Results 12,721-12,740 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the important 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 main income supports to family carers provided by my Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government, ‘Our Shared Future’, published in July 2020, committed to increase the availability of activation schemes, including those run by local employment services. The provision of activation services, including the Department’s internal Intreo service and external contracted services, is under continual review. My Department has commenced...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work payment which provides additional financial support to employees on low earnings with children.In order to qualify for WFP, the applicant or the applicant and their spouse, partner or cohabitant must be engaged in employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight. This condition must be satisfied on an ongoing basis. Once awarded,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, to 369,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Road Projects (23 Nov 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 part of 'Our Rural Future',the Government is committed to ensuring that the Local Improvement Scheme is funded into the future. The selection of LIS roads is a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the construction of the project referred to by the Deputy is being undertaken by the relevant Local Authority, with financial assistance from my Department. My Department provided the Local Authority with funding for the purchase of land for this project in late 2020. The Local Authority subsequently submitted an initial design however the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Agriculture Schemes (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Funding may be available through the LEADER Programme for the type of project referred to by the Deputy. LEADER is a multi-annual programme covering the period 2014-2020 which is delivered through 29 Local Action Groups (LAGs) around the country. Support under the LEADER programme is provided under a broad range of themes, including Economic Development, Enterprise Development and Job...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: LEADER is a multi-annual programme for rural development co-funded by the EU through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The programme is based on a community-led approach to rural development and plays an important role in supporting communities and enterprises in progressing job creation, social inclusion and environmental projects at local level. Preparations for the design and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Agriculture Schemes (23 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: LEADER is a rural development programme co-funded by the EU that operates a locally-led, bottom-up approach to meeting the needs of local communities and businesses. The programme supports private enterprises and community groups in rural areas. From 2007 to 2020, LEADER was included in the suite of measures that constituted Ireland’s Rural Development Programme (RDP). The Rural...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Education Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 and 263 together. The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who pursue courses of education at second or third level.  The conditions under which the BTEA operates are designed to support customers into employment, subject to meeting certain...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Services (18 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department commissioned Indecon International Consultants to carry out research into the cost of disability in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits the Government to use this research into the cost of disability to individuals and families to properly inform the direction of future policy.  This matter is significantly wider than the income support system which...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Civil Service (18 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: For retiring officers, upon receipt of a notice of retirement and the completed exit forms, the officers annual leave entitlement is calculated and verified with their line manager and the Department's HR Unit. In cases where retired officers have taken leave in excess of their entitlement, in line with the Civil Service Annual Leave Circular 27/03 and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (18 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is now at an advanced stage in its first phase of procuring new employment services.  This phase involves the procurement of regional employment services for seven counties in the Midlands and North-West across four lots.  Procurement for the second phase, while will roll out services across the State, will commence shortly. All services provided on behalf of the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Authorities (18 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department does not provide funding to Local Authorities to host firework displays at Halloween or New Year’s Eve.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Question Heading for question(s) 122 (17 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Credited contributions (credits) are social insurance contributions designed to protect the social insurance entitlement record of insured workers who are not in a position to make PRSI contributions. If, at any stage since starting work, a person has no PRSI contributions paid or credited for 2 full tax years in a row, they cannot be awarded credits again until they return to work and pay...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (17 Nov 2021)

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 from the person concerned on 19 May 2021. The claim for IP was refused on the grounds that the medical conditions for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Qualification for Treatment Benefit is based on satisfying certain PRSI conditions, including having paid the required total number of insurance contributions since first starting work, along with having the required number of contributions paid or credited in the relevant tax year on which the claim is based. A social insurance record in the EU or the UK can assist a person to qualify for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (17 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The list of public bodies that are authorised to use a person's Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) and/or accept a Public Services Card (PSC) as proof of identity when transacting with an individual, is set out in social welfare legislation. An Garda Síochána is included on that list but only in respect of its own members. When the legislation governing the PSC was debated in the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. An increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people. It is payable for a maximum of 104 weeks for each person being cared for. To qualify the carer must satisfy PRSI...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Death Certificates (17 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be aware that the HSE is responsible for the day-to-day delivery of civil registration services. The Eastern Registration Area, Joyce House, is responsible for processing applications for death certificates received via the HSE website certificates.ie. The General Register Office has made enquiries with the HSE who have advised that applications for death certificates...