Results 13,041-13,060 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (20 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, Garda numbers have increased substantially in recent years, from 12,943 Garda members and 1,999 Garda staff in 2016 to 14,345 Garda members and 3,172 staff at the end of September this year. I am pleased to note that Budget 2022 commits to the further recruitment of an additional 800 Gardaí next year and to the recruitment of an additional 400 Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (20 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is, by law, responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána and for the effective and efficient deployment of Garda resources, including Garda stations. Following a review of An Garda Síochána's accommodation requirements, the Commissioner decided that a Public Private Partnership (PPP) should...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Contracts (20 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm to the Deputy that neither I, or my Department officials, have had contact or entered into contracts with the referenced company in the time period in question.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Policies (20 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 326 and 327 together. ‘Our Rural Future' is the Government's ambitious rural development policy for 2021 to 2025, and was published on 29 March. It contains over 150 commitments across the whole-of-Government, for both short-term recovery and longer-term economic and social development in rural areas. The policy has a five-year timeframe, with updates...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (20 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce is expected to reconvene in the coming weeks. Engagement between officials in my Department and in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications is ongoing with proposals regarding the membership, structure and specific actions of the reconstituted Taskforce at an advanced stage. The draft proposals for the reconstituted Taskforce...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Proofing of Policies (19 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to providing employment supports to all who need them. This includes providing targeted measures to those most distant from the labour market, including women. In July of this year, I launched Pathways to Work 2021-2025; Government’s national employment services strategy and the overall framework for activation and employment support policy. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (19 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Currently, there are 32.5 Medical Assessors working in the Department's Medical Review and Assessment Service. This figure includes the Chief Medical Adviser and the Deputy Chief Medical Adviser. The Medical Assessors can be assigned to any of the medical-related schemes administered by my Department and are not assigned to individual payment sections.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Christmas Bonus is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income.   The Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (19 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department has allocated Personal Public Service Numbers (PPSNs) to the children referred to by the Deputy.  Letters issued to their parents on 4th October 2021, providing them with their childrens' PPSNs. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly in-work support, which provides an income support for employees, on low earnings, with children. To qualify for Working Family Payment the customer must have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them. Under Social Welfare Legislation, a qualified child is defined as a child under 18 years of age or aged between 18 and up to age...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (19 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I assume the Deputy’s Question is referring to the Pensions Commission’s recommendations in relation to increasing Social Insurance Fund (SIF) income.    The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine the sustainability of the State Pension system and the Social Insurance Fund, in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment.  The...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced as an emergency measure in the exceptional circumstances of Covid-19 to support employees and the self -employed who were impacted as a direct result of public health measures mandated by the Government. To date expenditure on the scheme is over €8.8 billion. Last week the number of PUP payments fell below 100,000 for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) ceases to be payable when a child reaches age 16 years. Disability Allowance (DA) can then be paid from age 16 if the qualifying conditions for that scheme are met.  Following a commitment made in the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for people with disabilities 2015 -2024, the “Make Work Pay for People with Disabilities”...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (19 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: To begin with, PRSI class K can be paid by individuals other than public representatives. In this case the PRSI class K currently on record is the class of PRSI that was returned by the individual’s employer or their representatives. Where an individual is in fact an employee of their spouse, then that employment is excepted employment under the provisions of paragraph 1 of Part 2 of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (19 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: 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 has completed it work and its report was published on the 7th October 2021.  The Commission’s Report has unambiguously established that the current State Pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a payment in respect of children, up to the age of 16, who require care and attention substantially in excess of that required by other children their age.   Disability Allowance (DA) is a payment for people with a specified disability who are aged between 16 and 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 over a full fuel season) from October to April, to 365,000 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My officials have advised a Supplementary Welfare Allowance form issued to the person concerned by post on 06/10/2021.  As the completed forms had not been received by the Community Welfare Service on 13/10/2021 a designated officer contacted the person concerned by phone and arranged for new forms to be posted to her.  I understand that the designated officer was to contact the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, an application for financial assistance towards the cost of travel expenses has not been received from the person concerned.  To facilitate the person concerned, my officials issued an application form by post on 14/10/2021.  Upon receipt of the completed application form and supporting documentation, the claim will be assessed and a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Oct 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Qualified Fuel Allowance recipients who opt to receive their payment by way of lump sum received their first payment, of €392, during the week commencing 27 September 2021.  The second lump sum will be paid in early January 2022.   In Budget 2022, the weekly rate of Fuel Allowance has been increased by €5 with effect from the week commencing 11th October...