Results 15,021-15,040 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (27 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: In accordance with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) rules, civil and public servants on secondment to other bodies maintain their terms and conditions of employment including salary during their period of secondment. Any additional payments made during that period are non-pensionable. With regard to the individual in question, prior to her redeployment to my...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Policing Authority (27 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The details of the Policing Authority expenditure in 2020 are outlined in the table below. These figures remain subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General. In terms of gross expenditure, an underspend of €596,000 occurred at year-end. Delays in certain planned activities due to Covid-19, including business travel, public meetings and externally-led research, contributed to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Data Protection (27 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I wish to advise the Deputy that the shortfall in expenditure in relation to pay of €2.7m was mainly driven by slower than anticipated recruitment, due to the requirement to move recruitment completely online during 2020. This move required the procurement and development of processes for online tests and examinations, which delayed recruitment campaigns by several months. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (27 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Domicile and Recognition of Foreign Divorces Act 1986 governs the recognition of foreign divorces granted on or after the coming into operation of the Act on 2 October 1986. Section 5 of the 1986 Act provides that a foreign divorce may only be recognised in Ireland if it was granted in the country where either spouse was domiciled on the date the divorce proceedings were instituted. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a statutory income support payment provided for employees and the self employed who have lost work as a direct consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic. Government has confirmed that the PUP will be kept at its current rates and the scheme will remain open to new entrants until 30th June 2021. The Government will set out plans for the future of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Driver Licences (26 May 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 approx. 996,000...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 18 February 2019. Their application for State Pension (contributory) was received by my Department on 9 September 2020. In line with social welfare legislation, the person was awarded State pension (contributory) at 94.2% of the maximum weekly rate, backdated to 10 March 2020, six months from date of receipt of their pension application. They were...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: All disability allowance (DA) claims are subject to periodic reviews. The entitlement of the person concerned was reviewed by a social welfare inspector (SWI) and it was established that she had means not previously disclosed to the Department. On 21 January 2020 the person concerned was notified that her DA payment would be stopped due to having means in excess of the statutory limit with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for the Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds (BP65) with effect from 25/01/2021. The application was assessed and disallowed on the basis that the person concerned is not eligible to receive a BP65 as the only Class S Pay Related Social Insurance contributions on my Department’s records are those from his Approved Retirement Fund and as this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Social welfare legislation provides that, for social assistance schemes such as Disability Allowance, income and capital (such as savings, investments and property other than the family home) belonging to the claimant and his or her partner, where applicable, is assessable for means assessment purposes. The purpose of this is to maintain the policy of ensuring that social welfare expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Social welfare legislation provides that, for social assistance schemes, all income and capital (such as savings, investments and property other than the family home) belonging to the claimant and his or her spouse/partner, where applicable, are assessable for means assessment purposes. The means test plays a critical role in determining whether an income need arises as a consequence of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Blind pension is a residency based means tested payment paid to blind and visually impaired people between the age of 18 and 66 who are habitually resident in the State. There are currently 1,069 customers in receipt of blind pension. The Department does not, in ordinary course, collate data on the specific grounds of disallowances in relation to the range of social assistance schemes it...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Social welfare legislation provides that, for social assistance schemes, all income and capital (such as savings, investments and property (other than the family home) belonging to the claimant and his or her spouse/partner, where applicable, are assessable for means assessment purposes. The purpose of this means assessment is to maintain the overarching policy of ensuring that social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Blind pension is a residency based means tested payment paid to blind and visually impaired people between the age of 18 and 66 who are habitually resident in the State. The Department does not, in ordinary course, collate data on the specific grounds of disallowances in relation to the range of social assistance schemes it delivers. However, I am advised that, in 2020, fewer than ten blind...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Social welfare legislation provides that, for social assistance schemes, all income and capital (such as savings, investments and property (other than the family home) belonging to the claimant and his or her spouse/partner, where applicable, are assessable for means assessment purposes. The purpose of this means assessment is to maintain the overarching policy of ensuring that social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The department does not collate the requested data on the annual administrative cost incurred to conduct means testing of blind persons pension (BPP) and disability allowance (DA) applicants and therefore the figures are not available. Eligibility for BPP and DA is conditional on satisfying the medical criteria, a means test and being habitual residence in the state. A deciding officer must...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Blind persons pension (BPP) is a means tested payment paid to blind and visually impaired people between the age of 18 and 66 who are habitually resident in the State. Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance for people with a disability aged between 16 and 66 with a disability expected to last for at least one year and who satisfy the medical condition, means test and are habitually...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Blind pension is a residency-based means tested payment paid to blind and visually impaired people between the age of 18 and 66 who are habitually resident in the State.There are currently 1,069 customers in receipt of blind pension. The Department does not, in ordinary course, collate data on the specific grounds of disallowances in relation to the range of social assistance schemes it...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance for people with a disability aged between 16 and 66 with a disability expected to last for at least one year and who satisfy the medical condition, means test and are habitually resident in Ireland. The Department does not collate data on the number of DA applications which are refused due to their means being in excess of the statutory limit...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I can advise the Deputy that the Department has made extensive attempts to engage with the customer since the initial application was made in October 2020. Officials from the Department’s office in Ballybofey are arranging an interview with the customer, to discuss the claim and obtain further documentation. I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.