Results 4,561-4,580 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The correspondence referred to in the Question seeks a temporary abolition of social insurance liability for low earning workers in 2024, 2025 and 2026 (whether for employees, employers or both). Such a move would have significant financial implications for the Social Insurance Fund. The Social Insurance Fund derives income, in the main, from social insurance contributions paid by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (7 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department does not engage the services of the company in question. Therefore, no costs have been incurred.

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

Heather Humphreys: The extension of Child Benefit to 18-year-olds in full-time education was one of my key priorities as part of Budget 2024. The measure is expected to benefit approximately 60,000 18 year olds each year at an estimated cost of €21.6 million in 2024. With many children now starting primary school at age 5 together with the increase in pupils doing transition year, there has been an...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Carer's Support Grant (CSG) is an annual payment made to carers by my Department. I can confirm that my Department received an application for CSG from the person concerned on 23 May 2023. It is a condition of CSG that the care recipient must have a disability that meets the full-time care and attention requirements set out in the governing legislation such that a person shall not be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Corporate Governance (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: According to our records, my Department has not filed any complaints to the Corporate Enforcement Agency (CEA) since its establishment, or to An Garda Síochána in the past ten years, in respect of grants or funds my Department provided that were misappropriated. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Nov 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. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 14 June 2023. CA was awarded to the person concerned on...

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

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable to a 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 the level of that disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and attention for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Supports for small businesses are a matter for the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I recognise the current pressures facing employers from increasing costs on expenses associated with running their business. However, to introduce, as is suggested, a temporary abolition of social insurance liability for low earning workers in 2024, 2025 and 2026 (whether for employees,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (7 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 registered on the 16 August 2023. It...

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

Heather Humphreys: A living alone increase is an extra payment for people who live alone and are receiving certain social welfare payments. The person concerned had been in receipt of a living alone increase up to 25 May 2023. The entitlement ceased as the Department became aware that another person was residing at the same address and, therefore, she no longer satisfied the conditions associated with the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Primary Medical Certificates (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. There are over one million customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2023 is €95 million. As part of Budget 2024 I was particularly pleased to extend my Department’s Free Travel Pass to support people who are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Consultations (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Green Paper on Disability Reform is my department’s response to our commitment under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion to develop and consult on proposals to restructure long-term disability payments and to simplify the system. The Green Paper is a consultation document we developed to start a structured discussion with disabled people and stakeholder groups on what the future of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Consultations (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Government committed as part of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion to develop and consult on proposals to restructure long-term disability payments and to simplify the system. The proposals developed are set out in the Green Paper on Disability Reform. This was published on the 20th September and marked the start of the consultation process. The Green Paper is a consultation...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Consultations (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My department provides a range of income and employment supports for people with disabilities. These supports remain under review by my department, as we look to national and international best practice to improve them. As part of our commitments under the Comprehensive Employment Strategy, my department carried out a review of the Reasonable Accommodation Fund and Disability Awareness...

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

Heather Humphreys: The total number of disability allowance (DA) applications received, allowed and disallowed or withdrawn from 2019 to 30 of September 2023 are set out in the table below. Year DA Received *DA Award DA Disallowed DA Withdrawn 2019 24,017 16,949* 13,981 1,519 2020 20,671 ...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Green Paper on Disability Reform is my department’s response to our commitment under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion to develop and consult on proposals to restructure long-term disability payments and to simplify the system. The Paper addresses concerns raised in the Pathways to Work Strategy and the Make Work Pay report, and the recommendations given in the Cost of Disability...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Government committed as part of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion to develop and consult on proposals to restructure long-term disability payments and to simplify the system. One of the Green Paper’s proposals is to raise the qualifying age for Disability Allowance to 18 to create a common tiered approach to disability payments. The age of entry for Disability Allowance has been 16...

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

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance is a means tested social assistance scheme, which is also subject to a medical assessment and habitual residency requirement. My Department seeks to support persons in receipt of Disability Allowance to pursue educational or training opportunities and as a result, a number of disregards are in place. I introduced a PhD disregard effective from 2021, for persons in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (7 Nov 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...