Results 11,461-11,480 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (3 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 304 and 305 together. The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (3 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of this Department, the person concerned was awarded a One Parent Family Payment with effect from 12/08/2021.  He is currently in receipt of a weekly payment of €441 which includes a Fuel Allowance payment of €33.  The person concerned is also receiving a Carer’s Allowance payment of €112 per week, a monthly Domiciliary Care...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (3 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025. It represents a new milestone in the approach to rural development policy for Ireland and adopts a more strategic, ambitious and holistic approach to investing in and maximising opportunities for rural areas. The first work programme for Our Rural Future included a commitment to introduce a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (3 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Town Centre First (TCF) represents a major new policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.  It contains 33 actions which will give our towns the tools and resources they need to become more viable and attractive places in which to live, work, socialise and run a business.  Included in the actions is the establishment of a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a comprehensive package of carers’ income supports including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant.  Combined spending on these payments to carers in 2022 is estimated to exceed €1.5 billion.   The Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: 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 under the age of 66, who are in receipt of certain...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 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: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” includes a commitment to examine options for a pension solution for carers, most of whom - particularly the carers of incapacitated children – are women.  This Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Subject to the standard qualifying...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas. I recently launched this years programme with a total budget of €7 million,  an increase of €1.5 million on the previous year. The measures being funded under CLÁR 2022 are: Measure 1:  Developing Community Facilities...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme aims to assist with the rejuvenation of rural towns and villages throughout Ireland, making them more attractive places to live, work and visit.  In line with the commitment in Our Rural Future, the 2021 scheme prioritised the renovation of derelict and vacant buildings in our town centres, with a view to bringing these...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Public Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are among the first premises for delivery under the National Broadband Plan. They are publicly accessible sites that serve areas without reliable high-speed broadband, including isolated communities in rural areas and on many of our offshore islands. Sites are provided with a temporary wireless high-speed broadband connection which they make available...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Public Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) provide supports for the whole community, remote workers, students, local community groups and schools. They can offer suites of digital skills training courses, arts and culture activities including musical instruction and access to national cultural resources and a range of eHealth and telemedicine programmes. My Department in partnership with...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Broadband officers (BBO) are based in local authorities across the country.  The role of the BBO is to provide a local point of contact for telecoms operators and the public regarding telecoms issues, and the posts are funded by my Department and local authorities. BBOs play a key role in working with National Broadband Ireland, as well as with initiatives introduced by my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Official Engagements (2 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Rural and Community Development are owners of the lands referred to by the Deputy. The Department have been considering options for the future of the site following a consultation process which took place in 2017. One proposal supported by local submissions was for the location of a coastguard station on the site. The Department agreed to allow the Coastguard to develop...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (1 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Blind Pension is a means-tested payment payable to persons who are blind and to certain other persons with low vision, aged between 18 and 66 years, who are habitually resident in the State. Under the means test, assessable income includes any income from employment or self-employment (including income of spouse/partner, where applicable), income from a social security pension from another...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The claim for the One Parent Family payment referred to has been awarded and put into payment from 27/01/2022.The customer has been notified by post and payment will be issued by EFT to the nominated Bank account this week.  Financial statements were requested from the person concerned on the 8/2/22 and these statements were received and associated to the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (1 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 Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (1 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 approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (1 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The National Intreo Contact Centre (NICC) has been set up to respond efficiently and effectively to telephone calls made to Intreo Offices.  Department of Social Protection staff are there to assist customers and seek to bring about a solution to their query.  Staff on the NICC will normally resolve queries at the first point of contact.  When a client rings the local Intreo...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (1 Mar 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Low income farmers are not locked out of State pension schemes. As with all other persons, farmers can avail of the State Pension (Contributory) scheme if they have sufficient PRSI contributions. People on low incomes, including farmers, may alternatively qualify for the State Pension (Non-Contributory) (SPNC), which is a means-tested pension, financed by the Exchequer, and paid at up to...