Results 7,041-7,060 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Payments (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: We have increased staff numbers. There are 74 additional staff to be assigned to the community welfare service. In the interim, we assigned 30 social welfare inspectors to the service to make sure claims were dealt with speedily. There is no backlog and we are down to two weeks. That is fair. Though online applications do not apply to the case the Deputy spoke about, I was pleased to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Payments (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The CWS is committed to providing a quality service to all citizens, ensuring applications are processed and decisions on entitlement are made quickly. There are no backlogs at present and work on hand is within the scheme's normal processing levels. Complete applications are mostly finalised within two weeks and there is less than two weeks'...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Payments (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: If an application is made and all the information is provided, the answer is provided within two weeks. There will sometimes be cases where all the information is not provided and it takes longer. If the Deputy gives me the specific case, I am happy to have it looked into. Specific cases are what I need. Sometimes when all the information comes to hand, it might not be what it...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Welfare Services (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: We have increased the number of staff. There is a full-time community welfare officer present in more than 50 Intreo offices nationwide, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. I accept there can be some very complex cases but the majority, 80% of cases, are processed in a short time. That is an indication of the service we are providing. There may be some complex cases. I am happy to look...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Offices (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has a network of more than 120 Intreo centres and social welfare branch offices throughout the country which are open to customers five days per week during business hours. My Department does not currently have a specific mobile unit available in which to meet with customers, and the requirement for such has not been currently identified. We do, from time to time, make...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Offices (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I asked my officials who told me that, if someone needs a public services card, PSC, staff from the Department of Social Protection will go out. They have a camera so that they can take the photographs. That can be arranged. I am sorry the lady was disturbed over Christmas. I am happy to check out that particular case for the Deputy. I can only say that it is not nice if you do not have...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Offices (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Yes.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Offices (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I will get the specific details. I will get someone from my office to contact the Deputy to trawl through that so that it does not happen again. It is not our intention. It is possible to ring up and get an appointment with a community welfare officer who will visit the house if a person is incapacitated and cannot travel. I can give that commitment because it does happen. On the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Payments (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The community welfare service, CWS, is committed to providing a quality service to all citizens, ensuring applications are processed and decisions on entitlement are made quickly. There are no backlogs at present and work on hand is within the scheme's normal processing levels. Complete applications are finalised within two weeks and there is less than two weeks' work in process....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: There are other issues as well, as we know, such as the hot school meals programme, one support that is making a significant difference in children's lives in terms of food poverty. I visited a school in Inchicore yesterday and attended an event to encourage children to grow their own. It related to Tidy Towns, which we were promoting in the school. I asked the principal whether the school...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My point is that just over two years, there were 30 schools in the programme, whereas 500 schools now get hot school meals, which is making a significant difference to children's lives. It is better for their educational attainment and, as the principal said, it makes such a difference to the children. I want to see it expanded because it is a great scheme. I assure the Deputy the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Welfare Services (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Community welfare officers are physically on site daily in more than 50 Intreo centres, where they are available to be seen without an appointment during business hours Monday to Friday. In addition to meeting citizens in the Intreo centres, branch offices and Department of Social Protection offices, community welfare officers can facilitate an appointment within a short time after someone...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Welfare Services (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: If the Deputy wants to give me those details, I will follow up on them and find exactly what the case was. There have been other incidents where people have come forward with details, and when I looked them up, I discovered they were somewhat different from what was initially anticipated. While I fully accept the bona fides of the cases the Deputy raised, I would like to look into them to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Code (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The reforms will necessitate changes to some of my Department's systems, application forms and processes. I must make amendments to primary and secondary legislation. I am doing it on an administrative basis regarding the liable relative and the need to show proof you are seeking maintenance. The Department needs to distinguish between child and spousal maintenance, something which is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Code (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As I said, we are working on it and will bring it in as soon as possible. I cannot give a timeframe at the minute because there is a bit of work to be done on it. The Deputy asked me about the child maintenance agency. There was no consensus among the group regarding the establishment of a child maintenance agency. Even among members of the group who supported the establishment of such...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Government is committed to the reduction of all forms of poverty, particularly, child poverty, as outlined in the programme for Government and the roadmap for social inclusion 2020 to 2025. Poverty is multidimensional and requires a whole-of-government approach. While income supports are important, access to affordable services such as housing, health, childcare and education are also...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: You forget that though.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As I said, since 2011, the number of children in consistent poverty has fallen by 45,000 to 62,000 in 2021 and the consistent poverty rate has fallen to 5.2%. I am not disputing that we need to do more but we were making progress. However, we were suddenly faced with a cost-of-living crisis. The Deputy can appreciate that we now need to focus on that. This crisis has had an impact and we...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Sherlock. I know the case he has raised with me, and I understand the point he is making. From a social protection perspective, income is income and means tests are based on income. As I said, we are going to do a review of all the means tests because some, in terms of capital, are around €20,000, a figure that has not been changed in a long time. I expect to be in a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As I said, the review of means testing will look at everything. It is income. It is like the SUSI grant, where parents work extremely hard all of the hours God sends them in preparation to send a child to college. Suddenly the parent is assessed on the previous year's income, which they had worked so hard to get. Unfortunately, when we have means testing there will be cut-off points. In...