Results 661-680 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 24 July 2022. To date my department has not received an application for state pension (contributory). The person concerned was in receipt of the carers allowance and a qualified adult payment on their late partner's state pension (contributory). Both payments have now ceased. Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520...

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 an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence,...

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

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 8 July 2019. An application for state pension (contributory) (SPC) was received from them in April 2020. 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...

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 registered on the 30th September...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (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. The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Animal Welfare (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has overall policy responsibility for the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 and the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014. As the Deputy will be aware, animal welfare, including dog welfare, is under the remit of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). My Department is working with DAFM to co-ordinate efforts in the area of dog control across government, and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 229 together. A vital part of my Department's mission is to support vibrant and sustainable communities across this country. My Department provides targeted investment and supports in both rural and urban communities, which improves lives, enables rural regeneration, facilitates new working opportunities and fosters regional enterprise growth. This is...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Launched in 2022, the Town Centre First (TCF) Policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. TCF supports the Our Rural Future vision for a thriving rural Ireland by setting out a framework to facilitate and resource the regeneration of Irish towns to ensure they are vibrant, viable places to live, work,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (9 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I recently announced a ban on XL Bully type dogs in the interest of public safety following a number of recent horrific attacks. The ban will be implemented in the following two stages: Since October 1st 2024, new regulations have prohibited the importing, breeding, rehoming and selling of XL Bully type dogs. From February 1st 2025, it will be illegal to own an XL Bully type dog without a...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: This sounds like a Topical Issue.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In relation to my Department of Social Protection, I brought a memorandum to the Cabinet today to provide supports to householders who have been impacted and who do not have insurance to cover such events. The Minister, Deputy Burke, also brought a memorandum to the Cabinet on supports for businesses. Those are the supports we are putting in place. The Deputy is right that a scheme is in...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: No, he did not.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Budget 2025 (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department offers a wide range of supports aimed at decreasing the rate of unemployment among disabled people. Through our nationwide network of Intreo centres we provide a case managed employment service for jobseekers with disabilities. The person works with an Employment Personal Advisor with a view to agreeing a suitable personal progression plan in order to access the full range of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel scheme is available to people over 66 years and to people in receipt of certain social welfare payments who are under 66 years. From 29th July 2024, Free Travel is also available to persons from age 17 to 66 who are medically certified as unfit to drive for a period of at least 12 months. Free Travel recipients must be permanently resident in the State. The scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the valuable role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. The main income supports to carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Oct 2024)

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 to assist households with their energy costs. The threshold for the fuel allowance means test for those aged over 70 increased from January 2024 to €512 for a single person and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (8 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 Eligibility (8 Oct 2024)

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 or other personal and household resources. However, Additional Needs Payments are not generally intended to cover circumstances where responsibility rests with another Government Department or Agency. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Correspondence (8 Oct 2024)

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 have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them and be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment. The person made an application for Working Family...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Illness Benefit is a payment for people who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the pay-related social insurance contribution conditions. Illness Benefit is paid from Monday through to Saturday. There is no entitlement to receive payment on Sundays. Illness Benefit is paid for bank holidays with the exception of any public holiday that falls on a Sunday. With regards to...