Results 6,641-6,660 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (21 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR Programme provides funding for small-scale projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. Since the programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported a wide range of measures. Although the the type of project referred to by the Deputy is technically eligible under the Programme, the town in question is not...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (21 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I am happy to confirm that under Our Rural Future there are a number of funding streams and supports available to community groups looking to develop or upgrade community recreational amenities. These include the CLÁR Programme, the Community Centres Investment Fund (CCIF), the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS), the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (21 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1620 and 1621 together. The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages and rural areas across Ireland. To date, 215 projects have been approved for funding of €395 million for projects costing €542 million. The Fund is central to achieving the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (21 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department recognises the vital role that community centres, play at the heart of each community in bringing people together, engaging with those who may be marginalised or disadvantaged, and building stronger, more coherent communities. Under Our Rural Future there are a number of avenues open to community groups to refurbish these buildings include the CLÁR Programme, the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (21 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is currently finalisng a new National Islands Policy. This policy will set out the Government's vision for supporting and sustaining our island communities. Officials from my Department have engaged with the authors of the report referred to by the Deputy in order to discuss their findings and recommendations. The recommendations are now being...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Mar 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 application for Carer's Allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 29 July 2022. It is a condition for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (9 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the insurability appeal of the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (9 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: There are a number of payments and pensions paid by my Department to people over State Pension Age. One of these is the State Pension (Contributory) (SPC), currently qualification for which is based on a number of criteria: - Be aged 66 or over. - Have entered the Social Insurance system before you turn 56 (i.e., you must have paid PRSI contributions 10 years before you reach State Pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Mar 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 508,000 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: State Pensions (9 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The person applied for a State Pension (contributory) on 24 January 2020. To be eligible for state pension (contributory) an individual must have entered insurable employment before attaining the age of 56 years and have at least 520 full-rate contributions. According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a total of 236 full-rate contributions. As the person...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (8 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As he knows, this Government is committed to rural Ireland. There has been unprecedented investment across the country in various ways. Local Link has been expanded to provide much-needed infrastructure and transport services for people living in rural Ireland. That is something I am obviously very conscious of as the Minister for Rural and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. To qualify, the carer must satisfy PRSI conditions; employment conditions; show that they are providing full-time care and attention; and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) is paid from late September to April. The Fuel Allowance for the person concerned was awarded from 17 February 2023. They were notified in writing on 4 March 2023. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned had an entitlement to a Free Travel Pass which was linked to their Disability Allowance payment. The entitlement of the person concerned to Disability Allowance ceased in February 2018 and they had commenced employment. Under my Department's Make Work Pay initiative, the person concerned was entitled to retain their entitlement to Free Travel for a period of 5 years...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (8 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 150, 151, 153 and 154 together. The Wage Subsidy Scheme is an employment support to private sector employers, the objective of which is to encourage employers to employ people with disabilities and thereby increase the numbers of people with disabilities obtaining and sustaining employment in the open labour market. To claim a wage subsidy, the private sector...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the exceptional needs payment scheme is administrative in nature and does not have a right of appeal to the Chief...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Mar 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 confirm that an application for CA was received from the person concerned on 13 October 2022. The application was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (8 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 157 together. Rent Supplement 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 available to them from any other source. The scheme ensures that those who were renting, but whose circumstances have changed due to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (8 Mar 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. The person concerned was assessed with an overpayment of Jobseeker’s Allowance of €153,702.20 and a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (8 Mar 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. Additional Needs Payments are demand led and made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order...