Results 14,241-14,260 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (8 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. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 16 February 2021. The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined and the deciding officer decided that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: An application for Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 10th May 2021. Applications are processed in date of receipt order, currently applications received at the end of April 2021 are being dealt with. The Deciding Officer will notify the customer in writing as soon as the application has been finalised. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 24 February 2021. According to the records of my Department, they had a total of 1,270 qualifying full-rate paid and credited contributions from their date of entry into insurable employment on 13 July 1971 to end-December 2020. This person’s yearly average was calculated as 26 contributions and gave them an entitlement to a standard...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 8 June 2015. According to the records of my Department, they had a total of 1,035 qualifying full-rate paid and credited contributions from their date of entry into insurable employment on 8 June 1965 to end-December 2014. The Homemakers Scheme was applied to the calculation of the person’s pension entitlement under the yearly average...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a social insurance record of 841 full-rate paid contributions, 717 credited contributions and 754 HomeCaring Periods in respect of childcaring duties for their three children. The person's entitlement to State pension (contributory) has been reviewed. They are entitled to 90.43% of the maximum rate of pension from 11 July...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Payment of the secondary benefits outlined by the Deputy is directly linked to the payment of the primary payment – Disability Allowance. There are no circumstances where the payment of these secondary benefits can continue to be paid when the primary payment has ceased due to the person exceeding the income limit for receipt of the primary payment. Any decision to allow a person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: A minimum of 520 full-rate paid contributions is required to qualify for the standard State pension(contributory). Full-rate social insurance contributions paid up to an applicant's 66th birthday can be included in satisfying this 520 full-rate condition. The maximum number of full-rate paid contributions which can be included in any one contribution year is 52. While credits may be used in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Services (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB), a statutory body under the aegis of my Department, provides funding to the Sign Language Interpreting Service (SLIS) - the national service for the development, promotion and delivery of sign language interpreting services to the Deaf community in Ireland. The Remote Interpreting Application was a six-month pilot project developed by CIB and SLIS, and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The rollout of community CCTV schemes across the country has benefitted many communities, helping people to feel safer in their local areas. It is a priority of mine to ensure that community groups continue to be supported in their valued contributions to their local CCTV schemes whilst ensuring sufficient, proportionate oversight of statutory data protection considerations. Since 2017,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The resources provided by Government to An Garda Síochána have reached unprecedented levels, with an allocation of €1.88 billion in 2020 and of €1.952 billion in 2021. This has enabled sustained ongoing recruitment into the organisation. As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the general management and administration of the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Commissions of Investigation (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the Commission of Investigation which is investigating the extent to which organisations, including State bodies, and individuals were aware of the child sexual abuse committed by an individual during the 1980s is an independent body and I, as Minister for Justice, have no role in the conduct of its investigation. On 9 June I announced my decision to appoint...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will appreciate, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the general management and administration of Garda business, which includes the deployment of members of An Garda Síochána throughout the State. As Minister, I have no role in this independent function. As of 31 May 2021 there were 335 Gardaí assigned to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Joint Policing Committees (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 and 304 together. The Deputies will be aware that my Department recently published the general scheme of the landmark Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill. The Bill will provide for a key principle from the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland - that preventing crime and harm and making our communities safer does not...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department follows the Civil Service Code of Practice on the employment of people with disabilities. I wish to advise the Deputy that while there is no specific budget allocated for assistive technologies required for persons with disabilities in my Department, these additional supports are available to staff on request as required. All such requests are made...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 310, 312 and 319 together. I can assure the Deputy that tackling criminal gang activity is a key priority for the Government and an ongoing priority for An Garda Síochána which is reflected in the National Policing Plan. The Government has supported An Garda Síochána in addressing the threat from organised crime gangs through the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration and operation of An Garda Síochána, including matters of personnel and human resources policy. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters, however I fully support the Commissioner and his management team in their efforts to strengthen and diversify An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 315 and 321 together. As the Deputy may be aware, the decision to grant bail in a particular case is a matter for the presiding Judge, who is independent in the exercise of his or her judicial functions. There is also a Constitutional presumption in favour of the grant of bail as, under Irish Law, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. I have...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy may be aware, prison governors are required by law to accept all prisoners into their custody who have been committed to prison by the Courts. Therefore, the Irish Prison Service has no control over the numbers committed to custody at any given time. I can also advise the Deputy that the prison system has always been subject to peaks and troughs. The number of persons in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The figures requested by the Deputy were not readily available within the timeframe permitted. The information sought is currently being collated and verified by officials within in the Irish Prison Service and when this data is to hand I will be in contact directly with the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Policing Co-operation (8 Jul 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business. This includes the direction of investigative priorities for An Garda Síochána and all operational policing decisions. Under Section 28(2) of the Act, the Commissioner determines the...