Results 10,621-10,640 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (10 May 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: Ukraine War (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Under the EU Temporary Protection Directive, my Department is providing income support and employment services to assist Ukrainians in Ireland who have fled the war in Ukraine. My Department's first priority is to address their immediate income support needs, followed by the provision of employment advice and support. To date, my Department has issued just under 30,000 PPS numbers to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (10 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 meet those costs in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 542 and 543 together. Expenditure by my Department on Illness, Disability and Carers programmes, in 2020, was €4.7b or 15.7% of total expenditure. My Department commissioned Indecon International Research Economists to carry out research into the cost of disability in Ireland in order to get a better understanding of the extent and composition of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 544 and 554 together. The estimated full year cost of a €5, €10 and €15 increase to the Disability Allowance payment is as shown in the table below. These costings are based on the estimated number of recipients in 2022 and are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Disability allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance for people aged between 16 and 66 with a disability which is expected to last for at least one year and who satisfy the medical condition, means test and are habitually resident in Ireland. In April of 2022, there were 155,639 people in receipt of disability allowance, by county as follows: County Number of people ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Details of the number of people who have received an Illness Benefit (including Enhanced Illness Benefit) payment, and the associated number of claims, in the year to date are shown in the table below: County Claim Count Customer Count Carlow 6,279 5,732 Cavan 6,901 6,289 Clare ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Artists' Remuneration (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 547 and 549 together. The pilot basic income scheme for artists which the Government launched in April is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. It is expected that there will be 2,000 participants on the pilot scheme which will run for three years. It is important to stress that a payment under the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Artists' Remuneration (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The pilot basic income scheme for artists which the Government launched in April is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. It is expected that there will be 2,000 participants on the pilot scheme which will run for three years. It is important to stress that a payment under the pilot Basic Income for Artists is not a social protection...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Media (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 550 and 551 together. The details, as specified, of social media posts published on the social media accounts of the Department of Social Protection and the agencies under the aegis of the Department between 1 May 2021 and 30 April 2022 follow. TWITTER: There were 3,599 tweets published on the Department’s Twitter account, of which 10 or 0.27%...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Media (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Between 01 May 2021 and 30 April 2022, 100% of the videos posted on the Department's social media accounts included subtitles. During the same period, 100% of videos posted on the social media accounts of Citizen's Information Board, MABS and Abhaile included subtitles. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. An increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people. To qualify, the carer must satisfy PRSI conditions, employment conditions, show that they are providing full-time care...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision on 28 January 2022. Under social welfare legislation the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by an Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts. I...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Ukraine War (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: No contracts were awarded outside the standard procurement process either by my Department or by the statutory bodies under its aegis to assist with the arrival of displaced Ukrainians. The Deputy will be aware that the European Union has put in place a Temporary Protection Directive to allow Ukrainian citizens and others fleeing Ukraine to move through the EU as EU citizens. My...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection does not employ persons or firms to deal with public relations. I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that the Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) ending in “W” that had been held by the person referred to by the Deputy has been purged by my Department. A letter issued on 6th May advising her of her correct PPSN as referred to by the Deputy. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Jobseeker’s Benefit (JB) scheme provides a statutory income support payment to individuals who have lost work and are unable to obtain full time employment. To be eligible for the payment, a person must satisfy all of the qualifying conditions which includes that they must be available for and genuinely seeking full time employment. In general, the level of commitment required to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As part of my continued commitment to improve the CWS across the country, customers no longer have to meet in person with a CWO in order to make a claim. This change means that those who require community welfare assistance urgently no longer need to wait to visit a clinic if they do not wish to. These initiatives that I have put in place will ensure that the service is easily accessible...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable in respect of children with a severe disability who require care and attention substantially in excess of that required by children of a similar age without such a disability, providing this additional care is likely to last for at least 12 months. In 2019 there were 6,383 awarded claims and 1,203 disallowed claims. Outcomes from decided appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave (10 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, has responsibility for Parent’s Leave. My Department has responsibility for payment of the associated benefit. Parent's Leave and Benefit is currently available to all eligible parents of children born or adopted from 1 November 2019 for five weeks and must be used within the first two years of...