Results 721-740 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: A person in receipt of certain social welfare payments who is providing full time care and attention to another person may retain their payment, and receive a half-rate Carer's Allowance payment as well. At the end of August 2024, there were 97,360 recipients of Carer's Allowance. Of these, 45,727 were in receipt of a half-rate payment.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 346 and 345 together. The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year. In order to qualify for Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Priorities (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The National Planning Framework (NPF) is the national plan for strategic planning and sustainable development of our urban and rural areas to 2040, with the core objectives of securing balanced regional development and a sustainable ‘compact growth’ approach to the form and pattern of future development. The NPF envisages significant city-based population and employment growth...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by the end of 2025. There are currently 367 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the platform, including 8 in Co. Wicklow. Details of all the onboarded hubs are...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Projects (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The provision of library services, including the provision of library buildings, is primarily a matter for local authorities in their capacity as library authorities under the Local Government Act 2001. Accordingly, the delivery of library services in Blackrock/Mahon is primarily a matter for Cork City Council. In my reply to Parliamentary Question 16926/24 which was submitted by the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has policy responsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts, and local authorities have responsibility for all operational matters, including enforcement. The Control of Dogs Acts set out a number of legal obligations that all dog owners must comply with. Under the Control of Dogs Acts, local authorities have the power to issue dog licenses, appoint dog wardens, provide dog...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has overall policy responsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts. Local authorities have responsibility for all operational matters under the Control of Dogs Acts. Each year my Department publishes annual statistics in respect of a range of the dog control responsibilities of local authorities. Information up to and including 2022, including numbers of dog licenses issued, by...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (8 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The recent announcements made in Budget 2025, regarding free travel for children 5–8 years of age, relate only to PSO public transport services that are managed by the National Transport Authority (NTA) on behalf of the Department of Transport. Services provided by Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, Luas, Go-Ahead Ireland and TFI Local Link are covered by the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (3 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable to a parent / guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and where the level of the child's disability is such that the child is likely to require this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (3 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 24 September 2018. An application for State Pension (contributory) was received on 26 June 2018. The person concerned was awarded the pension from their 66th birthday. The rate awarded was based on a yearly average of 33 which is equivalent to 90% of the maximum rate of pension. To qualify for the maximum rate, a yearly average of 48 is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (3 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) is a key policy initiative under the Government's national employment services strategy, Pathways to Work 2021-2025. It is a funded work placement scheme to provide quality work experience to unemployed jobseekers to build their skills and experience. Placements run for 6 months at 30 hours per week to include time spent on training. All...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (3 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (3 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €382 million in 2024. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household. The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (3 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel Allowance (FA) may be payable to certain households in receipt of long term social welfare payments. The allowance is subject to a means test and is paid only to those who live alone or with certain exempted people. Only one Fuel Allowance is payable per household. An application for FA was last received from the person concerned on 23 September 2024. The application was refused...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (3 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year. In order to qualify for Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, an applicant must satisfy a number of qualifying...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Allowance 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. To date, the Department has not received an application for Carer's Allowance from the person concerned. It is open to the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) is a means-tested payment made to people who are unemployed and who do not qualify for Jobseeker’s Benefit (JB) or who choose to apply for JA instead of JB. A means test is an assessment of all of the applicant’s household income, savings, shares, investments, or property that they own, apart from their own home. A means test will also include...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced in 2020 to provide support to people who had lost their employment due to the public health restrictions introduced in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Under Section 68L (1) (d) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended), PUP is not payable where a person is engaged in insurable employment, that is, works as an employee. My...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (3 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. My Department received an application for IP from the person concerned on 26 July 2024. This application was refused on 19 September 2024 on the grounds that the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (3 Oct 2024)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension, based on their social insurance record. In order to satisfy the habitual residence condition, as a first step, it must be established the person has a legal...