Results 10,341-10,360 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 856 to 858, inclusive, together. My Department's mission is to support vibrant and sustainable communities across this country, including in Kildare, and in doing so to deliver on a wide range of strategic interventions, funding programmes and policies to support urban and rural communities including youth groups and voluntary and community groups. ...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 859, 860 and 862 together. 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 furtherance of this commitment, my Department...

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

Heather Humphreys: In delivering on its mission, my Department provides a wide range of strategic interventions, funding programmes and policies to support communities. This includes measures to address the issue of isolation as referenced by the Deputy. Addressing the issue of individual isolation in communities became even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. My Department continues to provide funding...

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

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER Programme is one of the key interventions of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development launched last year. The 2014-2020 LEADER programme had a total allocation of €250 million. €225 million of this budget was allocated directly to the Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver the programme and approve projects at local level. This...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department can make a single Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.  An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for supplementary welfare allowance but who have an urgent...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents.  Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents.  Under the scheme, my Department may award a supplement to assist with on going or recurring costs that cannot be met from the person's...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is a statutory body with an information, advice and advocacy role in relation to a wide range of public and social services.  CIB lies under the aegis of my Department, which provides annual Exchequer funding to CIB to deliver on its statutory functions.  The CIB provides funding to eight Citizens Information Services companies that operate a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Poverty (26 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 Benefits (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a range of income supports for full-time carers including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant.  Combined spending on all these payments to carers in 2022 is estimated to exceed €1.5 billion.   Carer's Allowance acts as an income support for those who...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body with responsibility for the Citizens Information Service (CIS). CIB provides funding to eight CIS companies that operate a national network of Citizens Information Centres.  Each CIS is a limited company overseen by a board of directors and makes decisions independently on the delivery of services in their regions. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned will reach pension age on 12 April 2023, and has not yet applied for State pension (contributory).  Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520 full-rate paid contributions in order to qualify for standard State pension (contributory).  520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Allowance is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.  Means include capital and income belonging to the Carer and their spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant, property, (except...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn.  The scheme operates from June to September each year. The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Matters related to foster caring are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Tusla.   More widely, this Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role.  Accordingly, the current State Pension (Contributory) system includes a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has provided a range of supports which both Men's and Women’s Sheds have availed of, depending on the works being completed. For example, In 2018 the Community Enhancement Programme provided capital funding for community groups which included €0.5m that was ring-fenced for Men's Sheds and again in 2019, €0.5m was ring-fenced...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER Programme is one of the key interventions of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development launched last year. An indicative budget of €180 million has been announced for the LEADER programme for the period 2023-2027. When taken together with the €70 million already provided for 2021 and 2022 under the Transitional LEADER Programme, a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Calafoirt agus Céanna (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Tá forbairt an Chaladh Mhóir ar Inis Meáin san áireamh sa Phlean Forbartha Náisiúnta. Mar is eol don Teachta is faoi chúram Chomhairle Contae na Gaillimhe atá Céim 3 d’fhorbairt na céibhe sin.   Mar chuid lárnach den obair ullmhúcháin, tá Coláiste Náisiúnta Mara na hÉireann (NMCI) ag...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Defibrillators Provision (26 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department does not operate a dedicated fund for the purchase, maintenance, repair or service of defibrillators and there are currently no plans to introduce a specific current fund dedicated to this purpose. However, some of my Department's programmes can fund the purchase of equipment such as defibrillators, including the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP). This...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In recent years, on foot of a commitment in the Roadmap for Pensions Reform (2018), my Department has developed proposals for a system of indexation for the State Pension (Contributory) scheme known as the “smoothed earnings” approach.  This approach aims to ensure that the relative value of State Pension (Contributory) compared to market earnings would be...