Results 7,081-7,100 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: Farm Assist is a statutory income support specifically for farmers on low-incomes. There are approximately 4,400 claims in payment at present. Government has provided €49.4 million for the scheme for 2023. I significantly expanded the list of agri-environmental schemes that attract a disregard for Farm Assist, from June 2022. In addition, I announced an increase in the amount of...

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

Heather Humphreys: As of the end of January, the Live Register, which consists of Jobseeker’s Allowance, Jobseeker’s Benefit and Credits, stood at around 184,700. This figure includes around 22,900 Beneficiaries of the Temporary Protection Directive for Ukraine. Excluding these, the Live Register stands at around 161,900, which is markedly lower than the corresponding pre-pandemic level of...

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

Heather Humphreys: I am aware of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) paper on ‘The Position of the Self-Employed’ which was published in November 2020. I note that the paper considers a number of issues concerning self-employed workers, and groups these into the four policy areas of: the social insurance contributions made by self-employed workers; the social protection supports...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 35 together. This Government acknowledges the important contribution that carers provide and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current State Pension (Contributory) system gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workforce, often to raise families or...

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: School Meals Programme (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34, 36, 47 and 53 together. The School Meals Programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,600 schools and organisations benefitting 260,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The School Meals Programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,600 schools and organisations benefitting 260,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be aware that the General Register Office examined the arrangements for registration of stillbirths following receipt of recommendations from the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive on updating the criteria to be applied and in response to representations made by representative groups of parents. I have indicated that changes will be included in a...

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 assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the customer’s own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary. 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...

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 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. 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 Code (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the important 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 role of my department is to provide income supports where there is an income need. The main income supports to carers provided by my department are...

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 assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the customer’s own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary. 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...

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: Departmental Reviews (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Government recognises the important role that family carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to supporting them through a range of payments and services. Means tests in my Department are kept under regular review and a number of significant changes have been made in recent years. In particular, I have introduced a number of changes to means testing which provide for higher...

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

Heather Humphreys: It is understood from clarification received from the Deputy, that the question refers to the "Options Paper to Resolve the 'Step Effects' Relating to the Employee and Employer PRSI Thresholds". Officials in my Department have developed initial draft proposals to address these PRSI 'Step Effect' issues; however as there are wider implications beyond Social Protection on this matter,...

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: Flexible Work Practices (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As at end December 2022, the number of staff from my Department working remotely on a permanent basis is zero. This is because the Department operates an annual application process for blended working arrangements. The number of staff working a combination of a primary Department of Social Protection (DSP) office location and their home location is 3,924; the number working from a remote hub...

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

Heather Humphreys: The main income supports to carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending in 2023 is expected to amount to almost €1.6 billion on these payments. As part of Budget 2022, I introduced significant improvements to the means test for Carer's Allowance. These were the first...

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. The targets for each scheme are agreed by Management Board in consultation with the relevant scheme areas. In setting the individual scheme targets consideration is taken of the complexity of the schemes...