Results 12,761-12,780 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Eligibility to Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is based on a child having a severe disability that requires ongoing care and attention substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age and is likely to last for at least one year. It is payable in respect of children aged under 16 years and is not means tested. Incapacitated child tax credit...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Benefit Payment for 65 year olds was introduced in early 2021 in line with the Programme for Government commitment, to address the position of people who are 65 who are required to or who choose to retire at age 65 but who do not qualify for the State Pension until they reach age 66. The underlying statutory basis of this benefit is provided for under Jobseeker's Benefit. However,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: It is well known that as the yearly average method of calculating the rate of pay at which the State Pension (contributory) uses the time spent by individuals in the social insurance system, some can receive a full rate pension with as little as 10 years worth of contributions. To this end, the National Pensions Framework (2010) confirmed the intention to introduce a new method for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The original purpose of the mortgage interest supplement scheme (MIS) was to provide short-term support to eligible people who were unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which was their sole place of residence, due to temporary unemployment or loss of earnings. The 2011 Inter-Departmental Mortgage Arrears Working Group Report, known as the Keane Report,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Correspondence (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 393 and 406 together. Firstly, I want to acknowledge the work of Local Employment Service and Job Clubs providers across the State. My Department has been given clear legal advice from the Chief State Solicitors Office and the Attorney General that the contracting of these services is unsustainable in its current form and there must be a competitive...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (16 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, that person cannot get credits until he/she returns to work and pays PRSI...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Following clarification with the Deputy’s office, the protocols requested pertain to DCA and Invalidity Pension. Domiciliary Care Allowance The fundamental guidelines for assessing Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) was developed by an Expert Medical Group (available on www.gov.ie) was established in advance of the transfer of the scheme to this Department in 2009, and recommended that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned must complete an application form for fuel allowance and submit it to the Department in order to have his eligibility checked and a formal decision made on his entitlement to the allowance. To date no application for fuel allowance has been received from the person concerned. An application form issued to him on 11 November 2021. I trust this clarifies the matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned must complete an application form for living alone allowance and submit it to the Department in order to have his eligibility checked and a formal decision made on his entitlement to the allowance. To date no application for living alone allowance has been received from the person concerned. An application form issued to him on 11 November 2021. I trust this clarifies...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned was in receipt of Illness Benefit from the 5th May 2011 to the 29th November 2012, at which point he transferred to Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB). This is a scheme that allows a person to return to work and continue to receive a full or partial payment from the Department. He received PCB from the 30th November 2012 to the 22nd May 2013, at which point his entitlement to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Since the gradual lifting of restrictions the number of customers receiving PUP has fallen dramatically to approximately 60,400 compared to an earlier peak this year of 481,000 in February and a peak of more than 600,000 in 2020. It is important therefore in the interests of equity and sustainability to restore standard social welfare payments in a careful and considered manner. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is currently in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Under Pathways to Work 2021-2025, the Government committed to the expansion of Intreo’s Public Employment Service capacity to ensure that all those who wish to enter or re-enter the labour force have the necessary support to help them make the transition to work. In particular, the Pathways to Work strategy seeks to increase labour market participation among groups that would not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and certain others in receipt of social welfare payments who pursue courses of education at second or third level, subject to meeting the qualifying conditions. To qualify for BTEA, a person must be in receipt of a social welfare payment for a minimum period of 3 months if pursuing a 2nd level course, or 9...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) scheme offers support for people who are long-term unemployed and who are interested in self-employment as a route to entering the labour market. The scheme plays a vital role in supporting the development of new enterprises for the long-term unemployed and is payable for up to a 24-month period from the commencement of their new business. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The opinion of the medical assessor, provided for the benefit of the deciding officer in this domiciliary care allowance application is being released as part of a recent Freedom of Information request by the person concerned and will be sent directly to her shortly. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and also the potential of remote working hubs as key economic assets for our rural towns and villages. My Department operates a number of funding schemes that focus on projects supporting remote working through the development of hubs, including...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Services (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that, as announced by the Government on 30 August 2021 in its plan for the next phase of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, “COVID-19: Reframing the Challenge, Continuing Our Recovery and Reconnecting”, certain activities in libraries were allowed to resume from 20 September. I can confirm that this includes the provision of study and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The LEADER programme is a key intervention implemented by my Department which will help to underpin the Government's rural development goals as outlined in Our Rural Future. LEADER is administered by 29 LAGs which deliver funding in accordance with Local Development Strategies that have been agreed for each LAG area. Each LAG has been given a funding allocation for the duration of the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (16 Nov 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and also the potential of remote working hubs as key economic assets for our rural towns and villages. My Department operates a number of funding schemes that focus on projects supporting remote working through the development of hubs,...