Results 10,681-10,700 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (4 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Pensions Commission’s Report was published in October 2021. The report contained almost 250 pages of analysis, consideration and recommendations. It established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and that changes are needed and it has set out a recommended approach by Government. In the interests both of older people and future...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (4 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In line with the Programme for Government, the Government established a Child Maintenance Review Group to examine certain issues in relation to child maintenance in Ireland.  The Group was chaired by former Circuit Court Judge Catherine Murphy and included legal, policy and academic professionals as well as officials from my Department and the Department of Justice. The Group's Terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (4 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance scheme is a means tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders with their winter heating costs. The payment is a contribution towards heating costs, it is not intended to meet these costs in full. The payment is made over the winter season at the weekly rate of €33.00 or, if preferred, by way of two lump sum...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (4 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance scheme is a means tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders with their winter heating costs. The payment is a contribution towards heating costs, it is not intended to meet these costs in full. The payment is made over the winter season at the weekly rate of €33.00 or, if preferred, by way of two lump sum...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (4 May 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 when working. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (4 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned together with the relevant Departmental papers were received by that office on 29...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (4 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: There have been no secondments from the Department of Social Protection to the university third level sector in the past 2 years.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (4 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The provision of contracted employment service provision has been under review by my Department for some time with extensive consultation taking place with the sector since late 2018. My Department had initially planned that the two phased procurement process for the new Intreo Partners Local Area Employment Service would be completed in 2021, with new services commencing in January 2022....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (4 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 323 and 324 together. My Department is currently undertaking a significant expansion of public employment services.  In particular, specialised employment services for those farthest from the labour market - previously available in just twelve counties - will soon be available State-wide for the first time.   In the first phase of this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: EU Directives (4 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: There have been no fines issued by the EU on my Department for failure to transpose EU directives. I hope that clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Services (4 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be aware that the HSE administer and fund a number of personal assistance services for people with disabilities. There is also the Reasonable Accommodation fund which is administered by my department. Through this, a number of grants are available which can help employers and employees with a disability to take appropriate measures to help a person with a disability to access,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (4 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: In addition to providing income supports, my department provides a wide range of employment-related supports for jobseekers/employees with disabilities and private sector employers seeking to support or recruit an employee who has a disability. The Reasonable Accommodation Fund Grants (RAFG) include a number of grants which are available through the department's network of Intreo centres: 1....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (4 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that there have been no secondments between the Department of Rural and Community Development and the third level sector in the past two years.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: EU Directives (4 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Since its establishment in 2017 my Department has not received any fines issued by the EU for failing to transpose EU directives.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Telecommunications Services (4 May 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The issue of mobile network blackspots is something I am very familiar with and I know the impact this has on those living and working in rural Ireland. Addressing these issues is one of a number of reasons why, in December 2021, Minister of State Ossian Smyth and I reconvened the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce. At the early meetings of the new Taskforce, we have set out our priorities...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (28 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme.  These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators.  There are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (28 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing the rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance from €309.50 to €330 per month is €11.5 million.  This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2022 and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated numbers of recipients. Any increase in the rate of Domiciliary Care...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (28 Apr 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 Benefits (28 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance 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.  There is no automatic entitlement to these payments which are payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, considering the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Apr 2022)

Heather Humphreys: An application for a Free Travel Companion Pass was received from the person concerned in February 2022.  This application was forwarded to the Department's Medical Advisor for decision. The Department's Medical Advisor has found that a Free Travel Companion Pass on medical grounds is not warranted on the basis of the medical evidence supplied.  As a...