Results 801-820 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In line with other Social Protection schemes, Carer's Allowance, including any related or underlying  payment such as Carer's Support Grant or Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA), is subject to review to ensure that all qualifying conditions for receipt of payment(s) continue to be met. The Carer's Allowance (CA) claim for the person concerned was under review by my Department. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Benefit is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. To qualify, the carer must satisfy PRSI conditions; employment conditions; show that they are providing full-time care and attention; and show that the care recipient requires full-time care and attention. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (25 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Details of the number of vacancies within the Department are set out in table below as requested by the Deputy. Grade Number of vacancies Administrative Officer 9 Assistant Principal 21 Higher Executive Officer 161 Medical Assessor (Principal Officer equivalent) 1 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly allowance payable 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 a similar age and where the level of the child's disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and attention...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As I understand it, the person received a decision in November 2020 in which it was determined the person had been working as an employee. The employer then appealed that decision and that appeal was successful. Following that, the person sent further information to the appeals office. Based on that additional information and the outcome of the Karshan judgment, the chief appeals officer...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I do not decide on any of them.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, the appeals office is independent of the Minister. The chief appeals officer has the power under section 318 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 to revise a decision where it appears to him or her that the original appeal decision was incorrect. Given the decision of the Supreme Court in respect of the Karshan judgment, the chief appeals officer has now...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. 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. The office is administered by the chief appeals officer. The chief appeals officer and her team of appeals officers are independent in their...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I do not have a copy of what the Deputy is quoting from, but if the Deputy wishes to send it on, I will be happy to look at it. I am informed by the chief appeals officer the social welfare appeals office does not rely on test cases to determine the employment status of all workers in a sector. Any individual making an appeal always has the opportunity to have the evidence in his or her...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I absolutely recognise and value the work of our carers. My Department will spend in excess of €1.7 billion this year on support payments to carers. Carers have been a key priority for me as Minister for Social Protection. I acknowledge the support I have had from Family Carers Ireland to make changes such as the new pension contributions for long-term carers from the start of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: If the means test is abolished completely, many more people will apply for the payment. The officials have estimated that and have given me those figures. I take them in good faith. I can get further details on them. It is important to note that, only since June of this year, I increased the limits again such that a couple can earn up to €900 per week and have €50,000 in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Social Welfare Appeals (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The social welfare appeals office is an office of the Department that is responsible for determining appeals against decisions relating to social welfare entitlements. The office is administered by the Chief Appeals Officer. The Chief Appeals Officer and her team of appeals officials are independent in their decision-making functions. As Minister, I need to be conscious of the independence...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I engaged extensively with the disability organisations, which involved many meetings. I will continue to do that. As part of budget 2024, I introduced significant supports for people with disabilities, including a €400 once-off payment for disability allowance, blind pension, invalidity pension and carer's support grant recipients in November 2023 to address the high cost of living,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Support Services (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am very aware of the importance of employment for disabled people. My Department has a number of supports available to assist them. Through our nationwide network of Intreo centres, we provide a case-managed employment service for jobseekers with disabilities. The person works with an employment personal adviser with a view to agreeing a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Support Services (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I launched the work and access programme in the Hodson Bay Hotel. It was very encouraging to see the number of people working in the hotel who had taken up the scheme. It has made a difference to many people's lives. It is a great scheme. I commend the employers who have engaged actively with it, the Hodson Bay Hotel being a prime example. An income disregard of €165 per week...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The carer's allowance scheme is the main means by which the Department provides income support to carers in the community. In 2024, expenditure on the scheme is estimated to be more than €1.1 billion. Since my appointment as Minister, I have made a number of significant improvements to the means test for carer's allowance. In June 2022, the income disregards were increased from...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Child benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 19th birthday where they are in full-time education or have a disability. The extension of child benefit to 18-year-olds was one of my key priorities in budget 2024 and I am very pleased that we were able to bring that change in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Moynihan and acknowledge the support he and others gave me in increasing the age to the 19th birthday. That made a big difference. It brought a lot of children in, including some who were still in secondary school and were able to get that support. It is a much-needed support. It is a universal payment. Some people say it should be universal, while others say there should...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy is correct that there is a cohort in the middle that does not have any other supports and the child benefit payment is important. Some people have said to me that people with high incomes get the same payment, but I have met a lot more people in the middle income bracket than millionaires over the years. It is an important payment. It is €140 with a double payment last...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I published the Green Paper on Disability Reform in September last year. The Green Paper sought to reform my Department's system of disability payments to better target supports and better account for the cost of disability. The Green Paper was a consultation document. Feedback from the public consultation raised concerns about its proposals. In particular, people questioned whether it...