Results 8,981-9,000 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 49 together. The Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly tax-free payment for employees with children which supports people in low paid employment. The WFP is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents, and to offer a financial incentive to take up employment. It is a targeted measure that is directly linked...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As I outlined in my earlier reply, I and my Department are committed to the provision of in-person Community Welfare Services around the country. This is clear from the fact that staffing levels have been maintained in the Community Welfare Service nationwide in recent years, even as demands on the service decreased due to the transfer of most rent allowances to the local authorities and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In March I announced that Government approval had been given to the final design principles for the auto-enrolment (AE) retirement savings system. A detailed explanatory paper on the new system has been published on www.gov.ie. The system is expected to become operational in early 2024 and will automatically enrol approximately 750,000 employees at the outset. These are employees who are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Energy Prices (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: To address the impact that the recent increases in global energy prices is having on households, the Government, earlier this year, introduced a €2.4 billion package of supports, with a further package of one-off measures worth €2.5 billion in Budget 2023. This includes a new Electricity Cost Emergency Benefit Scheme through which energy credits totalling €600 will...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

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. The main income supports to carers provided by my Department include Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carers Support Grant. Spending on these payments in 2022 is expected to exceed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The State Pension (Contributory) is a PRSI-based pension, financed by contributions made by current workers and their employers, and paid to pensioners, at a rate based upon their PRSI record. A person is required to have a minimum of 520 paid reckonable PRSI contributions in order to qualify for the State Pension (Contributory). As the actuarial value of the State Pension is currently...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Energy Prices (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: At the outset I wish to be clear that pay-as-you go customers will benefit from the energy credits of €600 to be provided by the State. These credits will be added to their pay-as-you-go account in the same manner that the energy credit from Spring of this year was provided. I also understand that a protocol is in place, via MABS, whereby vulnerable pay-as you go customers will not be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 25 together. The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks - or a total of €924 each year - from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The School Meals Programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,700 schools and organisations and 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: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As part of the overall social welfare Budget 2023 package of almost €2.2 Billion, I was pleased to secure a major expansion of the Fuel Allowance Scheme, which will benefit up to 81,000 households. From January 2023, the allowable means threshold for those aged under 70 will increase by €80 from €120 to €200 per week above the appropriate rate of State Pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government is very aware of child poverty and its impacts and has taken steps in recent Budgets to address this, through increases in payments for children in social welfare households, measures on Working Family Payment and for lone parents. While it is good to see that the national rate of child poverty decreased significantly from 7.2% in 2020 to 5.2% in 2021, we still have a lot more...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

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 €366 million in 2022. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. Only one allowance is paid per household....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Most weekly social welfare payments include an additional payment – an Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) – in respect of each qualified child up to the age of 18, which is extended to encompass older children to age 22 under certain circumstances. This measure provides targeted assistance that is directly linked with household income and thereby supports low-income families....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Budget 2023 (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As part of Budget 2023, I announced a number of measures in relation to supports provided by my Department for carers. These measures acknowledge the important role that family carers play in our society and the particular challenges they face in light of the current cost of living crisis. The measures benefitting family carers directly include: - €500 Cost of Living lump sum...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Measures (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Means tests and income thresholds 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 income disregards. These disregards ensure that, where people are in receipt of a social assistance payment and are working, a certain level of income from that work...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. The programme is delivered through independent CE sponsor organisations who are the legal employers of their CE...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I note the recent publication of the Report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare, "Foundations for the Future," which independently considers how best the taxation and welfare systems can support economic activity and promote increased employment and prosperity in Ireland. I also note that there are a broad range of recommendations for Government to consider, including the recommendation...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Budget 2023 (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I was pleased that Budget 2023 included a social welfare package worth almost €2.2 billion. I am very mindful that lone parents continue to be a group with a high risk of poverty and for that reason I was particularly pleased to provide a number of measures in Budget 2023 which will be of benefit to lone parents. Recipients of One-Parent Family Payment and Jobseeker's Transitional...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35, 37, 58, 67 and 86 together. In 2022 to the end of September, almost 66,000 applications for ANPs were processed and awarded, an increase of just under 60% on 2021. This rise in the number of applications reflects, at least in part, the efforts the Department has implemented, including two major advertising campaigns, to increase awareness of the payments....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Properties (13 Oct 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Office of Public Works approached the Department of Social Protection regarding a full retrofit of Block 1, Intreo Centre, Government Buildings, Kilrush Road, Ennis, Co. Clare and a re-modelling of Block 2, Government Buildings, Kilrush Rd., Ennis In phase 1, redevelopment works will need to be undertaken in Block 2 to accommodate DSP staff from Block 1. It is anticipated that these...