Results 3,941-3,960 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) is an annual payment made to full-time carers who satisfy certain conditions. The person claiming the Grant must:Be aged 16 or over and ordinarily resident in this State.Care for the person on a full-time basis.Care for the person for a continuous period of at least six months – this period must include the first Thursday in June (1stJune...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Priorities (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: There are a number of legislative and policy reforms that I intend to introduce, starting in early 2024: The Social Welfare (Child Maintenance and Liable Relatives Provisions) Bill, which implements the recommendations of the Child Maintenance Review Group, is a Bill that I intend to bring through the Oireachtas early in the Spring term. I intend to bring forward legislation to give effect...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take questions Nos. 503 and 504 together. The Department of Social Protection can provide a response relating to the Department's offices in Longford only. Vacancies are filled nationwide in accordance with central Civil Service sequencing arrangements. The following table outlines the number and method of filling vacancies in the Department's Longford offices since 31 August,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: There are currently no EO vacancies in Department of Social Protection, Longford.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Civil Service mobility scheme allows officers to apply for a transfer between locations through an open, fair, and transparent system. The mobility scheme is open to Civil Servants from within the Department of Social Protection and across Civil Service organisations. The scheme comes under the remit of the Department of Public Expenditure, Reform and National Development plan and is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has delivered significant improvements since June 2020. At that time, the country was in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic and this Department introduced the Pandemic Unemployment Payment a few months previously in response to the unprecedented disruption to the labour market caused by Covid-19. Some 29.7 million PUP payments issued at a cost of over €9.2 billion...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Green Paper on Disability Reform was developed as a response to commitments under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion, the Pathways to Work Strategy and the Make Work Pay Report and to take account of the recommendations in the Cost of Disability Report. The Roadmap for Social Inclusion commitment was to develop and consult on a proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (12 Dec 2023)

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. A person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where they are engaged in employment,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The School Meals Programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,700 schools and organisations benefitting 300,000 children. The objective of the 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...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department 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. Each year my officials collect and collate statistics from local authorities in relation to dog control...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Services (12 Dec 2023)

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 library services in Drogheda is first and foremost a matter for Louth County Council. In April of this year, my Department invited all local authorities to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 882 and 883 together. My Department 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. As outlined by the Minister for Justice in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Department’s gross capital budget for 2023 is €231 million, with an additional €14.5 million available from capital carried forward from 2022, giving a total available capital budget of €245.5 million for 2023. In 2023, the capital carry forward from 2022 of €14.5 million, has been fully utilised. In addition, to end November 2023, there was gross...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Policies (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Each year my Department produces an Annual Report which provides a comprehensive overview of the wide range of policies, programmes and initiatives developed and delivered by the Department in the previous year. These reports are available at: www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-rural-and-community -development/ The 2023 Annual Report will most likely be published in Quarter 3 of 2024....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Properties (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department does not own any empty or unused buildings.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Priorities (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Budget 2024 provides my Department with the resources to continue our policy and programme priorities into 2024. The gross allocation of €431 million will provide €210 million for capital investment, with the remaining €221 million for current expenditure. These allocations represent a core funding increase of €4 million for capital and €12 million for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Policies (12 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future is the whole of Government policy for sustainable rural development in Ireland. Published in March 2021 it contains more than 170 measures for delivery, for both short-term recovery and longer-term economic and social development, and environmental and cultural wellbeing. We have now passed the midpoint of the implementation phase of Our Rural Future, and I am delighted...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the crucial role that carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role and aim at all time to ensure that they get their entitlements and payment accurately and quickly. I announced a number of measures for carers in Budget 2024 including:a €400 cost of living lump sum payment paid in November;a €12 increase in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (7 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Government agreed earlier this year that the Department of Social Protection would, in submitting budget options, set out the rate of pension payment using the smoothed earnings benchmark approach. I can confirm that this calculation was prepared and submitted to Government as an input into Budget preparations. In assessing options the Government was mindful, as it was last year, that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (7 Dec 2023)

Heather Humphreys: In late 2020, the Department commenced an investigation into the PRSI classification of workers engaged by RTE as contractors. RTE provided the Department with lists of workers engaged on a contract basis in from 2018 to 2020 and these formed the basis of the investigation. These amount to 695 workers over the period. The scale of the Department’s investigation in RTE is significant...