Results 9,921-9,940 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department contracts with different service providers for a range of employment services including those provided by Job Clubs, Local Employment Services and JobPath services. Contractually, any payments made to contractors are solely related to the delivery of these employment services. There is no contractual provision for additional payments to contractors related to their fiduciary...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I refer to the Deputy’s Dáil Questions No. 1148 and No. 237.  In initiating a review of the overpayment the person concerned was asked to provide her end of year payslips and those of her spouse for the years 2014 to 2020.  An official from the Ballyfermot Intreo Centre phoned the person concerned on 14/06/2022 requesting these documents.  A letter confirming the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel Allowance is an administrative (non-statutory) scheme, and is awarded only from date of receipt of fuel application.  The person concerned submitted an application for fuel allowance on 13 June 2022 and it was awarded from 15 June 2022.   Based on the information provided to the Department, I can confirm that in this case the Department has backdated the award of fuel allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Pensions Commission’s Report was published on the 7th October 2021.  It contained almost 250 pages of analysis, consideration and recommendations.  The report, Technical Sub-Committee's working papers and submissions made to the Commission are available on the website, pensionscommission.gov.ie.  The report established that the current State Pension system is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: With regards to providing the number of persons who have lost the increase for a qualified adult as a result of a fresh means test undertaken in the past twelve months, the Department's systems do not record the necessary data in the appropriate format in order to answer the query.  It should also be noted that, for social assistance schemes such as Jobseeker's Allowance or Disability...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to disallow the appeals of the person concerned by way of summary decision.  The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision on 30 June 2022. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy on a wide range of public and social services.  It provides some services directly to the public and directly funds and supports an extensive range of services through its delivery partners including the Citizens...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability.  It is important to note that entitlement to these supports is generally not contingent on the nature of the illness or disability but on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.  My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I confirm that an application from the person concerned for disability allowance (DA) was received by the Department on 24 March 2022. The processing time for individual DA claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria, the person’s circumstances and the information they provide in support of their claim. The application has...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Appointments to State Boards (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department currently has four agencies under its remit. They are Pobal, the Western Development Commission, the Charities Regulatory Authority, and Water Safety Ireland. I have set out the details the Deputy has requested in relation to each board below. Pobal There are no former civil servants, county mangers or chief executives of local authorities on the board. Western Development...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy was launched in early 2021. The policy 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 2025. In May 2021, I launched our National Hubs Network - Connected Hubs. Connected Hubs is a shared...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Derelict Sites (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The regeneration of our rural towns and villages and addressing issues of vacancy and dereliction is a key priority within both Our Rural Future and the Town Centre First policy. Accordingly, my Department implements a number of schemes which directly address these issues. For example, under the 2022 Town and Village Renewal Scheme regeneration projects that assist in revitalising our...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Official Engagements (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy was launched in early 2021. The policy 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 2025. In furtherance of this commitment, my Department’s focus to date has been on strategically...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm to the Deputy that neither my Department or the four agencies under its remit are funding any PhD positions.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR Programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of depopulation over a defined period. A review of CLÁR areas nationally was undertaken in 2021 using the 2016 Census of Population data. The review examined the most recent changes in population...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The budget allocated to my Department for 2022 is published in the Revised Estimates Volume 2022, which is available here: assets.gov.ie/207416/1ebb916d-9839-458f-a4df-9fa77be9b7de.pd f The Revised Estimate 2022 provides a gross allocation of €378.6 million, of which; €202.3 million is allocated to the Rural Development, Regional Affairs and the Islands programme area;...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Public Sector Pay (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy may be aware, Section 20 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 set out that restoration for public servants with annualised basic salaries above €150,000 would be completed by Ministerial order by 1 July 2022. In accordance with the legislation, an Order under Section 20 of the Act was laid before the Oireachtas on 30 June. The Department of Public...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (5 Jul 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities. As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded into the future. The scheme makes an important contribution to connectivity in rural Ireland. From 2017 to 2021, my Department allocated €80 million...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (30 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,506 schools and organisations benefitting 230,000 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 policies to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Jun 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In accordance with the Temporary Protection Directive implemented in March, people fleeing the war in Ukraine have been granted the status to avail of the supports and services, including income supports and employment services, provided by my Department. This means that these citizens can work in Ireland and can access social services and the full range of social welfare supports. The...