Results 4,161-4,180 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: We will have to look at it as part of the budgetary process and that is the way it works. At least we will have the data and will conduct a complete review. I did change the means test for carers, as the Deputy knows. Some means tests are set very low and I am of the mind that we should change them.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Yes, the number has fallen all right. That is due to the increase in employment.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I take the Deputy's point. He should try explaining that to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform some time.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: It is to change the name. It used to be called the "old age" pension and now it is the "State pension (contributory)".

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I have witnessed this, as has Deputy Ó Cuív, in my constituency office. We have cases where someone who is deemed fit for work but may not be capable of doing a regular job and, at the same time, it would probably be better for that person to get work. Then the parents lose the domiciliary care allowance when the young person reaches 16 because he or she does not qualify for the...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I made the point earlier that I do not like including commitments to produce reports in primary legislation. This is complex legislation. As the Deputy knows, the work of the Vincentian MESL Research Centre is paid for by my Department. It provides an assessment of the income needed to participate in everyday life. The work of the MESL also highlights the issues that may be better solved...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: There would have to be agreement within the Government on doing that. When we are putting together a budget, we have to look at the resources that are available to us. We have been very fortunate in the last number of years that we have had resources. I was here in 2013 and 2014 when things were a lot tighter. We have to look at everything in the round. The Government is committed to...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: We always think about things and we try our best.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy raised that with me and I asked my officials to take a look at it. I have yet to hear back from them. I take the Deputy's point, however. When we have dates and limits, there will always be winners and losers. I particularly take the Deputy's point about the carers. I am committed to a wide-ranging review of means testing in the Department. That review is ongoing and I hope to...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Yes, I will have it at the beginning of the new year. It will be made public and I will provide it to the committee.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Yes, it will be published in quarter 1.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: No, we do not count it for the pension.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Yes.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I do not know. I will have to wait until I get the review. If I can change something that is not going to cost a lot of money, there is no reason I cannot change it.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Yes, there are not that many people involved. With the Deputy talking about farmers and receipts, I am thinking back to the late former Deputy, Seymour Crawford, who was in my constituency before me. One day, a fellow came in to me with a big box of receipts and said they were his farm assist application. I looked at them and said, "What?" The man replied that Seymour used to do that for...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I know the Deputy does.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: At least they keep them. A shoe box would work too.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: That is a difficult one.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: We can include that information.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I accept that. We can include in the report whether changes can be done quickly. If I can do something quickly at very little cost, I am happy to do it. Sometimes, small changes can make a big difference. I brought in a change that we called Catherine's law, which was named for a girl in the west who had a disability and had won a scholarship, which meant she would lose her payment. We...