Results 4,361-4,380 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (21 Nov 2023)

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 appeal by the person concerned was received in that office on the 27...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Cost of Living Issues (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I was pleased that Budget 2024 included a social welfare package worth almost €2.3 billion, the biggest in the history of the State. The package contained a balanced mixture of once-off lump sum measures set to be delivered over the coming weeks along with significant rate increases. The measures are designed to support the most vulnerable in our society with the increased cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Nov 2023)

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, means test and Habitual Residency conditions. I confirm that my department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 23...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Maternity Benefit is a statutory payment made for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed women who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. The fundamental qualification criteria for Maternity Benefit are that the person must be in insurable employment and entitled to statutory maternity leave or be in insurable self-employment. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable to a parent/foster parent/guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the 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 require this level of care...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Educational Disadvantage (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The School Meals Programme funds the provision of food to some 1,700 schools and organisations benefitting some 300,000 children. The objective of the Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to enable them to take full advantage of the education provided to them. Funding under the School Meals Programme can be provided for breakfast, snack, cold lunch, dinner, hot...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Cybersecurity Policy (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 335, 336, 337 and 338 together. My Department has a dedicated cyber security function to manage the security of the Department’s network and information assets. My Department takes a risk-based approach to cyber security, is regularly audited, and has achieved the ISO 27001:2013 International Standard for Information Security. This standards-based...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated additional full-year yield that would be generated by raising both the lower and higher employer PRSI class A rates by 0.2% to 9% and 11.25% respectively is €216 million. These estimates do not take into account any possible changes in employer behaviour arising from changing the rate of employer PRSI. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body under the aegis of my Department that funds and supports eight regional Citizens Information Service (CIS) companies, which in turn operate the national network of Citizens Information Centres. Each CIS company is a separate company in its own right, governed by a voluntary Board of Directors. Decisions regarding the delivery of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 19 June 2020 and applied for a State Pension Contributory on 24 January 2020. Under current eligibility conditions, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Nov 2023)

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 contribution conditions. The person concerned has been awarded IP with effect from 28 September 2023 and will receive their first payment to their nominated bank account on 30 November 2023. Any arrears due from 28 September 2023...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Currently, seven weeks Parent's Leave and Benefit is available to all eligible parents of children born or adopted from 1 November 2019. The leave and benefit must be availed of within the first two years of the child’s life or adoption. In Budget 2024, the Government provided for the number of weeks of Parent's Leave and Benefit available to eligible parents to be increased from seven...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly in-work income support for employees on low earnings with children. To qualify for Working Family Payment, the customer must be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment and have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them. An application for WFP has been received by the Department from the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 346 and 347 together. Following a thorough search and as far as can be ascertained, I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department does not have any current contracts with any Israeli state agency or any Israeli-based company.The Deputy will appreciate the fact that it is difficult to confirm the ultimate legal ownership of every company that my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: From September 2012, the rates of State pension (contributory) paid to those who had a yearly average of less than 40 contributions was lowered. In recognition that these rate changes may have negatively impacted certain cohorts, in January 2018, the Government announced an Interim Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to calculate the entitlement of pensioners who reached State pension age on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Cost of Living Issues (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance 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, means test and Habitual Residency conditions. Cost of living lump sum payments to people on courses such as those raised by the Deputy are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned receives Jobseeker's Benefit of €311.10 a week. This rate consists of a personal rate of €220.00, €49.10 tapered Increase for Qualified Adult and €42.00 Increase for a Qualified Child under 12 years of age. A tapered Increase for Qualified Adult Rate was applied based on his partner's income. As part of Budget 2024, I have secured increases in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department’s role in relation to gender recognition is to record a person’s preferred gender once the necessary formalities have been complied with. The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future - contains a commitment to commenceresearchtoexaminearrangementsforgender recognition for children under sixteen. The research is intended to inform consideration of any...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Positions in the Department of Social Protection’s offices in Longford are filled in accordance with central Civil Service sequencing arrangements. Positions are filled in Longford and nationwide with candidates recruited externally by the Public Appointments Service. These recruitment campaigns are available current departmental staff and external applicants. In addition, the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (21 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. To qualify, the Carer must satisfy PRSI conditions; employment conditions; show that they are providing full-time care and attention; and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and...