Results 14,701-14,720 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 159, 160 and 161 together. The Training Support Grant, available through my Department, is designed to support quick access to short-term training where the training is not delivered by a State provider. Supports are tailored to the individual and there are no restrictions on the industry or sector where training may be supported. The grant can be used for...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Increase for qualified adult (IQA) is a means-tested payment, payable to State pension (contributory) claimants whose spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is being wholly or mainly maintained by them, and where that qualified adult’s personal means from any source does not exceed a means test income limit. 50% of jointly-held means or assets is assessable. Where a qualified...

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

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 5 May 2021. Their application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds as it was not found that the person concerned was substantially restricted in taking up employment. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 14 June 2021 and was also notified of their...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the crucial role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. The main income supports to carers provided by this Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: All dealings and decisions made by corporate or individual trustees of an occupational pension scheme are governed by legislation and enforced through the supervision of the Pensions Authority, including matters in relation to representation and arbitration for pensioner members of schemes. The duties of a pension scheme trustee include administering a scheme in trust in accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will appreciate that I am unable to comment or intervene on issues relating to a particular pension scheme.Issues in relation to the ESB pension scheme are primarily a matter for the trustees of the scheme and the ESB Group. Matters directly related to the ESB Group come under the remit of the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications. The Pensions Authority is the...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Central Statistics Office (CSO) produce various estimates of earnings, covering different time periods and income bases. The range of estimates cater for, for example, annual and quarterly figures, average earnings for regular earnings, and average earnings which include irregular earnings. In addition, the CSO has advised caution when looking at earnings data since the onset of the...

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 and 169 together. The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to over 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...

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

Heather Humphreys: When a customer makes a claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, and is deemed eligible for payment, the claim is put into payment on a week 1 basis and any arrears that may be due are issued at a later stage. The first arrears payment issued to customers on the December 1st, 2020 and included any arrears due to customers for the period 13th March to 26th November, 2020. My Department's...

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

Heather Humphreys: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. At the onset of the Covid-19 emergency last year my Department introduced a number of contingency measures to support CE schemes...

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

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing the Domiciliary Care Allowance to €330 per month is €11.4 million. The cost shown above is based on the estimated number of recipients in 2021. This costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.

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

Heather Humphreys: The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approximately...

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

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing the Carer's Support Grant by €150 is €21.5m. This cost is based on the estimated number of recipients in 2021 and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (16 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 the energy costs of a...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the important role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. The main income supports to carers provided by my Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Electric Vehicles (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department did not purchase any vehicles in 2020 or to date in 2021. By way of context, my Department and its agencies currently have three motor vehicles. The cost of replacing these vehicles with an electrical equivalent is estimated to be in the region of €85,000 (excluding VAT and VRT). As the energy usage on these vehicles is relatively low, the Department does not consider...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 206, 207, 208, 209, 210 and 211 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has been working closely with all government departments to support the national COVID-19 effort. My Department has contributed to, and participated in, the large scale cross-Government communications programme which has been running since the start of the COVID-19...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Correspondence (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 212 and 222 together. As the Deputy will be aware from my response to question 667 of 18 May, the Statutory Regulations that govern the operation of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) provide that the Annual Delegate Conference (ADC) must take place not later than May in any year. The ADC of the GRA could not be held in the usual in-person...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, recruitment to An Garda Síochána is governed by legislation, particularly the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 2013. These Regulations provide that the maximum age at which a person may apply to join An Garda Síochána as a full time member is not more than 35 years. I can inform the Deputy that an Expert Review...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Drug Dealing (16 Jun 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I have requested a report from the Garda authorities on the issues raised by the Deputy and I will contact him directly once the report is to hand.