Results 12,341-12,360 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Remittance of social insurance contributions by self-employed people fall into either of two broad categories. The first category are those who exercise a trade or profession and who are obliged to file annual returns of income under the Revenue self-assessment process through which any social insurance liabilities arising are collected in a single, annual sum. The second category are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy relates to the payment of a public sector pension to a retired nurse and, therefore, it is not a matter for which my Department has responsibility. The payment of pension related benefits to former public sector employees is a matter for the relevant line Department, in this case, the Department of Health, with matters relating to pensions policy...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Covid Illness Benefit (Enhanced Illness Benefit) is a scheme that was introduced in March 2020, to support people who are incapable of work or who are required to self-isolate, as a result of a Covid diagnosis or being a probable source of infection. To date a total of 217,313 Covid Illness Benefit related claims have been processed. The majority of the standard Illness Benefit claims are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Data Protection (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the Data Protection Commission has, under the terms of a settlement agreed with the Department on Friday 10th December 2021, cancelled its enforcement notice. The terms of the agreement have been published in an agreed notice that is available on both the Department’s and the DPC’s website.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 460 and 461 together. On 5th November 2021, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform published a cost-benefit analysis report on the Public Service Identity (PSI) management framework as one of the Autumn Spending Review Papers. The PSI management framework consists of the SAFE registration service, the Public Services Card (PSC) and the MyGovID...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Harbours and Piers (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, Galway County Council are the responsible authority for the maintenance and development of infrastructure on the Aran islands. To that end, my Department provides financial support to the local authorities for priority projects. To address safety issues affecting the pier on Inis Oírr, the Government included development of the harbour among the capital...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: On 9 December last I announced €2.6 million in funding to deliver Town Centre First Plans in 26 towns across the country. The development of these 26 Plans will feed into the Government’s overall Town Centre First Policy, which I expect will be launched in the coming weeks. The funding will support each local authority, working with a collaborative Town Team, to develop a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regeneration Projects (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Town Centre First policy is a commitment under the Programme for Government, and in Our Rural Futureand Housing For All. My Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have jointly been developing the policy which is now finalised. The policy will be launched in the coming weeks. The new Town Centre First Policy will be an important catalyst for Local...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated network of remote working hubs over the lifetime of the policy to 2025. A number of funding streams operated by my Department directly support this commitment. For example, the Rural...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Agriculture Schemes (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER Programme is one of the key interventions of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development launched earlier this year. An indicative budget of €180 million was recently announced for the LEADER programme for the period 2023-2027. When taken together with the €70 million already provided for 2021 and 2022 under the Transitional LEADER...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: From 2007 to 2020, LEADER was included in the suite of measures that constituted Ireland’s Rural Development Programme (RDP). The Rural Development Programmes agreed by each Member State with the EU Commission were designed to correspond to specified Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) programming periods. The CAP programming periods in turn correspond to the EU's budgetary cycle. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Budgets (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, the Finance Act 2004 makes provision for Departments and agencies to carry forward capital money from the current financial year into the next financial year. This recognises the difficulties inherent in the planning and profiling of capital expenditure, and that such projects may be subject to delays. Given the closure of construction sites for most of the first...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities and represent a vital piece of infrastructure for rural communities. As noted in my previous reply in respect of the matter raised by the Deputy, I asked my officials to request a written report from the relevant Local Authority in respect of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (9 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned reached pension age on 1 November 2012 and has not yet applied for State pension (contributory). I have arranged for a copy of the person’s social insurance contribution record to issue to them, together with an application form for State pension (contributory). Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: An application for Guardians payment has been received from the person concerned. In order to make a decision on the claim, the deciding officer must satisfy themselves that the child meets the legislative definition of an orphan under social welfare legislation. A child is considered an orphan if they are under 18 (or under 22 if in full time education) and both parents are deceased; or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (9 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Employability West Cork has been contracted by the Department of Social Protection for the provision of employment services since 2012. The contracted spend for 2012 was €345,483.41 and for 2013 was €373,872.72. As the value of each of the 24 Employability service contracts are separately negotiated with each contractor and the breakdown of the contract value and costs remains...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Communications (9 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: There is no record of any formal complaint and allegation against an employee of this Department received from the company referred to by the Deputy. If the Deputy has any additional information on this matter she is welcome to contact my office and she will be given contact details for the Divisional Manager in Cork who will be in a position to investigate any additional information provided.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (9 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The table below shows the amount expended on electricity across the Department of Social Protection for each of the last five years including 2021 to date. Year Total Electricity Spend€ (million) 2016 3.603 2017 3.166 2018 2.961 2019 2.557 2020 2.973...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned was awarded a One Parent Family payment at the weekly rate of €355.00 from 25/11/21. Payment will issue directly into the customer's bank account on 9/12/2021 and will include arrears due of €200. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (9 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Carer's Support Grant (CSG) is an annual payment for carers who look after a person in need of full-time care and attention. The payment is made regardless of the carer's means but is subject to certain conditions, one of which is that a person in receipt of Jobseeker’s Benefit (JB) or Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) or signing for credited contributions is stating that they are...