Results 11,821-11,840 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: Disability allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance for people with a disability aged between 16 and 66 with a disability which is expected to last for at least one year and who satisfy the medical condition and the means test and who are habitually resident in Ireland. There is no delay with processing DA claims at present. The target processing time for DA is to process 75% of new claims...

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

Heather Humphreys: The following table provides a breakdown by year of applications received, awarded, cleared and refused for Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit and Disability Allowance between 1st January 2018 and 31st December 2021. Carer’s Allowance Year 2018 2019 2020 2021 Applications Received 20,208 19,402 18,774 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (8 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Entitlement to State pension (contributory) can only be assessed on the basis of the eligibility conditions applicable on the date an individual reaches pension age, upon receipt of a duly completed application. The person concerned was born in 1966 and has therefore not reached current state pension age. Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520 full-rate paid...

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department understands the many pressures faced by customers and always seeks to ensure that claims are handled quickly and efficiently. I am pleased to report that claim processing is up to date, with processing targets met, or exceeded, on average for all the main scheme areas. Processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. Schemes that require a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (8 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Following consultation with the Deputy's office it is understood that the question relates to a recommendation of the Commission on Pensions. The Pensions Commission was established, inter alia, to develop options for Government to consider in addressing the sustainability of the State pension system and the social insurance fund. The Commission presented its report to Government late...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (8 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Details of the consultancy payment made by my Department in relation to Covid-19 are set out in the following table. There were no COVID-19 related consultancy payments made in 2020 and none to date in 2022. Consultancy Spend Consultancy Support in the setting up of PUP Scheme Area and in establishing the Central Jobseeker Processing Unit - 2021 ...

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

Heather Humphreys: In order to qualify for Illness Benefit, a person must have 39 PRSI contributions paid or credited in the second last complete tax year from which the claim is made, or they must have 26 reckonable PRSI contributions paid in both the second last complete tax year and the year prior to that. They must also have at least 13 PRSI contributions paid in one of the past 5 years from which the claim...

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

Heather Humphreys: The data requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Note that the recipient numbers refer to the number of persons with Jobseeker Benefit claims registered in the following social welfare offices: Balbriggan, Blanchardstown, and Swords. Recipients who attend these offices may reside outside the bounds of the Fingal local authority area; there may also be recipients residing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (8 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: Entitlement to State pension (contributory) can only be assessed on the basis of the eligibility conditions applicable on the date an individual reaches pension age, upon receipt of a duly completed application. The person concerned was born in 1959 and has therefore not reached current pension age. Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520 full-rate paid...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Official Travel (8 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government is in the process of finalising the programme to mark St Patrick’s Day around the world. This will include a programme of visits by Ministers that will be approved by the Government early this month, and which will be made public immediately afterwards.

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

Heather Humphreys: Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards the cost of their winter heating needs. It is not intended to meet these costs in full. Only one allowance is payable per household. The main eligibility conditions for receipt of fuel allowance are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, satisfy a means test and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (8 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the crucial role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine the sustainability of the State Pension system and the Social Insurance Fund, in...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Arts and Culture Taskforce recommended the introduction of a pilot basic income scheme for artists. This was reflected in the National Economic Recovery Plan. Budget 2022 included an announcement of €25 million to pilot a new Basic Income Guarantee scheme for artists. My colleague the Minister for Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has lead...

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

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 Department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on 31 January 2022. The claim will be processed as quickly as possible and he will be notified directly...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (8 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Arts and Culture Taskforce recommended the introduction of a pilot basic income scheme for artists. This was reflected in the National Economic Recovery Plan. Budget 2022 included an announcement of €25 million to pilot a new Basic Income Guarantee scheme for artists. My colleague the Minister for Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has lead...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Birth Certificates (8 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: I can inform the Deputy that a birth certificate is a certified extract of information contained in the Register of Births. Where the English version of a person's name has been registered, as given to a registrar by their parent(s), this must be replicated in a birth certificate. There is no provision in Civil Registration law which allows a person's name, as it appears in the Register of...

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

Heather Humphreys: Social Welfare legislation provides that subject to certain disregards, all income and property belonging to an applicant (and his or her spouse/partner, where applicable) is assessable for means testing purposes for social assistance schemes such as Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) and Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA). The person concerned has made several applications for JA; the most...

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

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department received an application for Disability Allowance (DA) from this person on 18 January 2022. On 24 January 2022 the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on their eligibility. On receipt of this information a decision will be made on their DA application and the person...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (8 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: While I am aware that the presa canario breed of dog has been introduced into Ireland, the banning of any particular breed of dog in the United Kingdom is a matter for that jurisdiction. The Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014 set out a range of requirements for all dog owners or any other person in charge of a dog. The Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 set out further requirements that...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (8 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As part of 'Our Rural Future',the Government is committed to ensuring that the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is funded into the future. This reflects the important contribution which the scheme makes to connectivity in rural Ireland. The LIS supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities. I launched the 2021 Scheme with an initial...