Results 141-160 of 2,217 for long speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Projects (1 Feb 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...for Meath County Council. I understand that Bettystown Library is a seafront building which will also house a lifeguard station and various facilities for beachgoers and the project has been a long-term objective of the local authority. Meath County Council submitted an application to my Department for Libraries Capital Programme funding in 2016 which was unsuccessful at that time. It...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (31 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...education was one of my key priorities as part of Budget 2024 and work on introducing this change is ongoing. I believe the extension of Child Benefit to 18-year-olds in full-time education is a long-term change for the better and will support families across Ireland into the future. In order to be a qualified child for the purpose of Child Benefit, the child must, amongst other things,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Library Projects (30 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...the library is for everybody. It does not matter if you are young or old, there is something in the library for you. Libraries had the image years ago as slightly boring places, but that is long gone because they are hives of activity in our communities. It would do your heart good to go into one because there is something for everybody. There might be access to learning computer...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (30 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...able to assist as well. However, I do not think I have been found wanting in terms of the LIS. Anytime I had surplus money I have topped up the schemes because there are some counties with very long lists.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Library Projects (30 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...will know. Between the library capital programme and the rural regeneration fund together, €86 million has been invested in major library capital projects in recent years. It is not that long ago since I was in Kinsale where they have done a great job with a new library in what was an old mill. It was a €4.8 million project which absolutely transformed that whole area...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (30 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...for PRSI contributions. Furthermore, persons on career breaks who are engaged in home caring may qualify for pension caring supports including the Homecaring support and Homemakers scheme as long as they are registered as providing full time care to a child under twelve and/or to an incapacitated person. This period can be included in the person’s social insurance record in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel Allowance (FA) may be payable to certain households in receipt of long-term Social Welfare payments who are unable to provide for their heating needs. Only one FA is payable per household. The person concerned is in receipt of Carer's Allowance from my Department, which is not a qualifying payment for FA. However, the person's spouse is in receipt of Invalidity Pension, which is a...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...and Youth and of Justice. I will speak to the Bill first. The purpose of this Bill is: to change the means test for social welfare payments in order that child maintenance payments will no longer be assessed as means; to remove the liable relative provisions from social welfare legislation; and to change the supports provided to people newly arriving from Ukraine who are living in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Equality Issues (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...'s Intreo Employment Service supports jobseekers and delivers targeted measures to achieve this goal, by:providing an intensive model of engagement with young people profiled as being at risk of long-term unemployment. The frequency of engagement with a case officer has increased from once a month to once a fortnight, to provide enhanced support to this priority cohort.Working with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (23 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...their pension in exactly the same way as they can today. In addition, there will be new flexibility for those reaching State Pension age, so that people may choose to defer their pension, work longer and receive a higher pension payment, if they wish. The flexible State Pension system is about providing people with choice. People will decide for themselves what best suits their needs...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. I have provided €100 million for local improvement schemes since 2017. I know we are making inroads into the long list and some counties have opened up their schemes for new applications. I do not know if that is the case in County Kerry. Some counties kept them closed until they got the list reduced considerably. I will be announcing the LIS schemes at the end...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...would not qualify for Illness Benefit as they do not have any reckonable PRSI contributions paid in the relevant tax years. It is open for the person concerned to make an application for the long-term, means-tested Disability Allowance. If the person concerned is in urgent need of financial assistance, it is open for them to contact the Community Welfare Officer in their local Intreo...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...doing transition year, there has been an increase in the number of 18-year-olds still in secondary education. I believe the extension of Child Benefit to 18-year-olds in full-time education is a long-term change for the better and will support families across Ireland into the future. This is a significant change to the Child Benefit scheme which will require technical and operational...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household. The Fuel Allowance is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income. People on long term payments are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Customers in receipt of the Jobseeker's Transitional Payment can engage in education, training or employment without it affecting their payment, as long as they continue to satisfy the means test, subject to an earnings disregard. Recipients of the payment are supported by the Department to enter or return to employment and/or to undertake educational and training programmes, through the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...and encourage a higher level of employment for people with disabilities by tailoring the provision of employment supports to suit a person’s capabilities. The Paper’s key proposal is to introduce a new long-term disability payment that has three tiers of payment with associated employment supports. This takes into consideration the recommendations of the Cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance payment and Christmas Bonus is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income. People on long term payments are unlikely to have additional resources of their own and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...(contributory). They cannot however be used to satisfy the requirement to have 520 full rate contributions. In September 2022, I announced the introduction of State Pension provision for long-term carers by attributing the equivalent of paid contributions to cover gaps in their contribution record. These Long-Term Carer's Contributions are available to those who provided full time care...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ....A €300 cost of living lump sum for those getting the Fuel Allowance.A €200 cost of living lump sum to people who are getting a Living Alone Increase.A Christmas Bonus double payment to all persons getting a long-term disability payment.From January 2024 there will be an increase of €12 in maximum personal rate of weekly disability payments, with proportionate...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (17 Jan 2024)

Heather Humphreys: .... Over recent years I have improved supports for people with disabilities through weekly rate increases and cost of living payments. In Budget 2024 the following measures were announced which people on long-term disability supports may benefit from: €400 once-off payment for Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension and Carer’s Support Grant...