Results 14,121-14,140 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future aims at reimagining rural Ireland by revitalising towns and villages, and getting more people to live, work and enjoy rural areas. It notes that Ireland’s overall economic and social wellbeing depends on the strength of the recovery in rural areas. It also recognises the centrality of communities in delivering on this ambitious new vision. The Policy commits to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (14 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which encompasses the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), is the lead Department responsible for Action 16 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021. My Department's ICT services are provided by the OGCIO and we follow its lead in improving accessibility and encouraging universal design principles in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (14 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Rural and Community Developmentwas established on 19th July 2017 to provide a renewed and consolidated focus on rural and community development in Ireland. My Department and the agencies under it's remit have engaged with people with disabilities under Action 32 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017 – 2021 in a number of ways. The Department and it's...

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

Heather Humphreys: Addressing the issue of rural isolation is relevant to the work of a number of Government Departments. This is reflected in ongoing Government work including that aimed at enhancing community policing, rural transport links and tackling social inclusion. Focus on actions to address the issue of isolation in communities has become more important than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of...

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

Heather Humphreys: The 2014-2020 LEADER programme for Ireland had an allocation of €250 million. €225 million of this budget was allocated to Local Action Groups (LAGs) who delivered the programme and approve projects at local level. This allocation covered both core project expenditure and the administration costs of the LAG. For the purposes of the LEADER Programme, County Cork was divided into...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme, or LIS, is a programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in rural areas which are not under the normal maintenance of the Local Authorities. The scheme is funded by my Department and is administered through relevant Local Authorities. Cork City Council along with Galway City Council and the Dublin local authorities are not eligible for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (14 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: In August 2019, my Department launched Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, the strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland. This strategy was developed in consultation with the cross-sectoral group and a work plan to progress its implementation has been agreed. Work is ongoing in respect of a number of the objectives outlined in the strategy including:...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (13 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The PUP was introduced as an exceptional measure for employees and the self- employed who lost employment as a direct consequence of Covid-19.  This week just over 211,000 people received the PUP, representing a drop of over 270,000 from a peak of 482,000 recipients in February this year. As more and more people return to work every week due to the gradual lifting of restrictions and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (13 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The PUP was introduced as an exceptional measure for employees and the self- employed who lost employment as a direct consequence of Covid-19.  To allow as much time as possible for the economy to recover and employments to re-open, there will be no change to the PUP rate until 7th September when it will be gradually reduced on a tapered basis, over a 6 month period until February 2022,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Birth Certificates (13 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The HSE has advised the a certificate has issued in this case.  The Deputy will be aware that the HSE is responsible for registering births and issuing certificates once registration has been completed.  Orders for certificates can be placed with any office of the HSE, its online certificate service or with the General Register Office (which operates under the aegis of my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (13 Jul 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.  Permanently incapable of work is defined as an incapacity for work of such a nature that the likelihood is that the claimant will be incapable of work for life or an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care. I am advised that there is no current application registered for the person concerned for CA.  If the person in question wishes to make an application, he should complete and return...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reviews (13 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department undertakes social impact assessments using the tax/welfare microsimulation model, SWITCH, developed by the Economic and Social Research Institute. Social impact assessment is an evidence-based methodology which estimates the likely distributive effects of policy proposals on household incomes, families, poverty and access to employment. It is a widely used tool at European...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The numbers of applications received for Domiciliary Care Allowance since 2017 are detailed in the table below.  A breakdown of these figures on a county basis is not available as this information is not routinely collated by the Department.   Year Number of DCA Applications received 2017 8,197 2018 8,609 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The number of Domiciliary Care Allowance claims refused at initial application are detailed in the table below.  A breakdown of these figures on a county basis is not available as this information is not routinely collated by the Department.   Year Number of DCA Applications refused 2017 2,187 2018 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance is a payment in recognition of the substantial additional care needs of children with a disability as evidenced in the application and supporting documentation. Decisions to award or refuse claims are not based on the diagnosis alone, but on the extent and complexity of the care needs of the child. Each application is assessed by a deciding officer on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The numbers of Domiciliary Care Allowance claims refused following initial application are detailed in the table below. A breakdown of these figures on a county basis is not available as this information is not routinely collated by the Department. Year Number of DCA Applications refused 2017 2,187 2018 2,225  ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is administered centrally for the entire country, and as a result statistics for applications and reviews processed are not collated on a county by county basis. The available figures, which are from 2018, for successful reviews carried out by DCA section are outlined in the table below. Year Found eligible on review by a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.  I understand that the Deputy has clarified that the information he is seeking is in relation to the number of domiciliary care applications which were successful...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn.  The scheme operates from June to September each year. The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified...