Results 6,941-6,960 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: A change in the rules and regulations governing the Illness Benefit scheme in 2009 included the introduction of a limit on the period for which Illness Benefit can be paid. Subject to the level of relevant PRSI contributions paid, Illness Benefit is now only payable for a maximum period of 2 years. Where a person exhausts their entitlement to a payment of Illness Benefit and is expected to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (21 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 18...

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 time taken to process an appeal reflects a number of factors including that the appeals process is a quasi-judicial process with Appeals Officers being required to...

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

Heather Humphreys: For the purpose of this response, I have interpretedadvertising and promotion spendas advertising costs incurred as a result of public information campaigns, vacancy notices and other announcements. My Department administers over 90 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. The Department is committed to ensuring that members of the public are...

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

Heather Humphreys: There are elements of communications to most roles in my Department, given the millions of individual interactions every year between the staff of the Department and the people they serve. The Unit whose function relates to supporting corporate communications in my Department is the Communications and Press Office. This includes several cross functional teams which are responsible for a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (21 Feb 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. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the customer’s own resources, and which...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (21 Feb 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 the Department received an application for Carer's Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 1 November...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 487 and 492 together. On Budget Day last September, I announced the largest Social Protection package in the history of the state. A package that has seen the Government spend more than €2.1 billion on Social Protection measures, including over €880 million in order to provide for a €12 increase to the weekly rate of social welfare...

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

Heather Humphreys: Under social welfare legislation, the date of entry into insurance is the date a person becomes an insured person and enters employment for which a social insurance contribution is payable, once they are 16 years of age. This contribution can be paid at the full, modified or self-employed social insurance rate. PRSI for self-employed was introduced from 6 April 1988. Under social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (21 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. My Department received correspondence from the person concerned on 18 January 2023,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (21 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, a means test and Habitual Residency conditions. Income from Rent-a-Room relief is not assessable as means for Disability Allowance. A...

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department places the highest priority on ensuring that those arriving in Ireland having fled the terrible war in Ukraine are given the supports and services they need. My Department plays a key role in the Citywest Reception Centre. Officials from my Department together with officials from the Department of Justice and Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Legal Cases (21 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: From 1st February 2012 to date, there were 30 cases under the Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2021 or Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2018 where my Department was the respondent. Of these, there were three cases where the Equality Officer/Adjudication Officer of the Workplace Relations Commission (or previously the Equality Tribunal) found against the Department. Discriminatory...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme, or LIS, supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities. As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded into the future. The Scheme was reintroduced by my Department in 2017 following a number of years with no dedicated funding. I am committed to improving...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities. As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded into the future. The Scheme was reintroduced by my Department in 2017 following a number of years with no dedicated funding. I am committed to improving...

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

Heather Humphreys: Since the CLÁR programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported a wide range of measures, and funding of over €57 million has been approved for almost 2,100 projects. The programme supports the sustainable development of designated areas which have suffered significant levels of depopulation in the past, with the aim of encouraging people to continue to live and work in those...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Irish Sign Language (21 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Rural and Community Developmentwas established on 19thJuly 2017 to provide a renewed and consolidated focus on rural and community development in Ireland. My Department is strongly committed to meeting our obligations under the Irish Sign Language Act 2017. The Department recognises Irish Sign Language and the right of the Irish Sign Language community to use, preserve and...

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

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm to the Deputy that there was no funding or grant aid suspended by my Department, or by the agencies under the Department's remit, to NGOs, as a result of failure to file accounts or concerns in respect of their governance over the period in question.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Advertising (21 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below. - 2022 Jan-23 TOTAL Department of Rural and Community Development €53,332.15 €0 €53,332.15 Western Development Commission €352,269 €5,643 €357,912.44 Pobal ...