Results 5,041-5,060 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (26 Sep 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. It supports a broad range of activities which aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas. €250 million has been made available for the LEADER...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (26 Sep 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. It supports a broad range of activities which aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas. €250 million has been made available for the LEADER...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The right to request remote working has been integrated into the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, which is led by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth, and was enacted on the 4th of April 2023. All employees will have a right to request remote working under the Act. This important legislation is one of a number of steps taken by...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Department's capital budget for 2023 amounts to €231 million, of which €167 million relates to the Rural Development Programme and €64 million relates to the Community Development Programme. Capital funding is particularly important for the rural development programme area. Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: This Government recognises the important role that community centres play in community life in Ireland, bringing people together and engaging with those who may be marginalised or disadvantaged. With this in mind, I have put in place an integrated programme of supports for the establishment and development of community centres across schemes such as CLÁR, LEADER, the Community Support...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The 2022 Community Centres Investment Fund was warmly welcomed the length and breadth of the country. Over €45.8 million has been committed to the improvement and refurbishment of existing community centres across Ireland through this fund. Following on from this, I wanted to assist community groups striving to build their own community centre to service local needs, so this year the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department recognises the importance of playgrounds in communities throughout Ireland and, as such, applications for the delivery and upgrade of playgrounds are welcome under a number of schemes operated by my Department. In addition, I am aware that my Department indirectly supports the maintenance and upgrading of many playgrounds, parks and other public amenities through the assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Galway County Council advised my Department last week that the disposal of these lands to my Department was recently approved at the council’s plenary meeting. The local authority also advised that the matter is currently with Council's in-house solicitors in order to move forward with the transfer of title, with the matter being progressed this month. My Department will continue to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Consultations (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department takes a whole-of-government approach to the development and delivery of our own policy remit and also in supporting the work of other organisations. This is a key element not just of national policies but also in the achievement of sectoral strategies, for example the rural development policy, Our Rural Future, and our Community Development policy Sustainable, Inclusive and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will appreciate that, as a general rule, I am unable to comment or intervene on issues relating to a particular pension scheme or the settlement of legal proceedings. I am aware that the matters raised by the Deputy have been the subject of legal proceedings and, in that context, l understand that a settlement of the matter was reached. My Department was not a party to these...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Priorities (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Throughout 2022 and into this year Government has provided a range of unprecedented supports to protect people and families as the cost of living has increased. This includes a €2.2 Billion Social Protection Budget 2023 Package - the largest in the history of the State – which included eight lump sum payments in the last quarter of 2022, and a further package announced in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Priorities (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Government is acutely aware of recent cost of living increases and their impact on low income households and those fixed salaries or payments. In response to the on-going cost-of-living pressures, Budget 2023, saw the largest Social Protection package in the history of the state at a total of €2.1 billion. Some €1.1billion of this package was targeted to provide a wide...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 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. Means are any income belonging to the carer and their spouse / civil partner / cohabitant, including property (except...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (26 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: State Pensions (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 23 June 2023. State Pension (Contributory) was awarded with effect from 23 June 2023 at the maximum weekly rate. The decision issued on 19 September 2023. The first payment will issue to their nominated financial institution on 22 September 2023. This payment will also include arrears due for the period 23 June 2023 to 21 September 2023. I hope...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I wish to inform the Deputy that the Department of Social Protection has not conducted any research or compiled estimates of the number of people who are entitled to payments under schemes administered by the Department, but who have not applied for them.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Disability allowance (DA) is a means-tested payment for people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. The applicant must be suffering from an injury, disease, congenital deformity or physical or mental illness or defect which has lasted for one year or is expected to last for one year and, as a result of which, they are substantially restricted in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: For the week ending 17th September 2023, there were 26,733 people on the Live Register in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance or Jobseeker's Benefit with a commencement date prior to 1 January 2020. Of these 5,623 are casual jobseekers. These claims are inclusive of periods where pay may have been suspended for a recipient but their claim remained open. For example, casual jobseekers who...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: To qualify for Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension, a person must:be a widow, widower or surviving civil partner;satisfy certain social insurance conditions; and not cohabit with another person as a couple.The person concerned was refused a Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension. Following an investigation into the matter, it...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (26 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a number of income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability. These include insurance-based schemes, based on Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions, and means-tested social assistance schemes. The primary social assistance scheme for people who are blind or visually impaired is the Blind Pension, which is a means-tested payment payable...