Results 11,301-11,320 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 77 together. The Farm Assist Scheme is a means tested support for farmers on low incomes who satisfy the schemes's statutory conditions including a means test.  The estimated expenditure for the scheme for 2022 is approximately €53.9 million. A commitment was made under the Programme for Government and in the 'Our Rural Future Rural...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Enhanced illness benefit was introduced in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and is currently due to continue until the end of June 2022.  Changes have been made on an ongoing basis in line with public health advice and government guidelines. Under the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (No. 1), the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Pensions Commission’s Report was published on 7th October 2021.  It established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and that changes are needed.  The report set out a wide-range of recommendations in relation to the State Pension system and Social Insurance Fund.  It also recommended that long-term carers (defined as caring for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Pathways to Work 2021-2025, the Government’s national employment strategy, was published in July of last year.  The goal of Pathways to Work is to help ensure that as many jobs as possible go to people who are unemployed.  The strategy is not just about those who lost their jobs during the pandemic, it is also about helping those who, prior to the onset of the COVID-19...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Disability allowance (DA) is a means tested payment for people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66.  The applicant must be suffering from an injury, disease, congenital deformity or physical or mental illness or defect, which has lasted for one year or is expected to last for one year and as a result of which, they are substantially restricted in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: One-Parent Family Payment and Jobseeker's Transitional Payment are means tested payments for people who are parenting alone.  One of the conditions attached to these schemes is a requirement for people to make efforts to seek maintenance from their child's other parent. The Programme for Government commits the Government to act to reform our child maintenance system and in line with this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Illness Benefit is not paid for the first 3 days of an illness. Up to March 2021, there was no payment for the first 6 days.  The “waiting days” reduced to 3 from 01 March 2021.  There are no waiting days where a customer is  getting certain other social welfare payments within 3 days of the start of the claim. 154,274 customers benefitted from the reduction in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 72 together. The Government is committed to protecting vulnerable households from the impact of energy costs through a combination of supports, energy efficiency awareness initiatives and investment in programmes to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock in Ireland. As part of the overall welfare budget package of €600m in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The following table outlines the salaries paid to Ministerial special advisers in the Department of Social Protection in the years 2020 and 2021. My Department holds no record of any pensions that may be payable to former special advisers.  This is a matter for the Payroll Shared Services Centre. Minister Adviser Year Salary Regina...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Ukraine War (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The European Union has put in place a temporary protection Directive to allow Ukrainian citizens and others fleeing Ukraine to move through the EU akin to EU citizens.  This Department will provide support and services to assist people covered by this Directive who are fleeing Ukraine and who arrive in Ireland.  As the situation is evolving, the Government will, of course, keep all...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government is committed to protecting vulnerable households from the impact of energy costs.  As part of the overall welfare budget package of €600m in increases secured for 2022, I increased the Fuel Allowance payment by €5 per week effective from Budget night.  I also increased the weekly income threshold for Fuel Allowance by €20 which enables more people...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine the sustainability of the State Pension system and the Social Insurance Fund.  The 2020 Programme for Government committed that, pending the Commission’s report and any subsequent Government decisions, the State Pension age would remain at 66 years and the increase to 67 years would be deferred.  This was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Pensions Commission’s Report was published on 7th October 2021.  It established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and that changes are needed.  The report set out a wide-range of recommendations in relation to the State Pension system and Social Insurance Fund, including potential PRSI base broadening measures. In the interests...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Ukraine War (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection is prioritising the allocation of Public Personal Service numbers (PPSNs) to people arriving from Ukraine and the immediate provision of income supports.  A fast track approach in processing these supports has been put in place which includes a simplified decision making process and quick processing of PPSNs to allow people access to public...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: This Department provides a wide range of income and employment supports to assist jobseekers and existing employees with disabilities, and their employers. Budget 2022 introduced several measures to encourage the employment of people with disabilities in respect of the Disability Allowance, the Blind Pension, the Wage Subsidy Scheme and the Reasonable Accommodation Fund grants. Regarding the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Regulatory Bodies (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I wish to inform the Deputy that this is a matter that falls within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications.   I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 61 together. The Household Benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence.  The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test.  The package is also available to some people...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (22 Mar 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, which is supporting up to an estimated 400,000 households in 2022, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022.  The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.  The allowance represents a contribution...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who pursue courses of education at second or third level.  The provision for the scheme for 2022 is €105.4 million.  A person wishing to pursue a course of study under the BTEA scheme must satisfy the conditions of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Commissions of Investigation (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: There are no Commissions, within the meaning of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004, ongoing under the aegis of my Department.