Results 4,661-4,680 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Ireland is behind the average EU rates for the employment of people with disabilities. I have worked to enhance the supports we have in my Department, whether it is the employability programme, the reasonable accommodation fund, the WorkAbility programme or the wage subsidy scheme for people with disabilities. I was delighted to bring in changes in this budget. There had not been any...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I did a lot of work with Epilepsy Ireland, because this is probably the best example in this regard. People who have epilepsy are put off the road and cannot drive. I engaged, therefore, with Epilepsy Ireland on this issue and have been doing so for some time. I met representatives of the organisation several times. I know people who have epilepsy and it is not easy for them because they...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Canney. Of course I understand it is a big step for anybody to take and it is not easy. In recent years one of the factors impacting processing times is the tendency for some people to submit claims early, before all of the required documentation is ready. This is in order to establish an entitlement date. When the application is made that is the beginning. People get the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As part of the work of social protection, reviews are always carried out. The Department carries out checks on an ongoing basis to ensure resources go to those who need them most. To respond to the Deputy's question, the revised carer's allowance does not kick in until June 2024. That decision was taken and I will implement it in the social welfare Bill. I do not think I will be in a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I take the Deputy's point about carers who, on getting a review, are cut off. While I cannot make any promises now, I will look at that. I am ensuring that long-term carers who have spent 20 years or more caring will be able to access the State pension from January 2024. Legislation has to go through the Houses and I am hoping to get it passed very quickly. It will be a big change to the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I am working on it now. We have these changes to make on the carer's pension and we will get the Bill through before the end of the year. It will take effect from 1 January 2024.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the crucial role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. To support carers, I announced a number of measures in budget 2024. These include the €400 cost-of-living lump sum payment which will be paid in November, and the €12 increase in the maximum rate of the carers allowance and the carers benefit from...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Census 2022 data indicates that there are 1.1 million people with at least one long-lasting condition. While I would love to be in a position where I had unlimited resources, providing a weekly payment of €350 to such a large number of people would not be sustainable. Even if I could, such an approach would also be unfair because people with disabilities are not one single group with...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I will watch it.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: This is a Green Paper and it is for consultation and discussion. We usually have strawman proposals but we actually spoke to some of the groups and they said that they wanted to call it a Green Paper. The Deputy knows what is done with a strawman. Bits are taken out and put in, everything is moved about and we come up with a different man when we are finished. That is what this is about....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The background to the Green Paper is the The Cost of Disability in Ireland report, which was produced after extensive consultation. It was probably the biggest consultation on any report carried out by the State. We extended it a few times because people wanted more consultation. It is recommended that the levels of payment and allowances should be changed to reflect the very different...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is important to say that means tests are used to target our resources to best effect in support of those who need them most. The rules for means-testing vary depending on the nature of the payment being claimed. The amount of income that is disregarded for carer's payments is the most generous within the social welfare system. As Minister, I...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for raising this matter. 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 consultation process has begun through the publication of the Green Paper. The Green Paper sets out the issues facing people with disabilities. Those...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I am glad the Deputy raised that because I agree with him. This has nothing to do with the UK system. Cutting costs was what they were doing in the UK. That is not the case here. This is about trying to increase people's payments. In fact, based on a conservative estimate, the Green Paper measures, if introduced, would cost in excess of €130 million extra per year. It is well...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: To be clear, there is no question of anybody having his or her payment decreased. My objective here is actually to increase payments, not decrease them. This is a difficult and very sensitive area, and I reassure people that there is no intention to cut anybody's payment or to cut people off payments. That is not the intention. What I am doing is putting out very clearly in the Green...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 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: State Pensions (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine sustainability and eligibility issues in respect of the State Pension. The Government considered the report of the Pensions Commission carefully and in response, I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system in September 2022. These reforms include a range of measures...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a fully means-tested payment for applicants aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory. Under the Department’s Compliance and Anti-Fraud Strategy, the state pension non-contributory scheme area has a commitment to an annual level of control reviews and operates an ongoing continuous schedule...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reviews (24 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 67 together. Social welfare legislation provides that, for social assistance schemes, income and capital (such as savings, investments and property other than the family home) belonging to the claimant and his or her partner, where applicable, is assessable for means assessment purposes. Means test rules in my Department are kept under regular review...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Communications (24 Oct 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...