Results 5,781-5,800 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: This Government acknowledges the important contribution that carers provide and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current State Pension (Contributory) system gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workplace, often to raise families or to provide another full-time caring role. PRSI...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I was pleased that Budget 2023 included a social welfare package worth almost €2.2 billion. I am very mindful that lone parents are a group at risk of poverty and for that reason I was particularly pleased to provide a number of measures in Budget 2023, which benefit lone parents. The One-Parent Family Payment rate increased by €12, from €208 to €220 per week from...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has committed under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion to develop and consult on a Strawman proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments. The Strawman also intends to simplify the system and take account of the concerns expressed in the Make Work Pay report, the Pathways to Work report and the findings of the Cost of Disability Report. Work on the Strawman is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Child Benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child Benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16 and 17, if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves. The additional lump sum payment of €100 per child will be paid in June subject to the necessary legislation being...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Farm Assist is a means-tested payment for low-income farmers. To qualify, you must be a farmer in the State, aged between 18 and 66, and satisfy a means test. The number of individuals in receipt of Farm Assist on the 31st December in the years 2016 to 2019 were 7,828, 7,234, 6,535 and 5,971 respectively. The number of recipients at the end of each year from 2020 to 2022 stood at 5,511,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Department's disability-related schemes have been structured to support recipients to pursue employment opportunities, be that self-employment or insurable employment. We have a number of employment supports available. The Partial Capacity Benefit scheme allows a person who is in receipt of Invalidity Pension or Illness Benefit to enter or return to employment or self-employment and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (23 May 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 table below provides the number of appeals in respect of means tested payments received in the period January to April in each...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (23 May 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 number of appeals received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office per month since the start of 2021 is set out in the table below....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 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: State Pensions (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103, 110, 126 and 132 together. This Government acknowledges the important contribution that carers provide and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current State Pension (Contributory) system gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workplace, often to raise...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: “Pathways to Work” is the Government’s national employment strategy, which aims to encourage job creation and reduce long-term unemployment and social welfare dependence. This strategy sets out the Governments priority to provide employment supports and access to employment opportunities to assist with tackling long-term unemployment. This strategy is working, with the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Jobseeker's Allowance is a means-tested payment made to people who are unemployed and who do not qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Benefit for the Self-Employed, or whose entitlement to these schemes has expired. It is also available to those who do qualify for these schemes but choose to claim optional Jobseeker's Allowance instead. The number of recipients of Jobseeker's...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Cost of Living Issues (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Since March last year, my Department has responded to the increase in the cost of living by providing a range of unprecedented supports to protect people and families. These supports include double payment weeks in October and December, payment rate increases from January and a wide range of lump sum payments. The latest lump sum payment was paid last month to 1.3 million primary recipients...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 - 2025 is a whole of Government strategy that has the ambitious target to reduce the national consistent poverty rate to 2% or less of the population and make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive member states in the EU. The Roadmap translates this ambition into seven goals underpinned by 66 unique commitments to help deliver these goals. These...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The School Meals Programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,600 schools and organisations benefitting 260,000 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: School Transport (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: In my capacity as Minister for Social Protection, I have not had any engagement with the Minister for Education on the matter of school transport.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reports (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Officials in my Department have been collating material for the 2022 Annual Report and are currently finalising the design and content. The intention is to publish the report by the end of June. I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Most weekly social welfare payments include an additional payment known as an Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) in respect of each qualified child up to age 18. This is extended to encompass older school or college going children up to age 22 under certain circumstances. This increase provides targeted assistance that is directly linked with household income and family-size to support...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection, through its nationwide network of Intreo centres, provides a case managed employment service for jobseekers with disabilities. The person works with a case officer with a view to agreeing a suitable personal progression plan in order to access the full range of employment supports available. The Department recognises the additional challenges that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Since Spring 2022, my Department has administered a wide range of lump sum cost of living supports targeted at people and families to help them through this difficult period. These were paid out across 2022 - in March, May, October through December, and in April 2023, with further supports to be paid in the coming months. The full list of cost of living lump sum supports provided by my...