Results 4,961-4,980 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (3 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The new national islands policy, Our Living Islands, which I launched recently, recognises that good transport services and a developed infrastructure are important prerequisites for maintaining island populations. My Department’s aim is to seek to meet these requirements through current and capital investment. The policy is focused on islands that are cut off daily from the mainland...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Data Protection (3 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department was established in July 2017. Between that date and 2023 to date, my Department has identified 9 data breaches (1 in 2018, 2 in 2020, 1 in 2021, 5 in 2022, and 0 in 2023 to date). The nature of those breaches was due to information disclosed in error. In the case of each incident immediate remedial action was undertaken, and where necessary, the Data Protection Commission was...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (3 Oct 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a range of supports which are available to community groups, such as Men's Sheds, depending on the works being completed. Men's Sheds were eligible to apply for funding under the Community Support Fund (CSF) that was announced last November as part of the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP). The €10 million CSF was set up to help small community groups with...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Policies (3 Oct 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 does not make use of artificial intelligence and that none of my Departmental functions are assisted by language model-based chatbots.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Sep 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 on23 August...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (28 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance is a means-tested social assistance scheme, which is also subject to a medical assessment and habitual residency requirement. It is the nature of means-tested schemes that, above a certain level of means, a person is not entitled to any payment, as their means are deemed to be sufficient to provide for their needs. All income and capital, such as savings, investments...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €412 million in 2023.The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household. The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (28 Sep 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 the original appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (28 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The purpose of the Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) is to assist people with essential expenditure, which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. ENPs are awarded at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme considering the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case. Applications for ENPs are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (28 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my condolences to the family of the person concerned on their recent bereavement. Carer's Allowance 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (28 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The person concernedreached pension age on 26 December 2022. An application for State Pension (Contributory) was received on the 22 March 2023.The pension was awarded with effect from 26 December 2022 at the maximum weekly rate. The decision issued on23 September 2023. The first payment will issue to their nominated financial institution on 29 September 2023.This payment will also include...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (28 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: TheCarer's Support Grant (CSG) is an annual payment for carers who look after a person in need of full-time care and attention. CSG is paid automatically to all recipients of Carer’s Allowance (whether full rate or half rate), Carer’s Benefit, or Domiciliary Care Allowance. It is also available to other full-time carers who are not receiving any of these payments once...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (28 Sep 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. I confirm that an application for CA was received from the person concerned on 16 August 2023. The person concerned was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is aware of the recommendation of the European Commission made in 2022 regarding the prescription of Covid-19 as an occupational illness. However, the decision on whether or not to recognise an illness as an occupational illness is a Member State competence. It should be noted that recognition confers very different entitlements in different countries. As this matter has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (28 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Primary weekly social welfare payments are intended to enable recipients to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. In addition to these primary payments, my Department also provides a range of other payments, both cash and non-cash, on a weekly, monthly, or less frequent basis. These payments are considered secondary in nature. The Living Alone Increase (LAI) is one of those secondary...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (28 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Last week, I published a Green Paper on Disability Reform and launched the associated public consultation. The Green Paper was developed as a response to commitments under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion,the Pathways to Work Strategy, andthe Make Work Pay Report Strategy to consult on reforms to disability payments and take account of anomalies within the current system. I would like...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (28 Sep 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 Payments (28 Sep 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. My Department received correspondence from the person concerned on 21 July 2023 notifying a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (28 Sep 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 increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people. I can confirm two applications...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (28 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has no record of a PPSN application for this child. If contact details for the parents can be provided directly, the Department will try to gather more information about the application and attempt to resolve the matter. Alternatively the parents of the child concerned can call to the Intreo Centre in Carlow where Management are aware of the situation.