Results 3,721-3,740 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Department shares data on children aged 0 to 5-years-old with the Forward Planning Unit of the Department of Education on an annual basis to assist that Department in its role of planning and providing school places across geographical areas. This is achieved by aggregating this data geographically. The legal basis for the Department to share data with the Department of Education is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Persons Concerned entitlement to the Christmas Bonus has been reviewed and established. This payment will be included with his weekly Jobseekers Allowance payment on the 2nd of January 2024.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department administers over 90 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. My Department is fully committed to ensuring that members of the general public are fully aware of the welfare supports and services available, and to ensuring key changes are communicated to them. The Department of Social Protection offers a range of services for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over who have a legal right of residence and habitually reside in the state, and who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or only qualify for a reduced-rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. An application for state pension non-contributory was received from the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In September 2022, I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system. The measures were in response to the Pensions Commission’s recommendations and represent the biggest ever structural reform of the Irish State Pension system. One of the measures announced is the introduction of flexibility to the State Pension (Contributory), allowing a person to defer access to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In August I announced a call for applications for a new programme to support the employment of people with disabilities under the new ESF+ funding. This programme, called WorkAbility: Inclusive Pathways to Employment Programme is a successor to the Ability programme and will run from January 2024 to December 2028. The WorkAbility Programme is aimed at people with disabilities aged 16+...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (17 Jan 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: Social Welfare Code (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: To qualify for the Widow's, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory Pension, one must:be a widow, widower or surviving civil partner;not cohabit with another person; andsatisfy certain social insurance conditions.Where the legal framework changes, the social welfare code is examined for appropriate changes and so it was that the Widows Contributory Pension was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Sector Pay (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection, with responsibility for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy on a wide range of public and social services. CIB provides some services directly to the public and funds and supports a number of Service Delivery...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. An application for state pension non-contributory was received from the person concerned on 18 October 2023. On 23...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (17 Jan 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. In order to qualify, applicants must show that they are habitually resident in the State, that their means are less than...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Research and Development (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: To date, my Department has not commissioned any research through the North-South Ministerial Council, Shared Island Initiative or other all-island arrangements. However, the Department regularly contributes to various all island fora, where the scope is relevant to the remit of this Department. For example, the Cross Border Partnership for Employment Services (CBPES) continues to work to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Jan 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 of contributions paid. People must have made the required number of contributions under PRSI Class A, E, H or P to qualify. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance payment and Christmas Bonus is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income. People on long term payments are unlikely to have additional resources of their own and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Department's disability-related schemes have been structured to support recipients to pursue employment opportunities, be that self-employment or insurable employment. There are a number of employment supports available. The Partial Capacity Benefit scheme allows a person who is in receipt of Invalidity Pension or Illness Benefit to enter or return to employment or self-employment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: An individual must have 520 full-rate paid contributions in order to qualify for standard State Pension (contributory). 520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of full-rate insurable employment. According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a total of 297 full-rate contributions. Since their contributions fall short of the requisite 520 paid full-rate...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, at a cost of almost €502 million in 2023. The purpose of this payment is to provide targeted assistance to households for their energy costs. The criteria for fuel allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Jan 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 Appellant’s appeal of the Department’s decision to refuse her Domiciliary Care Allowance application was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

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

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €382 million in 2024. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household. The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited...