Results 441-460 of 20,517 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Measures (17 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I arranged for an in-depth consideration of the alternative AE proposal referred to by the Deputy. While my own officials looked at it carefully, I also referred it to the independent Pensions Council for its assessment. The Pensions Council is an independent statutory body of pension experts drawn from the legal and financial world and its statutory role is to advise me on what it...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (17 Apr 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. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (17 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Community Recognition Fund was first introduced in 2023 to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. Through the 2023 allocation, funding of €50 million was approved for some 900 projects in providing support to cities, towns and villages nationwide that have welcomed people from Ukraine and other countries. To...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Projects (17 Apr 2024)

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 delivery of library services in Blackrock/Mahon is primarily a matter for Cork City Council. My Department has been informed by Cork City Council that a potential site has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (16 Apr 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: Departmental Schemes (16 Apr 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: Pensions Reform (16 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The introduction of an automatic enrolment (AE) retirement savings system is a Programme for Government commitment and a key priority for me as the Minister for Social Protection. Implementation of the AE system is well underway, with the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024 now published and a tender process to contract for administration services well advanced....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (16 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The introduction of an automatic enrolment (AE) retirement savings system is a Programme for Government commitment and a key priority for me as Minister for Social Protection. Implementation of the AE system is well underway, with the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024 now published and a tender process to contract for administration services being well advanced....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (16 Apr 2024)

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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rental Sector (16 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage provides significant funding under the Housing for All strategy to support the provision of Cost Rental homes. Local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency and also private providers (under the new Secure Tenancy Affordable Rental investment scheme) currently provide Cost Rental homes. Cost Rental is a form...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (16 Apr 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 Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a Disability Allowance appeal by the person concerned was registered in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (16 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Covid -19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) scheme was introduced to support individuals who lost their employment on or after 13 March 2020 as a direct consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was also available to self-employed people whose income from self-employment ceased or reduced as a direct consequence of the pandemic to the extent that they would be available to take up...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (16 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I can inform the Deputy that for the period from 1 January 2023 to 31 March 2024, an overall total of 326,436 Personal Public Service Numbers (PPSNs) have been allocated by my Department. Of this overall total, 71,692 PPSNs were allocated for children whose births were registered with the General Register Office. Some nationalities have been grouped together under the category "other" for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (16 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability. These include contributory payments based on PRSI contributions, such as Illness Benefit and Invalidity Pension, and non-contributory payments based on a means test, such as Disability Allowance. Disability Allowance is a payment for people who are aged between 16 and 66...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (16 Apr 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 Appeals (16 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Under the law as currently enacted, entitlement to a Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory pension is only available to a surviving partner who was party to a marriage or civil partnership. On 22nd January, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in relation to the entitlement of an unmarried co-habitant to a Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (16 Apr 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 Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a Carers Allowance appeal by the person concerned was registered in that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Funding (16 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a wide range of income and employment supports to assist jobseekers and employees with disabilities, and their employers. These supports include the Reasonable Accommodation Fund and the Disability Awareness Support Scheme. The Reasonable Accommodation Fund provides financial support for people with disabilities and for employers to help make their workplaces more...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Home Care Packages (16 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a number of social welfare payments to support families and specifically children. Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children who are in full-time education, or who have a disability, until their 18th birthday. The standard...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (16 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 469 to 471, inclusive, together. Given the complexity of the issues raised in the questions, it is not possible to provide the information requested within the timeframe available. My Department is currently liaising with the Deputy's office in order to clarify the exact features of this proposed PRSI credit and how it is envisaged it would operate. Once...