Results 8,281-8,300 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR Programme provides funding for small-scale projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. Since the programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported a wide range of measures. CLÁR has made significant investments at community level the length and breadth of the country. Funding of over €57...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has an Access Officer appointed at Principal Officer level. The officer concerned is responsible for securing assistance within the Department to meet any needs raised by people with disabilities in accessing our services. Contact details for the Department's Access Officer are listed on my Department's website.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: All applications to the Community Centres Investment Fund are subject to a competitive assessment process based on the assessment criteria as set out in the fund guidelines. Category 1 applicants were notified of the outcome of this process last month. Details of successful applicants are available on my department’s website at: www.gov.ie/drcd The group the Deputy refers to applied...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Contracts (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department occupies offices in Trinity Point, Dublin 2 and in Government Buildings in Ballina, Co. Mayo. Cleaning services in Trinity Point are currently provided by 5 Star Facilities, which took over the contract from Accent Solutions in May 2022. One cleaner is currently sufficient for the Department's footprint. The costs associated with cleaning services in Trinity Point for the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ministerial Staff (29 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: One former civilian driver remains in the employment of the Department of Rural and Community Development on temporary contract which is coterminous with the Minister for Rural & Community Development. This officer is on a redeployment assignment to another Government Department for the remainder of their temporary contract. Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) was not issued and no case...

Dog Breeding Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I welcome the debate. I thank the Deputies for bringing forward the Bill and for all their contributions. As I said earlier, the proposals in this private Members' Bill are consistent with my Department's overall objective to promote responsible dog breeding in Ireland. Deputy Donnelly mentioned crossbreeding, which is just awful. Mixing a small dog like a Pomeranian with a big dog really...

Dog Breeding Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputies Tóibín, Canney and Grealish for bringing forward this Private Member's Bill. I am pleased to inform the House that the Government is not opposing the Bill. I have two dogs myself, a miniature Yorkshire terrier called Rusty and a King Charles spaniel called Lady. Like everybody else, they are part of the family and we would be heartbroken if anything happened to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Covid-19 does not constitute a prescribed disease or illness as set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 as it does not meet the criteria laid down in the Act. Section 87 (2) of the Act states that a disease or injury shall be prescribed for the purposes of this section in relation to any insured persons, where the Minister is satisfied that - (a) it ought to be treated, having...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (24 Nov 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 in that office on 2 November 2022. It is a statutory requirement of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As part of Budget 2023, the Social Protection budget has been designed to assist people with cost-of-living increases through a mix of once off lump sum payments, increases to weekly payment rates and an expansion of the Fuel Allowance scheme. The measures introduced include the provision of a one-off €500 Cost-of-Living payment, which was paid in mid-November to recipients of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the crucial 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 main income supports to carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: An application for State pension (contributory) was received on 10 August 2022. There is no record of receipt of an application for State Pension (non-contributory). The person concerned was awarded the State Pension (contributory) pension at the weekly rate of €248.30 from 16 November 2022. They were notified in writing on 19 November 2022. I hope this clarifies the position for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is currently in receipt of Illness Benefit and has been in receipt of payment from the 6th December 2021 to date. He is in receipt of the full personal rate of Illness Benefit at €208 per week. This will increase by €12 to €220 per week in January 2023 as part of Budget 2023. Illness Benefit is intended for people with short duration illnesses who...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that the person concerned is in receipt of Disability Allowance from 19 November 2014 February until 15 November 2022. The person concerned has been awarded State Pension (contributory) at 98% of the maximum rate, weekly rate of €248.30 from 16 November 2022. They have been notified in writing of this decision on 19 November 2022. Arrears issued on 19 November 2022. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department can make ANPs 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 a person’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) is paid from late September to April. Fuel Allowance was awarded to the person concerned from 14 October 2022. They were notified in writing on the 15 November 2022. I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is in receipt of Disablement Benefit and Incapacity Supplement. Disablement benefit is one of the benefits payable under the occupational injuries benefit scheme, to an insured person who suffers a loss of physical or mental faculty as a result of an occupational accident or a prescribed occupational disease that was sustained on or after 1 May 1967. The person must have...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Programme for Government (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government Our Shared Futurecommits to establishing a Commission on Care to examine care and supports for older people. This commitment comes under the remit of the Department of Health and is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Health. In terms of my Department’s social welfare supports to older people, a number of measures targeted at older people were...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment in respect of a child, aged under 16 with a severe disability who requires ongoing continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the care and attention normally required by children of the same age and the child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months. An...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (24 Nov 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The following table details the number of Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) by county: County Number of CWOs Carlow 3 Cavan 3 Clare 9 Cork 40 Donegal 11 Dublin 80 Galway 17 Kerry ...