Results 1,161-1,180 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Industrial Disputes (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Firstly, let me reiterate that I value and acknowledge the important services that the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS) provides to adults with disabilities across the country. As you will be aware, NAS is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. It is funded to provide services on behalf of the Citizens Information Board (CIB). CIB, in turn, is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Industrial Disputes (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Firstly, let me reiterate that I value and acknowledge the important services that the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS) provides to adults with disabilities across the country. As you will be aware, NAS is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. It is funded to provide services on behalf of the Citizens Information Board (CIB). CIB, in turn, is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The sick leave of all Civil Servants is governed by 'Circular 12/2023: Management of Sick Leave in the Civil Service.' "Point 4.1 states: 4.1 Limits for Paid Sick Leave Subject to compliance with section 3.1, civil servants may avail of a maximum of 183 days of paid sick leave in a rolling 4-year period, counting back from the day preceding the first day of their current absence. Where the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 15th July...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Medical Aids and Appliances (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical, aural and hair replacement products and services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependent spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions. 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Illness benefit is the primary short term income support provided by my Department to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type and who are covered by social insurance. Eligibility for illness benefit depends on the person’s PRSI record and class. People must have made the required number of contributions under PRSI classes A, E, H or P to qualify. Previously, illness...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reviews (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Means tests and income thresholds are kept under regular review and a number of significant changes have been made in recent years. In particular, I have introduced a number of changes to means testing which provide for higher income disregards. These disregards ensure that, where people are in receipt of a social assistance payment and are working, a certain level of income from that work is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the customer’s own resources,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Legal Cases (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: There are four State bodies under the aegis of Minister for Social Protection:The Pensions Authority;The Citizens Information BoardThe Pensions Council;The Social Welfare TribunalNone of these have pursued a case against another Government Department or State body in the past five years. While the Pensions Authority has issued many sets of civil proceedings, as well as criminal prosecutions,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel Scheme is available to all persons aged over 66 and those under age 66 on certain qualified payments, who are living legally and permanently in the State. The scheme permits those who are eligible to travel for free on most CIé public transport services, Local Link, LUAS and a range of transport services offered by private transport operators countrywide. Customers...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a range of income supports for people who are parenting alone including the One-Parent Family Payment. One-Parent Family Payment (OPFP) is a payment for parents under age 66 who are not cohabiting, and whose youngest child is under 7. A person will usually stop getting OPFP when their youngest child turns 7 at which point, they can apply for a Jobseeker’s...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions. I confirm that my Department originally received an application for DA from the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement. Following the expansion of the programme in recent years, some 2,600 schools and organisations, covering...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. The table below shows the number of IP claims received and refused in the period requested. Invalidity Pension claims received in 2023 11,498 Invalidity Pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Budgets (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Department's current expenditure to the end of June 2024, and for the corresponding period in 2023 is outlined in the tables below. Department of Social Protection current expenditure to end June 2024 Revised Estimate 2024 Expenditure to end June 2024 Expenditure as % of Revised Estimate as at end June 2024 €000 €000 % 25,563 12,999 50.9 Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: This Department administers a significant number of different schemes and each have their own individual qualifying criteria and rules for payment. Primary weekly social welfare payments are intended to enable recipients to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. In addition to these primary payments, my Department also provides a range of other payments on a weekly, monthly, or less...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Primary weekly social welfare payments are intended to enable recipients to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. In addition to these primary payments, my Department also provides a range of other payments on a weekly, monthly, or less frequent basis. These payments are considered secondary in nature and cannot be made available to those who are not in receipt of a primary payment. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1262 and 1316 together. Farm Assist is a statutory means-tested income support specifically for farmers on low incomes. There are approximately 3,700 claims in payment at present. The Government has provided €50.93 million for the scheme in 2024. Under the Farm Assist means test, income from a range of agri-environmental schemes attracts a disregard of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (23 Jul 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. From 1st January 2024 to date the Social Welfare Appeals Office has issued:Approximately 3,000 emails to TDs on behalf of...