Results 15,381-15,400 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Ensuring that island communities have access to reliable transport services is a core objective of my Department. A subsidy is paid to attract operators to provide a service where it may not otherwise be viable for them to do so. While the subsidy will assist with operating costs and to establish a transport service, operators are encouraged to develop the service further. The number...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Burial Grounds (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 743 and 744 together. While my Department has legislative responsibility regarding burial grounds, this responsibility does not extend to the fees charged by local authorities. These costs are a matter for each local authority in respect of the cemeteries and burial grounds they provide. My Department does not hold information on the various fees charged...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ferry Services (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, this relates to a procurement matter, which is still underway. This process is being undertaken in keeping with the standard approach taken for ferry services subsidised by my Department. In general terms, as part of a Request for Tender (RFT) for any of the service subsidised by the Department, the minimum acceptable level...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dormant Accounts Fund (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The public library service has benefitted from Dormant Accounts Funding of €1.3m during the past two years which has supported Library Authorities in their delivery of programmes to support disadvantaged, marginalised and socially excluded communities while at the same time solidifying the library's position as a community hub. In 2019, Dormant Accounts funding of €650,000...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Media (18 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department operates three accounts on Twitter and one on Facebook. The table below provides a breakdown of the information requested by the Deputy for the period in question (1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021). Departmental Twitter @DeptRCD Tidy Towns Twitter @TidyTownsIre Tidy Towns Ireland Facebook Community Libraries Twitter...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (13 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department temporarily postponed the SAFE registration process. This included the suspension of renewal notifications to customers whose Public Services Cards (PSCs) were due to expire. This decision was taken to comply with HSE and WHO guidelines in respect of social distancing and to ensure the health and safety of the Department's customers...

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

Heather Humphreys: Medical Assessors working within my Department are assigned on foot of an Open Competition which is administered by the Public Appointments Service on behalf of the Department. The eligibility criteria for the post include a requirement for applicants to be medical practitioners who are fully registered in the General Register of Medical Practitioners maintained by the Medical Council of...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) remains available to employees and self-employed who have lost their employment as a direct consequence of the pandemic and who satisfy the qualifying conditions of the statutory scheme. In the case of student nurses taking up clinical placement, the Department has clarified that the PUP is payable to those student nurses who were already in part time...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel Scheme is available to people aged 66 and over who are permanently residing in the State. Applicants under age 66 must be in receipt of a qualifying payment in order to qualify for Free Travel. The qualifying payments for those under age 66 for Free Travel purposes include Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension, (or a person who is blind or severely visually impaired and...

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

Heather Humphreys: Processing targets are published each year on gov.ie in the Revised Estimates and Volume (REV) for the Public Service and kept under review. The 2020 targets have been used in the figures provided below. Most of these targets were set at 90% in 2012 with revisions made to the following in 2017: - State Pension (Non Contributory) - Disability Allowance - Carer’s Allowance - Invalidity...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Government established a Child Maintenance Review Group to examine certain issues in relation to child maintenance in Ireland. The Group is chaired by former Circuit Court Judge Catherine Murphy and includes legal, policy and academic professionals as well as officials from my Department and the Department of Justice. The Group's Terms of Reference are to consider and make...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (13 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department intends to issue a Request for Tender (RFT) shortly to expand local employment services into four geographical areas where a Local Employment Service does not currently exist. This initial competitive procurement process, required to comply with EU procurement rules, will have no impact on the contracts of existing providers in other areas. Separately, the current contracts...

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

Heather Humphreys: Blind Pension is one of a range of means-tested social assistance payments. Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse / partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme. The means assessment reflects the fact that there is an expectation that people with reasonable amounts of income or capital are in a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (13 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department holds contributor's social insurance records. Since 1979, social insurance contributions are collected and returned to my Department under the Revenue PAYE system. Prior to this, social insurance contributions were collected by means of social insurance cards being stamped by employers for each week of employment and returned to the Department. All social insurance records,...

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

Heather Humphreys: Over €7.5 billion has been paid out on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) since the onset of the pandemic last March which demonstrates the Government’s commitment to supporting workers impacted by restrictions. As restrictions are eased further over the coming weeks it is expected that an increasing number of people will be in a position to close their PUP claims as their...

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

Heather Humphreys: An application for the Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) was received from the person concerned on 29 July 2020. A person may apply for CSG in any given year 8 weeks before the date on which the grant is payable and up to 31 December the following year. To qualify for CSG, a carer must be providing full-time care to the care recipient for a continuous period of at least six months and...

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

Heather Humphreys: In advance of the publication of Circular 20/2019, my Department has been working over recent years on progressing the green agenda. In this regard, my Department has been complying with environmental law and has developed strategies on waste management, energy reduction and developing and delivering online schemes and services in line with its Digital Strategy. A Corporate Procurement...

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department participates fully in resettlement programmes, providing income support where appropriate and access to the Public Employment Service (PES) to assist and support in finding employment. Labour market activation policies delivered by the PES are designed to assist people in finding employment For a person in receipt of a jobseeker payment, activation is delivered through an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Fines Administration (13 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I have requested a report on the information requested by the Deputy from the Garda authorities, however this was not available in time. I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (13 May 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I have requested a report on the information requested by the Deputy from the Garda authorities, however this was not available in time. I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.