Results 641-660 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: There is a process.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy rightly says, the Planning and Development Bill will voted upon in the Dáil tonight. This is after 170 hours of debate. The Bill is hugely significant and has been under work for years. It is vital in terms of streamlining our planning process. I think everybody will accept that. As the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has said, and I agree with him, the Bill will be...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy McDonald for raising this issue. I welcome the families from County Monaghan who have travelled here today. I did not know they were coming, but I spoke to one of the representatives last night. Special education is a key priority for this Government. It has been underpinned by over a quarter of the entire education budget. For 2025, €2.9 billion will be spent on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical, aural and hair replacement products and services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependent spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions. The Department has commenced a review of the Optical Benefit scheme including examination payments claimed by opticians and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who pursue full-time courses of education at further or higher level. The focus of the scheme is to assist people improve their qualifications and as a result improve their access to sustainable employment. The Government has provided €35.7 million for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 25 May 2024. An application for State Pension (contributory) was received on 21 February 2024. In general, public servants who joined prior to 6 April 1995 paid modified contributions which are not reckonable for the standard state pension (contributory). However, such employees generally have an occupational pension, the level of which is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel Allowance is available to persons in receipt of long-term Social Welfare payments, who satisfy a means condition and who are living alone or who only with the persons who come within certain categories. Fuel Allowance is not payable where a household member is in receipt of certain non-qualifying payments from my Department. An application for Fuel Allowance was received from the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (9 Oct 2024)

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 referred to an Appeals Officer on 3rd...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (9 Oct 2024)

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 Appeals (9 Oct 2024)

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 evidence,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Primary weekly social welfare payments are intended to enable recipients to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. In addition to these primary payments, my Department also provides a range of other secondary payments, such as an Increase for a qualified adult (IQA) and the living alone increase (LAI). The LAI is paid to persons in receipt of a primary payment from my Department and who...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: At the end of September 2024, there were 134,725 recipients of the Carer's Support Grant. Of these, 95,440 were in receipt of Carer's Allowance, 3,680 were in receipt of Carer's Benefit and 56,369 were in receipt of Domiciliary Care Allowance. 6,741 individuals were in receipt of Carer's Support Grant and were not receiving any of the other three payments.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: A person in receipt of certain social welfare payments who is providing full time care and attention to another person may retain their payment, and receive a half-rate Carer's Allowance payment as well. At the end of September 2024, there were 97,257 recipients of Carer's Allowance. Of these, 51,467 were in receipt of a full-rate payment and 45,790 were in receipt of a half-rate...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Oct 2024)

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 and 18 if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves. The table below outlines Child Benefit payable to children residing outside the state from 2018 to 2023, the country...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 19th birthday where they are in full-time education or have a disability. Child Benefit is paid at €140 per month. Twins are paid at one and a half times the standard monthly rate for each child, that is, €210 per...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Living Alone Increase (LAI) is a supplement of €22 per week to persons who are in receipt of a primary social protection payment who are living alone. The person concerned applied for the LAI on 19 August 2023. They were notified on 2 September 2023 that they were not eligible 3for this increase as they did not reside alone. I have arranged for a form to issue to the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Oct 2024)

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 there is no record of a Disability Allowance appeal by the person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Oct 2024)

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 €382 million in 2024. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household. As part of Budget 2025, I was delighted to announce a number of measures in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The main income supports to carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending on these payments is expected to amount to over €1.7 billion this year. The Carer’s Allowance is the main scheme by which the Department provides income support to carers in the community....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Poverty (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Firstly, I would again like to commend the Joint Committee on their excellent report and thank the members for their work on behalf of the committee. As pointed out in the report, energy poverty is indeed a complex issue and is of concern for Government. High energy costs, low household incomes, and energy-inefficient housing all contribute to households suffering from the impact of...