Results 11,361-11,380 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The SAFE registration process is the process through which a person satisfies the Minister for Social Protection as to their identity.  Once their identity is verified in this way, they are issued with a Public Services Card (PSC) which can be used as proof of their identity when dealing with public service bodies. Social welfare legislation provides that it shall be a condition of any...

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

Heather Humphreys: While it is acknowledged that most people on social welfare are claiming the correct entitlement due to them, my Department has a duty to ensure that it pays the right person the right amount of money at the right time. Therefore, it is important that all schemes operated by my Department are subject to on-going control reviews and eligibility checks. My Department aims to...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 591, 596, 604 and 607 together. The number of applications registered by county for each of the years 2017, 2018 and 2019, for Maternity Benefit, is detailed in the following table: County 2017 Registrations 2018 Registrations 2019 Registrations Carlow 559 539 504 ...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB), is a statutory independent body as set out in the Comhairle Act 2000 which operates under the aegis of my Department. CIB provides funding and support to the Citizen Information Services (CIS) network comprising of eight regional CIS companies. Each of these companies is overseen and governed by a Board of Directors. As CIB are directly responsible...

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

Heather Humphreys: As the economy has now fully reopened with the removal of trading restrictions the Government has agreed the winding down of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and the transfer of recipients to standard social welfare terms.   At this time PUP recipients are being paid at a maximum weekly rate of €208 which aligns with the standard maximum jobseekers payment.  PUP...

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

Heather Humphreys: The pension budgetary increases were paid in the first week in January 2022. There was an increase of €5.00, on the maximum weekly rate, of all State Pensions and, proportionate increases for people receiving a reduced rate. There was also a proportionate increase for Qualified Adults. The person concerned is in receipt of an increase for a Qualified Adult allowance on their...

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

Heather Humphreys: Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to over 631,000 families in respect of almost 1.2 million children with an estimated...

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

Heather Humphreys: Based on a review of records available, I can confirm that neither I nor my immediate predecessor, nor officials from my Department, have engaged in any form of communication with representatives of the World Economic Forum, or attended any event organised by the World Economic Forum, during the period in question.

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

Heather Humphreys: Certification under the Temporary Protection Directive is a matter for the Department of Justice. The Department of Justice is working to put in place the practical arrangements to provide letters to people who arrived in Ireland prior to 9 March, when permission letters started to issue at Dublin Airport, as soon as possible. The arrangements will be communicated widely and people should...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 599, 613, 620 and 634 together. 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...

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

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment for parents caring for a child with a severe disability in their own home. Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) ceases to be payable when a child reaches age 16 years.  Disability Allowance (DA) can then be paid from age 16 if the qualifying conditions for that scheme are met, even if the child is in fulltime education.  ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disabilities Assessments (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: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment in respect of a child with a severe disability. To qualify, the child must have a severe disability, and they must require ongoing care and attention substantially over and above that usually needed of a child of the same age. DCA is payable until the child turns 16.   When the child turns 16, they may apply in their own right...

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

Heather Humphreys: The social welfare package in Budget 2022 was the highest in 14 years and meant that some 1.4 million people, including over 700,000 pensioners, received a €5 increase in weekly payments, and more if they have dependents. In addition to improvements in core social welfare rates, there were a number of targeted measures designed to support those most vulnerable to...

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 Benefits (22 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 608 and 609 together. 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. An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for...

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

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP), formerly Family Income Supplement, is a weekly in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children.  To qualify for Working Family Payment the customer must be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment and have at least 1 qualified child who normally resides with them. The department...

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

Heather Humphreys: Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards the cost of their heating needs. The main eligibility conditions that apply to the fuel allowance scheme are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, must satisfy a means test and must either be living alone or with other qualifying persons. The threshold for the fuel...

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

Heather Humphreys: I do not intend to extend illness benefit to persons that are self-employed at this time. There is a wide range of benefits available to people who make Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions. Entitlement to such benefits is dependent on the individual's social insurance contribution record, the class of social insurance paid as well...