Results 7,981-8,000 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (No 1 of 2020) introduced amendments to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 to provide for special arrangements (including an enhanced rate payable at €350 per week) for the payment of Illness Benefit to those who are diagnosed with Covid-19 by a medical practitioner or who are a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government Our Shared Futurecommits to introducing a Total Contributions Approach to align a person’s State Pension (Contributory) payment rate more closely with the contributions they make. This will include a provision for people who take time off from paid employment to undertake a full-time caring role. The Total Contributions Approach represents a fairer system...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The SAFE registration process, which the Department uses to authenticate identity and issue customers with a Public Services Card (PSC), is carried out in the Department's public offices. The process involves the taking of a person's photograph with a camera which is integrated with the Department's computer system. Photographs cannot be taken in other locations. My Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned was in receipt of Disability Allowance (DA) effective from 02 February 2022 to 20 September 2022. She commenced an Education Training Course (ETB) on 12 September 2022. A letter issued to her on 15 September 2022, informing her that her DA payment will stop for the duration of the course in line with the correct procedure which is that a DA recipient cannot receive...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (1 Dec 2022)

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 Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered on 10 August 2022 and in accordance with the statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (1 Dec 2022)

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. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 6 December 2019. CA was awarded on 20 March 2020 with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Sector Pensions (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has no function in relation to the matters referred to by the Deputy. My Department is engaging with contractors of RTÉ to examine their employment status from a PRSI contributions perspective and to ensure that the correct class of PRSI is being paid for workers. Issues directly related to RTÉ, including pension scheme arrangements, are matters for that organisation...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (1 Dec 2022)

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 27 July 2022. Based on the medical information supplied, it was refused on the grounds that the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (1 Dec 2022)

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 who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I regret to inform the Deputy that my Department does not have the information requested on the total population in the catchment area of each Intreo centre. The Department only collates information of the number of customers for each Intreo centre and can provide the Deputy with this information if requested.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 275 and 276 together. In regards to any decisions to open or close an Intreo Centre, there are no explicit criteria specified in making such a decision. Intreo Centres are a single point of contact for all employment and income supports. The Centres, together with our Branch Offices, are designed to provide a streamlined approach, offering practical,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The majority of contracts granted for DSP without having to go to public tender since 2020 (and including 2021 and 2022, year to date) were in response to the Covid-19 pandemic or lack of availability in the market, and are detailed as follows: Name of Company Nature of Service Year Business Reason SAR Security Group Provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: There are a number of payments and pensions paid by my Department to people over State Pension Age. One of these is the State Pension (Contributory), qualification for which is based on a number of criteria, including that of a minimum of 520 qualifying social insurance contributions have been paid. For those who have paid the required contributions, these will be used in the calculation of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (1 Dec 2022)

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 The person concerned submitted an application for DA on 30 July 2021. Based on the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: A living alone increase is an extra payment for people who live alone, aged 66 years or over, and receiving certain social welfare payments. These payments include State pension (contributory and non-contributory), Widow(er)’s or surviving partner’s contributory pension, Widow(er)’s pension under the occupational injuries benefit scheme, Incapacity supplement under the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an income-tested weekly payment which provides additional financial support to employees on low earnings with children. An application to renew WFP was received from the person concerned on 27th September 2022. A Deciding Officer reviewed the application and requested further information. The person concerned provided this information and requested that their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Dec 2022)

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 person who has such a disability that they require that level of care. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 26 August 2022. It is a condition for receipt of CA that the applicant’s...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The application for the person referred to by the Deputy was received by the Undocumented Unit of my Department on 23 February 2022 and continues to be processed. Due to the large number of applications on hand it is not possible to provide a definitive timeframe for a decision to issue. The processing times of applications will vary depending on the complexity of the application, whether it...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 310 and 311 together. In response to the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, my Department remains focused on processing applications for family reunification made under all admission avenues, including the Afghan Admissions Programme for family members of Afghan nationals living in Ireland. The Afghan Admissions Programme is an additional avenue open...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Private Security Authority (1 Dec 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the Private Security Authority (PSA), an independent body under the aegis of my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for licensing and regulating the private security industry in Ireland. I am advised by the PSA that the current Employment Regulation Order (ERO), came into effect in 2017 (S.I. 231 of 2017) and the PSA checks for compliance with...