Results 6,901-6,920 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Appointments to State Boards (22 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council and the Social Welfare Tribunal. Three (3) retired civil servants have served on the Board of the Citizens Information Board during the period in question following a competitive process run by the Public Appointments Service (PAS).All of these were...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Lobbying Reform (22 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: There are two senior staff members in the Department of Social Protection who are also on the Boards of bodies registered for lobbying purposes under the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015. The staff members sit on the Boards in a personal capacity. The bodies in question engage in education and sporting activities and are not related to the functions of the Department of Social Protection....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (22 Feb 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 Staff (22 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Details of the turnover of staff in the Department of Rural and Community Development for each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 and the percentage of total staff which this represents, which includes staff leaving on promotion, mobility, transfers and secondments, is provided below in tabular form. Year Staff Exits % of Total 2020 16 ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (22 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) is funded by my Department under Our Rural Future. The Scheme is central to Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, the new National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023 - 2027 which is set to shape the future of outdoor recreation over the next five years. ORIS fundsnew outdoor recreational infrastructure as well as providing for the necessary...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (22 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: On the 24th January 2023 I launched the Community Recognition Fund which aims to support the development of community infrastructure and facilities in recognition of the contribution being made by communities across the country in welcoming and hosting significant numbers of arrivals from Ukraine and other countries. The funding is specifically targeted at projects that are located in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Appointments to State Boards (22 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 and 267 together. The Deputy will be aware that there are four agencies under the remit of my Department - the Charities Regulator, Pobal, Water Safety Ireland and the Western Development Commission. Since my Department's establishment in 2017, there has been one retired public servant appointed to the board of the Charities Regulator (2022) and one...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Birth Certificates (21 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The requirements for birth registration are set out in Part 3 of the Civil Registration Act 2004, and are underpinned by Section 46 of the Status of Children Act 1987 which sets out that the husband of a marriage is presumed to be the father of the child where the mother is or was married at any time during the 10 months immediately preceding the birth. For those mothers who have not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports to those who cannot work due to illness or disability. It is important to note that eligibility for these payments is generally not dependent on the type of the illness or disability but on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work. Occupational Injuries Benefit is an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (21 Feb 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 an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 25 January 2023. It is a statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (21 Feb 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 an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 6 December 2022. It is a statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (21 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: This Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Subject to the standard qualifying conditions for State Pension (Contributory) also being satisfied, the State pension system provides 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: Pension Provisions (21 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520 full-rate paid contributions in order to qualify for standard State pension (contributory). 520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of full-rate insurable employment. In January 2018, the Government agreed a new “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA) for State pension (contributory) which can include up...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (21 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The current State Pension (Contributory) system gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period outside the paid workforce, often to raise families or to provide another full-time caring role. Applicants for the State Pension (Contributory) have their entitlement assessed under two separate criteria, receiving a payment based on which method is most...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Transport Costs (21 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: An application form for Under 70 Companion Free Travel has issued to the person concerned. On receipt of the completed application, their entitlement will be examined. The person will be notified, in writing, of the outcome. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (21 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: An application form for the Household Benefits Package has issued to the person concerned. On receipt of a completed application form, their entitlement will be examined. Alternatively, the person can easily and quickly apply for the Household Benefits Package online using the MyWelfare.ie application service if they have, or set up, a verified MyGovID account. The person will be notified in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Poverty (21 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: An application form for Fuel Allowance has issued to the person concerned. On receipt of a completed application form, their entitlement will be examined. Alternatively, the person can easily and quickly apply for the payment online using the MyWelfare.ie application service if they have, or set up, a verified MyGovID account. The person will be notified in writing of the outcome of their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (21 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The purpose of the Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) is to assist people with essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The ENP scheme is demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (21 Feb 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 there is currently no open appeal for the person concerned held by that Office. In order to make an appeal the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (21 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned has been awarded Fuel Allowance from 6th January 2023. Their first payment, including arrears backdated to 6th January, will be available for collection in their nominated post office on Friday, 24th February. They were notified in writing of this decision on 16 February 2023. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.