Results 5,121-5,140 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated cost, in 2024, of increasing all weekly social welfare payments by €15 from January 2024, then the cost of a further €10 increase in June 2024 is €1,472.9m. The estimated cost, in 2024, of increasing all weekly social welfare payments by €15 from January 2024, then a further €5 increase in June 2024, and a further €5 increase in October...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: EU Directives (20 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Directive (EU) 2019/882 (the European Accessibility Act (EAA)) will introduce harmonised rules on accessibility for certain products and services in the EU, including ecommerce products. The EAA compliments existing legislation governing accessibility for websites and applications of public sector bodies, including my Department. Under S.I. No. 358/2020 - European Union (Accessibility of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) is paid from late September to April. One of the conditions for receipt of fuel allowance is that a person must satisfy a means test. Following a means assessment, it was determined that the household means exceed the permissible...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (20 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 two appeals by the person concerned were registered on the 15th August 2023....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Chapter 13 of Part 2 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 legislates for the Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme for persons injured by an accident at work or caused by a prescribed disease due to the nature of their employment. Covid-19 is not currently a prescribed disease or illness for the purposes of the Occupation Injuries Benefit scheme. Section 87 (2) of the Act states that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Services (20 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. 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 Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for Disability Allowance on 13 June 2023. Their application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds as it was not found that they were substantially restricted in taking up employment. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 11 September 2023 and was also notified of their right to request...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Matters related to foster caring are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Tusla. More widely, this Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current State pension (contributory) system provides for a range of measures...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 624 and 627 together. The Free Travel Scheme permits free travel on most CIE public transport services, Local Link, Luas and a range of services offered by some 73 private operators in various parts of the country for those eligible. The scheme is available to all persons aged over 66, and those under age 66 on qualifying payments, who are living legally...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who pursue courses of education at further or higher level. The focus of the scheme is to assist social welfare recipients to improve their qualifications and as a result improve their access to sustainable employment. The Government has provided €49.08...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 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 Fuel Allowance is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 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 application for CA was received from the person concerned on 19 May 2023. It is a condition for receipt of CA that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 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. The person concerned has been in receipt of half-rate CA since 27 August 2015 as they were also in receipt of a primary...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (20 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to illness or disability. Entitlement to these supports is generally not contingent on the nature of the illness but on the extent to which a particular illness impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work. My Department does not distinguish in relation to illnesses....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (20 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The EmployAbility Service is an is an employment and recruitment service that helps people who have a disability, an injury or and an illness to get and to keep a job. The service is delivered under contract by 23 EmployAbility Service Providers on behalf of my Department. These contractors include EmployAbility Service West Cork and Employability Service Cork, who between them provide a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (20 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 Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As of end of August 2023 there were 160,585 recipients of Disability Allowance and 499,108 recipients of State Pension (Contributory). The total expenditure for these schemes in August 2023 was €193 million for Disability Allowance and €521 million for State pension (Contributory).

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 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 on the 14th August 2023. It...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 Sep 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 and the Disability Awareness Support Scheme. It is important to note that these grants are demand led, i.e. the overall value of the grants issued each year rises or falls in response to the number and value of the grants...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (20 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; property (except their own...