Results 5,921-5,940 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (18 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Benefit Payment for 65 year olds is a payment for people aged 65 who have ceased employment or self-employment and who satisfy the pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. At the end of April 2023, there were 4,076 recipients of Benefit Payment for 65 year olds. The estimated full year cost in 2023 will be circa €51.4 million.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (18 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing the weekly payment rate for Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit to €325 per week is shown in the table below. Scheme Cost (€m) Carer’s Allowance 297.5 Carer’s Benefit 15.6 Total 313.1 These costings are based...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (18 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full-year cost of providing an additional €10 per week payment to all recipients of disability-related social welfare payments is €150.9m as shown in the table below: Scheme Cost (€m) Disability Allowance 87.4 Illness Benefit 27.1 Invalidity Pension 31.3 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 May 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 My Department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 2 December...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet essential expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. An ANP application can be made for assistance with funeral and burial expenses where there is an inability to pay these costs, in part or in full, by the family of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: One-Parent Family Payment (OPFP) is a payment for parents under 66 years who are parenting without the support of a partner and whose youngest child is under 7 years of age. A person’s eligibility to OPFP ceases when their youngest child turns 7. However they may qualify for other income supports including the Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST). This is a means tested...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 May 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. Once claims are in payment, the Department periodically reviews them to ensure that there is continued entitlement....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 May 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. I can advise the Deputy that separate applications for CA were received from the person concerned on 31 March 2023 and 3...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 May 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 on...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Data (18 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy was launched in early 2021. The policy recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025. In furtherance of this commitment, my Department’s focus to date has been on strategically...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (18 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I understand that ReACT is a research programme and forms part of the EU’s framework for the delivery of research and innovation programmes in the area of developing energy management and storage systems. I understand that a number of State bodies are involved with the programme, including the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), ESB Networks and Údarás na...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Policies (18 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future is the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in Ireland for decades. It commits to developing an effective rural proofing model to ensure the effects of significant new proposals on rural communities are fully considered, and better target the particular challenges and opportunities facing them. To advance this measure, my officials commissioned a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (18 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland's rural development policy 2021 - 2025, commits to investing significantly in remote working infrastructure to provide an opportunity for more people to live in rural communities while following their career ambitions. There are a number of measures in my Department which support the development of remote working hubs. The Town and Village Renewal Scheme was...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (18 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is currently finalising a new National Islands Policy. This policy will set out the Government's vision for supporting and sustaining our island communities. The responsibility for development of schools is within the remit of the Department of Education. That Department is represented on the Inter-Departmental Committee which has been overseeing...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (18 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) is part of a range of measures to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland. The programme is funded under Project Ireland 2040 as part of Our Rural Future, Ireland's Rural Development strategy. The Scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the local authorities. Since the introduction of the Scheme in 2016, over €149 million has...

Social Welfare (Child Benefit) Bill 2023: Second Stage (17 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I congratulate Deputy Ó Laoghaire on his new position as social protection spokesperson. I look forward to working with him. A few issues have been raised. On child maintenance, we accepted the group's recommendations regarding the social welfare system. We no longer assess child maintenance payments in the means test for social welfare...

Social Welfare (Child Benefit) Bill 2023: Second Stage (17 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Can it be taken now?

Social Welfare (Child Benefit) Bill 2023: Second Stage (17 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Maybe she thought it would take longer.

Social Welfare (Child Benefit) Bill 2023: Second Stage (17 May 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The purpose of this Bill is to give legislative effect to the payment in June of a bonus to recipients of child benefit. Just as the world emerged from the public health crisis caused by Covid-19, the war in Ukraine began. This, as well as the ensuing geopolitical instability, has caused an increase in inflation. The cost of living is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (17 May 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. Firstly, I understand the care recipient has passed away and my Department offers sincere condolences to the bereaved...