Results 7,061-7,080 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: I cannot be across every Department.

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

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The child maintenance review group was established in 2020 to prepare a report on the current treatment within the Department of Social Protection of child maintenance payments, the current provisions relating to the liable relatives regarding child maintenance and the establishment of a child maintenance agency. The Government accepted the group's...

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

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The community welfare service is committed to providing a quality service to all citizens, ensuring applications are processed and decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. The purpose of an additional needs payment is to assist with essential once-off expenditure which people could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their...

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

Heather Humphreys: As we all know, CWOs do everything they can to help people. We absolutely value them and the delivery of this service is a priority for me and for my Department. I want to ensure people can get support when they are in need. That is why we had the major communications campaign to raise awareness of the availability of the additional needs payment. In 2022 97,000 applications were made. A...

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

Heather Humphreys: We have provided additional staff for the service. There are currently 412 people across all grades in the community welfare service. In light of the increased level of applications and as part of the budget, we have secured agreement for approximately 74 additional staff to be assigned to the community welfare service. Recruitment has commenced for these additional staff and it is...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Government recognises the important role family carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to supporting them through a range of payments and services. For this reason, the annual carer's support grant, which is paid in respect of each care recipient, is not means-tested and is not taxable. The grant is currently paid at a rate of €1,850 per year, which is the highest...

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

Heather Humphreys: Castlepollard Branch Office closed on 8 April 2022 at the request of the then Branch Office Manager due to unforeseen circumstances. No formal decision has yet been taken as to the opening of a new Social Welfare Branch Office dedicated to Castlepollard. Since the closure, an outreach service has been put in place in the County Council Offices, Mullingar Road, Castlepollard on Tuesday and...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Treatment Benefit scheme is available to insured workers, the self-employed and retired people who have the required number of PRSI contributions. It is also available to their dependent spouse or partner if applicable. Those who are eligible can avail of dental, optical and hearing services under the scheme. Some €120 million was spent on the scheme in 2022 and the estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reviews (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. There are over one million customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2023 is €95 million. It is important to note that, in general, access to a free travel pass for those aged under 66 is a secondary benefit linked to...

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

Heather Humphreys: Under the social security arrangements between Ireland and the United Kingdom, the respective authorities exchange social insurance record details for pension entitlement assessment purposes. State Pension (Contributory) applications are examined to establish entitlement based on a person’s Irish contribution record. If a person does not qualify for the pension or qualifies for a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Poverty (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: A key priority for this Government is the reduction of all forms of poverty, and particularly child poverty.Budget 2023 provided a social welfare package worth almost €2.2 billion which included a range of measures to support children. This included a double payment of Child Benefit to all families, a €500 cost of living lump sum payment to all families in receipt of the...

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

Heather Humphreys: I fully recognise the challenges the increased the cost of living has brought to many people and families. That is why, in September, I announced the largest social protection Budget package in the history of the State - comprising measures worth almost €2.2 billion. This included eight separate cost of living lump sum payments throughout October, November and December to ease the...

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

Heather Humphreys: Social Welfare Inspectors are appointed in accordance with the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. Their duties include the investigation and ongoing review of claims made by customers for the various schemes administered by my Department and ensuring that employers are compliant with their PRSI obligations. Social Welfare Inspectors support a range of the Department's activities and...

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

Heather Humphreys: Illness benefit is the primary income support provided by this Department to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type and who are covered by Pay Related Social Insurance contributions. Claimants must have a minimum of 104 social insurance contributions and must meet other conditions in relation to when these were paid and whether they are paid or credited contributions. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 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. 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...

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

Heather Humphreys: Age related reduced rates for young Jobseekers allowance recipients were introduced in 2009 to address the issue of high youth unemployment by incentivising them to participate in employment, education and training programmes. In Budget 2023, I announced an increase of all core social welfare payments by €12 per week including the age related Jobseeker's Allowance rate which has also...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 73 private transport operators. There are approximately 1,056,000...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 31 together. I fully recognise the challenges that the increased the cost of living has brought to many people and families. That is why, in September, I announced the largest ever Social Protection Budget package in the history of the State - comprising measures worth almost €2.2 billion. This included eight separate cost of living lump sum...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25, 40 and 42 together. The Community Welfare Service (CWS) is committed to providing a quality service to all citizens, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. There are no backlogs and work on hand is within the schemes normal processing levels. Complete applications are finalised within 2...

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

Heather Humphreys: As part of the overall social welfare Budget 2023 package of €2.2 billion, I was pleased to secure a major expansion of the Fuel Allowance scheme, expected to benefit up to 81,000 additional households during this fuel allowance season. The budget measures, of most benefit to those over age 70, are effective from January 2023. Since the budget announcement, my officials have put...