Results 4,601-4,620 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department is acutely aware of the challenges faced by people who are homeless. A protocol is in place to ensure a customer-centric and effective approach is applied where individuals and families who are homeless seek assistance and services from the Department of Social Protection in any location across the Country. While the protocol is current, it is under review and an updated...

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

Heather Humphreys: The entitlement of the person concerned to a Free Travel Pass was linked to their former entitlement to Disability Allowance, which ceased in October 2018. Under the Make Work Pay initiative, the person is entitled to retain their Free Travel Pass for a period of 5 years after taking up employment. The 5 year period has now ended and the person's entitlement to Free Travel has accordingly...

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department does not operate a scheme to support the purchase of laptops and other IT equipment for education courses. As part of the Covid 19 support measures, the Government provided grant funding to the Higher Education Institutions and the Education and Training Boards to provide a targeted laptop loan scheme in each organisation. I would suggest that this matter be raised with my...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Department currently holds seven contracts with Deloitte, details of which are set out in the table below. Contract Date Contract Purpose 22/08/2022 - 21/08/2024 Operating, monitoring, essential maintenance and enhancement of the upgraded Department Integrated Services Connector system 18/05/2022 - 17/05/2024 ICT...

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department currently holds one contract with PWC, details of which are set out in the table below. Contract Date Contract Purpose 07/06/2023 –06/06/2025 Provision of Advisory Service for refurbishment of Aras Mhic Dhiarmada. I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department currently holds four contracts with Ernst and Young, details of which are set out in the table below. Contract Date Contract Purpose 18/07/2022-17/07/2025 External ICT Technical Support Services 25/03/2022 -24/03/2024 ICT Resources to work for the Department of Social Protection (DSP) Analytics Community ...

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

Heather Humphreys: Child Benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child Benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16 and 17 if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves. The extension of Child Benefit to 18-year-olds in full-time education was one of my key priorities as part of Budget 2024....

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 in that office on 21...

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

Heather Humphreys: Women engaged in full-time agricultural activities will either be liable to pay social insurance contributions as a self-employed contributor under PRSI class S or as an employed contributor under PRSI class A, once their income is over a certain threshold. Contributions made under these PRSI classes entitles a person to a range of social insurance benefits, including Maternity Benefit. ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Artificial Intelligence (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department's managed ICT service is provided through the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). I can confirm that my Department has not made use of artificial intelligence to support departmental functions.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents. The policy commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025. The network includes a diverse range of hubs, services and facilities, facilitating individual remote workers and companies...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future is a whole-of-Government policy for the sustainable development of rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025 and supports the delivery of other key Government policies and objectives. Implementation of the LEADER programme is a central element of Our Rural Future and the new LEADER programme will continue to build on the success of LEADER over the last 30 years. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development, which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. €250m has been made available for the LEADER programme for the period 2021 to 2027. This is comprised of €70 million for the transitional period 2021 to 2022 and an...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Authorities (7 Nov 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 Ballybay is first and foremost a matter for Monaghan County Council. In April of this year, my Department invited all local authorities to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Projects (7 Nov 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 delivery of library services in Mayfield is primarily a matter for Cork City Council. I am advised that the extension and refurbishment of the Frank O’Connor Library,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Harbours and Piers (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, Galway County Council is the responsible authority for the maintenance and development of pier infrastructure on the Aran Islands, including Inis Meáin. A steering committee consisting of representatives from my Department and Galway County Council meets fortnightly to monitor progress on the development of the piers on Inis Oírr and Inis Meáin. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ministerial Staff (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I have one adviser in the Department of Rural and Community Development. They have returned a statement of ‘Nil’ interests to the Standards in Public Office (SIPO) Commission in respect of each of the years 2020, 2021 & 2022. The Minister of State at this Department has one advisor and they have also returned a statement of ‘Nil’ interests to SIPO in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) was introduced in 2016 and is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Under the 2022 scheme, I introduced the Building Acquisition Measure (BAM) in recognition of the urgent need to transform and regenerate town centres. The purpose of this measure was to support local authorities to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Advertising (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department contracts media buying agencies for the purpose of purchasing newspaper advertising. The specific amount allocated to each outlet is determined by the buying agency, based on the objectives of the campaign and agreement on the appropriate mix of national and local coverage. The total amount spent on newspaper advertising by my Department for each of the years 2020 to 2022 is...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Official Engagements (7 Nov 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1455 and 1456 together. I can confirm to the Deputy that neither myself, officials of my Department, or any of the four agencies under my Department's remit have had any engagement with the government of Israel, any state body of the government of Israel, or any engagement within or with Israel during the years specified. I can also confirm that neither...