Results 11,421-11,440 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (10 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned will reach pension age on 02 April 2022. An application for State pension (contributory) was received on 07 February 2022. Determination of pension eligibility depends on the individual nature of an applicant’s social insurance record. Under social welfare legislation, a self-employed contributor is regarded as satisfying the contribution conditions for State...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Mar 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 Rural and Community Development: Departmental Consultations (10 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The table here provides the information requested by the Deputy. External Consultancy Firm Title of the report Reason for Report Cost Completion/Publication date of the report Maynooth University. CLÁR Programme Review CLÁR Programme Review - Research Contract Agreement with Maynooth University. In...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (10 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. Funding is provided through the CLÁR programme to projects that are physically located within a designated CLÁR area. Maps of designated areas are...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Enterprise Sector (10 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Social Enterprises are businesses for social good which operate across a wide range of sectors, from social services to the circular economy. They are businesses which trade on an ongoing basis, but any profits are reinvested to support the core social or environmental purpose. The National Social Enterprise Policy for Ireland (2019 – 2022) aims to develop social enterprises both in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Digital Hubs (10 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the potential of remote working hubs as key economic assets for our rural towns and villages. Notwithstanding the clear benefits to individuals and families in terms of quality of life indicators, remote working from hubs will also support local economies, reduce carbon emissions and may arrest or reverse the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Scoileanna Oileáin (10 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Is iad an tAonad Pleanála agus Tógála sa Roinn Oideachais atá freagrach as tógáil nó athchóiriú foirgnimh scoile, bíodh siad ar oileáin nó ar an mhórthír. Ní bheadh foirgnimh scoile cáilithe do mhaoiniú faoi aon scéim a riarann mo Roinn. 

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ukrainian War (10 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The response to the plight of the Ukrainian people must be an EU and global one and Ireland has its part to play on a cross departmental basis. We have already lifted Visa requirements to allow Ukrainian people who want to seek safety here to do so as quickly and easily as possible. The EU has imposed three packages of unprecedented sanctions against Russia; hitting the web of companies,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (9 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, in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment.  The Commission was an independent body comprised of knowledgeable and experienced academics, pension experts, members of civil society and representatives of workers and employers. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Funding (9 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Expenditure for non-governmental organisations in receipt of funding from the Department in 2020 and 2021 was as follows: 2020 2021 Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice €80,000 €80,000 Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed €255,000 €255,000 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Following a review of the entitlement of the person concerned, their claim was suspended on 13 December 2021 as they failed to supply the information required in order to assess their entitlement. The requested information was received from the person concerned and their file was sent to a social welfare inspector (SWI) on 22 December 2021 for a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (9 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government recognises the crucial role that family carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to their support. As part of Budget 2022, improvements were introduced to the income and capital limits for the Carer’s Allowance means assessment, effective from June 2022. The weekly income disregard increases to €350 from €332.50 for a single person, and to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Project Ireland 2040 (9 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 249 and 250 together. The LEADER programme is part of an integrated suite of capital investment measures operated by my Department under the National Development Plan as part of Project Ireland 2040.  It is a key intervention which will help to underpin the Government's rural development goals as outlined in Our Rural Future. LEADER is administered by 29...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (9 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department was established in 2017 and funds a range of programmes and schemes to assist in rural and community development, which are available to eligible community groups and organisations throughout the country. In the 2022 Revised Estimates, my Department was allocated €378 million. This funding ensures that we are in a position to further assist communities seeking funding and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (9 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are public locations which have been selected to receive high-speed connectivity as part of the National Broadband Plan. The locations of the BCPs include public areas such as community halls, libraries, sports facilities, enterprise hubs, tourist locations and other public spaces A typical BCP receives its connectivity from National Broadband Ireland (NBI)...

International Women's Day: Statements (8 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to today's discussion as part of International Women's Day. Sadly, today's debate is taking place against the backdrop of the ongoing atrocities in Ukraine. More than 1.5 million people have fled from Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion, and the sad reality is most of those are women and young children, because Ukrainian men aged between...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned will reach pension age on 09 June 2022, 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 full-rate insurable...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: EU Directives (8 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Directive (EU) 2016/2341 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the activities and supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision (IORPs) ("The IORP II Directive"), sets out minimum standards for the management and supervision of pension schemes, with the objective of ensuring the soundness of occupational pensions and better protections for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (8 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical and aural services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependent spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions. In order to qualify a person needs to have at least 260 PRSI contributions paid at either Class A, E, H, P or S, since first starting work, and also have 39...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Civil Registration Service (8 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The General Register Office (GRO) is currently considering a range of revisions to improve the functioning of the civil registration system in the State. I expect to be in a position to consider proposals from the GRO for amending legislation later this year. I have been informed by the GRO that any proposals for amending legislation will include changes to the current criteria for...