Results 5,561-5,580 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: In late 2022, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) commenced a cross-government review of legislation regarding dogs. Minister Mc Conalogue and I held a meeting in early January and asked officials to convene a working group on the issue. The working group comprised a range of stakeholders including representatives of Local Authority Vets, Dog Wardens, the CCMA and An...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the customer’s own resources,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme which is the safety net within the overall social welfare system, helps eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jun 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 30...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) is a means-tested payment made to people who are unemployed and seeking full-time work, who do not qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit. Amongst other qualifying conditions a person must be available for full-time work and be genuinely seeking work. According to the records of my Department, the person concerned was paid JA at the full personal rate up to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As of the 4th June 2023, there were 29,494 people on the Live Register continuously in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance or Jobseeker's Benefit with a commencement date prior to 1st January 2020. Of these 6,121 are casual jobseekers, while 27 individuals are also in receipt of Disablement Benefit or Blind Pension. These claims are inclusive of periods where pay may have been suspended for a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 797 and 814 together. The Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment made to carers who get Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance. It can also be paid to certain other carers providing full-time care. The number of individuals who received a Carer's Support Grant payment each year 2016 to 2023 (year to date) is shown in Table...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 798 and 799 together. The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned requested a review of their increase for a qualified adult in March 2023. It had been in payment from 18 May 2018. An increase for a qualified adult is a means-tested payment, payable to a claimant whose spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is being wholly or mainly maintained by them, and where that qualified adult’s personal means from any source does not exceed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 801 to 803, inclusive, together. As of the 4th June 2023, there were 13,418 recipients of Jobseeker's Allowance aged under 25. Of these, 680 were in receipt of the weekly rate of €220, 10,025 were in receipt of the weekly rate of €129.70 and 2,713 were in receipt of a weekly rate other than €220 or €129.70.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The purpose of the Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) is to assist people with essential expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their available resources. The ENP scheme is demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. To qualify for Working Family Payment, the customer must be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment and have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them. The person concerned ceased employment in October 2022...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Last September, I announced the largest social protection budget in the history of the State, providing more than €2.2 million in supports. This was in recognition of the pressures facing households due to the increasing cost of living. In addition to the substantial package of supports provided as part of the budget, in February I announced a further €410 million spring bonus...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Jun 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. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. To qualify for Working Family Payment, the customer must be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment and have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them. The Cost of Living payment is payable to customers who...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The delivery of crucial and locally based community welfare services to meet the challenges and the needs of citizens in Cavan and across the country is a priority for me and for my Department. A Community Welfare Officer (CWO) is available to meet with citizens from Cavan during business hours Monday to Friday at Cavan Intreo Centre and also by appointment at Ballyconnell Branch Office. If...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment for a child with a severe disability. The payment is not based on the type of disability. It is based on the impact of the disability. The number of claims registered and claims rejected for Domiciliary Care Allowance in each of the last ten years are shown in Table 1 below. The number of appeals for Domiciliary Care Allowance in each of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Communications (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested is not readily available. My Department is in the process of working with agencies to collect and collate the data in question and will revert with a reply directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (13 Jun 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Department has not published a formal anti-racism policy; neither have the Citizens Information Board or the Pensions Authority, both of which operate under the aegis of my Department. However, the Department has published a Customer Charter which can be accessed at gov.ie - Customer Charter and Customer Action Plan (www.gov.ie). The Citizens Information Board has published a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Jun 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. It is a...