Results 14,601-14,620 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a household based payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year), paid from October to April, to 370,000 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...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 172 together. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.  There is no automatic entitlement to a payment under this scheme.  Payments are made...

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

Heather Humphreys: The estimated cost of increasing each weekly social welfare payment by €1 is shown in the table below. Payment Personal €m Qualified Adult €m Total €m Social Insurance Schemes State Pension (Contributory) € 22.0 € 3.0 ...

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

Heather Humphreys: When the State Pension (Transition) existed, it was a scheme which allowed those who were retired to get a transitionary payment between the ages of 65 and 66 years.  The maximum personal rate was equivalent to the then maximum rate for the State Pension (Contributory).  Eligibility was based on PRSI contributions and credits.  It is important to note that the conditions...

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

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 22 June 2015. They applied for State pension (contributory) on 28 May 2021. According to the records of my Department, they have a total of 493 paid full-rate Irish social insurance contributions. Since their contributions fall short of the requisite 520 paid full-rate contributions, they do not qualify for State pension (contributory) based...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (23 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I wish to assure the Deputy that it remains my Department’s objective to do what can be done to identify and return the remains of the person to whom he refers.  A range of steps have been taken to date, which have been of assistance, but which have also highlighted the complexity and scale of the project.  Taking the project further has also been hampered...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (23 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy may be aware, under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for generally managing, administering and carrying on the business of An Garda Síochána. I am informed that the table below, which has been provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of Garda trainees who held a third level...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (23 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, unfortunately I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (23 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, unfortunately I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (23 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is the accounting officer of An Garda Síochána and is responsible under the law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including human resource matters. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters. I am assured however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Remote Working (23 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Remote working has the potential to transform rural Ireland, allowing people to build and maintain careers in good quality jobs while living closer to home, and generating increased economic activity in our rural towns and villages. My Department funds the development of remote working facilities through three main programmes: the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the Town and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Remote Working (23 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The increased shift to remote working as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has given us the opportunity for a greater regional distribution of jobs and to support a better quality of life for many people who previously spent many hours in long commutes. Remote working has the potential to transform rural Ireland, allowing people to build careers in good quality jobs while continuing to...

Seanad: Offences against the State Act 1998 and Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motions (22 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the House for taking these two motions today. The two motions seek this House's approval to continue in force certain provisions in both the Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 which are aimed at tackling terrorism and in the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 in respect of organised crime. Given the nature of these provisions, the Houses of the Oireachtas has decided...

Seanad: Offences against the State Act 1998 and Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motions (22 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Senators for their consideration of these important motions and for their contributions to the debate. I thank, in particular, those who are supporting the motions. As I said earlier, terrorist groups remain a threat to the people on this island. They are opposed to the benefits that have flowed from the peace process and are determined to undermine it. The State must retain in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (22 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision on 1 February 2021.  Under social welfare legislation the decision of an Appeals Officer is generally final and conclusive. However, it may be reviewed by an Appeals Officer...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (22 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: At end May, over 998,800 customers are eligible for free travel, at an annual cost of €95 million.  Under the free travel scheme, travel is permitted for eligible customers free of charge on most CIE public transport services, Luas and a range of services offered by some 80 private operators countrywide, who participate in the scheme.  The company concerned already...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (22 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department approved 77,070 Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) applications in 2020 and 35,337 PPSN applications so far in 2021. The SAFE registration process, which involves the authentication of a person's identity in a face-to-face interview, is the normal method of processing an application for a PPSN. At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (22 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: A recipient of a State Pension payment can claim an increase in their pension in respect of a Qualified Adult.  A Qualified Adult is the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the pensioner who is being wholly or mainly maintained by that pensioner. For the State Pension (non-contributory), both members of a couple are subject to a means test to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (22 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Jobseeker's Transitional payment is a special arrangement under the Jobseeker's Allowance scheme which aims to support lone parents into the workforce.  To qualify for a Jobseeker’s Transitional payment a person must be the parent, step-parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian of a child who is aged between 7 and 13 years inclusive. As the person concerned is a foster parent...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (22 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: All Public Services Card (PSC) appointments were suspended from the beginning of this year because of the Level 5 restrictions. However, appointments were made available for urgent cases in circumstances where the customer had no alternative means of accessing public services other than by acquiring a PSC, and a total of 19,891 such appointments were carried out between 1st January 2021 and...