. The person concerned has been awarded Invalidity Pension with effect from 19 October 2023 and will receive his first payment to his nominated bank account on 1 February 2024. All...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department shares personal data with a number of Government Departments, bodies, agencies, and local authorities, for the purposes which are set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 and in other Acts. The personal data shared may include identity data, such as Personal Public Service Number (PPSN), name, address, date of birth, as well data relating to life events such as date...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Projects (23 Jan 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. Funding is allocated to Local Authorities and other State-funded bodies. Calls for applications to the Fund are sought under two categories – Category 1 and Category 2. Category 1 relates to large scale...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Services (23 Jan 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 provision of an extension to Carlow County Library is a matter for Carlow County Council. I am aware that the refurbishment of the Presentation Building is classified as...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (23 Jan 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 engaging with those who may be marginalised or disadvantaged. With this in mind, my Department has put in place an integrated programme of supports for the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) is funded by my Department under Our Rural Future. The Scheme provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as walking trails, cycleways, blue ways and bridleways throughout rural Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme in 2016, funding of almost €109 million has supported more than...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Community Recognition Fund recognises the huge efforts made by communities going to great lengths in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. Funding of €50 million for over 880 projects is supporting the development of facilities that will be used in the future by all members of the community. It is important to note that this is separate from other public funding...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The process to select the Local Action Groups (LAGs) to deliver the 2023-2027 LEADER Programme is ongoing at present, with the selection complete in 16 sub-regional areas to date. Strategies in the sub-regional areas where the process is not yet finalised are being considered by the Independent Selection Committee (ISC) with a view to completing the selection of the remaining LAGs in a timely...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has a wide range of functions, and data sharing with various public bodies is required for operational reasons. This data sharing may involve aggregated and/or individual-level information. In the majority of cases where data is shared with other bodies the information is aggregated. With regard to individual-level information, my Department holds...

Social Welfare (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Referral to Select Committee (18 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands pursuant to Standing Order 95 and Standing Order 180(1).

Social Welfare (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Second Stage (18 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank all the Deputies for their contributions. I acknowledge Deputy Ó Cuív's commitment to the means test and the need to continually review it. It is something he has raised with me on many occasions. I look forward to receiving the report on the means test shortly. We all know that lone parents are a particularly vulnerable group, which is why I am very pleased to bring...