Results 4,901-4,920 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (4 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Indecon Cost of Disability report highlighted that there is not a single typical ‘cost of disability’; rather there is a spectrum from low additional costs to extremely high extra costs of disability, depending on the individual circumstances of the person concerned. It also highlighted that the cost of disability is significantly broader than the income support system and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (4 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Diet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet because of a specified medical condition.  There are currently 1,131 people in receipt of diet supplement. A review of the costs of healthy eating and specialised diets by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (4 Oct 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 29...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Proposed Legislation (4 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Government approved an expansion and reinforcement of the arrangements for pre-legislative scrutiny in September 2013. A number of new Standing Orders to underpin these new arrangements came into effect on 5 November 2013. In order to clarify the operation of these new Standing Orders, an Agreed Protocol for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Heads of Bills by Oireachtas Committees was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (4 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, legally and habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. A statement of the person’s state pension non-contributory payments has issued to them in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (4 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet essential expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. An ANP application can be made for assistance with funeral and burial expenses where there is an inability to pay these costs, in part or in full, by the family of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (4 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body under the aegis of my Department, with responsibility for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy on a wide range of public and social services. CIB provides some services directly to the public, and funds and supports a number of Service Delivery Companies to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (4 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (4 Oct 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: Social Welfare Code (4 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a comprehensive package of carers’ income supports including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant.  Combined spending on these payments in 2023 is estimated at almost €1.6 billion.  A primary qualifying condition for the carer income support payments...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Facilities (4 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: This is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Transport.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Proposed Legislation (4 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: To date, there has only been one General Scheme referred by my Department for pre-legislative scrutiny. The General Scheme of the Charities (Amendment) Bill was published on 29 April 2022. This General Scheme was subsequently submitted to the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands for Pre-Legislative scrutiny on 12 May 2022. This Bill is to...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: We are all conscious of the huge contribution carers make. I made some considerable changes in last year's budget to the carer's disregard in terms of savings allowed and an increase in income limits such that people can earn more money and still qualify for the carer's allowance. I keep all these matters under review. Carers certainly will be a focus in this budget, along with people with...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. If the scheme is run under the auspices of Local Link, it is possibly the responsibility of the Department of Transport. I will be happy to talk to the Deputy about the issue. I understand as well as she does how important it is to have transport services in rural Ireland. I will speak to the Deputy afterwards to get the details. If I can give...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Grant Payments (3 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical and aural services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependant spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions. The Department has contacted the person concerned and the appropriate grant will be paid in respect of her claim. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (3 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a wide range of supports for jobseekers and existing employees with disabilities. These supports include the Reasonable Accommodation Fund. The Reasonable Accommodation Fund includes four grants which were designed to assist jobseekers and existing employees with disabilities, and to encourage employers in the private sector to recruit jobseekers with disabilities....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Mobility Aids Grant scheme provides grant aid to cover a basic suite of works to address mobility problems, primarily, but not exclusively, associated with ageing. The scheme is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and administered by local authorities. The Community Welfare Service in my Department administers the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA)...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (3 Oct 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 pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. My Department received an application for IP from the person concerned on 1 November 2022. Based on the medical information supplied, it was refused on the grounds that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 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 26 May 2023. It is a condition for receipt of a CA that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 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 15 September 2023. The application was awarded to the...