Results 5,321-5,340 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 11 July 2007. Social welfare legislation at that time stipulated that a minimum of 260 full-rate paid contributions were required to qualify for standard State pension (contributory) for people reaching age 66 - equating to 5 years of full-rate insurable employment. According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (4 Jul 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 397 and 398 together. Firstly, as I acknowledged during the Second Stage debate on the Pensions (Amendment) (Transparency in Charges) Bill 2021, it is recognised that improved pension costs transparency and better outcomes for pension savers are always desirable. The availability of comprehensive and transparent information on costs and charges is important...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Household Benefits Package comprises of an electricity or gas allowance, and a free television licence. Only one Household Benefits Package is payable per household. The payment is made on a monthly basis. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare payment, or who satisfy a means test. The package...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (4 Jul 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension is a weekly payment to the husband, wife or civil partner of a deceased person. This payment was formerly called the Widow's/Widower's (Contributory) Pension. The person in question may automatically qualify for a Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension if their late spouse was in receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (4 Jul 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. My Department periodically...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (4 Jul 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. My Department periodically...

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

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over who have a legal right of residence and habitually reside in the state, and who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or only qualify for a reduced-rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. All recipients of disability allowance are informed, in writing, three months in...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Household Benefits Package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. My Department will spend approximately €285 million this year on HHB for over 511,000 customers. People over the age of 70 receive the HHB package, with one package provided per household. The package is also available to people living in the State aged 66-69 years who...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Government is acutely aware of the effect that high energy prices and the cost of living are having on families, businesses and the most vulnerable. In addition to the substantial package of supports provided in Budget 2023, earlier this year the Government announced a €470 million package of measures to help social protection recipients including families, pensioners, carers and...

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

Heather Humphreys: Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme supporting 8,861 active recipients at the end of May 2023. The scheme provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (4 Jul 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Community centres are the cornerstone of community life in many towns, villages and urban areas around the country. This Government recognises the important role they play in community life in Ireland, bringing people together and engaging with those who may be marginalised or disadvantaged. With this in mind, my Department has put in place an integrated programme of supports for the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Animal Welfare (4 Jul 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Rural and Community Development has policy responsibility for the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. The Act provides a regulatory framework for the licensing, monitoring and inspection of dog breeding establishments by local authorities and, where a serious and immediate threat exists to public health or animal health and welfare, for the closure of such establishments....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Sports Funding (4 Jul 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department was founded in 2017 with a mission to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. To this end, there are numerous grant schemes administered by my Department with the support of third parties such as Local Authorities and Local Development Companies. Further information on funding schemes can be found...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (4 Jul 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department operates the Leader Programme, the CLÁR Programme and the Community Enhancement Programme which have provided funding for playgrounds previously. The Leader Programme is a multi-annual funding stream under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and is administered by a LEADER Local Action Group in each Local Authority area. The CLÁR Programme and Community...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Harbours and Piers (4 Jul 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, Mayo County Council is the responsible authority for the maintenance and development of pier infrastructure such as Roonagh Pier. An allocation of €45,000 or 90% of the cost was sanctioned by my Department in 2021 for the study referred to. Officials from my Department have met with the Local Authority on a number of occasions to discuss its progress. I...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Men's Sheds (4 Jul 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 738 and 739 together. My Department provides a range of supports which are available to Men's Sheds, depending on the works being completed. Last November, I was delighted to announce funding of €800,000 to support Men’s Sheds throughout the country with running costs, such as electricity and insurance bills. The individual grants were...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (4 Jul 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development launched in 2021, which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. The programme is based on a community-led approach to rural development and plays an important role in supporting communities and enterprises in progressing job...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (29 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 313 and 319 together. The Review Group for the Gender Recognition Act recommended in its report extending legal gender recognition to non-binary people, while also recognising the complexity of the issue and acknowledging that a comprehensive impact analysis may be required. An interdepartmental group was established to carry out this impact assessment and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Consultations (29 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Consultancy is defined by the Department of Finance as where a person or organisation provides intellectual or knowledge based services (e.g. expert analysis and advice) through delivering reports, studies, assessments, recommendations, proposals, etc. that contribute to decision making or policy development. All consultancy related payments in my Department are made from the consultancy...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Person Concerned submitted an application for Jobseekers Allowance on 15/5/2023 on which they stated that they were a full time student. The Person Concerned was issued with a disallowance letter on 18/5/2023 on the grounds that they were a full time student. The Person Concerned appealed this decision on the 24/5/2023 and following a review the decision was upheld and the appeal was...