Results 10,321-10,340 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (31 May 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 established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and it has set out a recommended approach for Government. In the interests both of older people and future generations of older...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person in question reached pension age on 01 February 2019.  According to the records of my Department, the person in question  was a self-employed contributor who entered into insurable employment in April 2000.   There is a total of 520 qualifying paid reckonable social insurance contributions from April 2000 to end of January 2019.  This equates...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The purpose of the Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) is to assist people with essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The ENP scheme is demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings.  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.  There are approximately 47,000 families with 103,000 children in receipt of the WFP.  Estimated expenditure on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022.  The purpose of this payment is to assist qualifying households with their energy costs.  The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household.  It is not intended to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with qualified children. An application for WFP was received from the person concerned on 27th April 2022. The Department wrote to the person concerned on 9th May 2022 to request pay slips.  To date, no reply has been received. On receipt of the requested...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Claims for Illness Benefit must be accompanied by a Certificate of Incapacity for Work from the claimants GP.  This specifies the nature of the illness and the duration of the incapacity for work.  The use of HSE texts as an acceptable form of medical evidence to support claims for Enhanced Illness Benefit was introduced at the start of the pandemic as an...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I launched the Community Centres Investment Fund on the 15th April 2022.  This is a €15m fund to support community groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with the upgrade of their community centre facilities. Applicants must register as 'users' at www.gov.ie/drcdin advance of submitting an application. The application process opens on 7 June 2022 with a closing date of 14...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages and rural areas across Ireland. To date, 191 projects have been approved for funding of €278 million for projects costing €377 million. Calls for applications to the Fund are sought under two categories – Category 1 and Category 2....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy is available in the following table: Department of the Rural and Community Development Staff by Gender as at 23 May 2022 Grade Male Female Total Secretary General 0 1 1 Assistant Secretary 1 2** 2 Principal Officer 7...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to publishing a 10 year policy on island development with associated three year action plans. Work on the policy is underway and my Department, as Chair of the Inter-Departmental Committee, is in regular contact with the other participating Government Departments regarding the development of the policy.  The first...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Town Centre First (TCF) Policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. Key to this is the establishment of the National Implementation Office to assist in the delivery and implementation of the policy, and to co-ordinate stakeholder engagement at a national level. This office will be...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Outdoor Recreation and Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as trails, walkways, cycleways, blueways and bridleways in rural areas. Earlier this year, I launched the 2022 Scheme with a budget of €15 million to support outdoor recreation projects nationwide. The Measures to be funded under this...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) is part of a range of measures to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland. The scheme is funded under Project Ireland 2040 as part of “Our Rural Future”.  Since the introduction of the Scheme in 2016, almost €113 million has been approved for more than 1,400 projects across the country. In February, I...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (31 May 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 Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is funded into the future. The scheme makes an important contribution to connectivity in rural Ireland. The Scheme was reintroduced in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Vacant Properties (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government recently published Town Centre First - A Policy Approach for Irish Towns.  This represents a whole of Government policy and aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.  The publication of Town Centre First was  a key deliverable under Our Rural Future. The Town Centre First policy is underpinned by...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I launched the Community Centres Investment Fund on the 15th April 2022.  This is a €15m fund to support community groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with the upgrade of their community centre facilities. Applicants must register as 'users' at www.gov.ie/drcdin advance of submitting an application. The application process opens on 7 June 2022 with a closing date of 14...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the potential of remote working hubs as key economic assets for our rural towns and villages. Notwithstanding the clear benefits to individuals and families in terms of quality of life indicators, remote working from hubs will also support local economies, reduce carbon emissions and may arrest or reverse the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated network of remote working hubs over the lifetime of the policy to 2025. In recognition of this, my Department continues to invest heavily in the establishment and strategic...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (31 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 854 and 855 together. My Department’s mission is to promote rural and community development and support the creation of vibrant and sustainable communities across the country, including in Co Kildare. I am committed to the successful delivery of a number of programmes which provide financial and other supports to community groups and organisations....