Results 17,441-17,460 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Development Companies (4 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 168 together. The LEADER programme is co-funded by the European Commission under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The current 2014-2020 LEADER programming period concludes in December 2020. Proposals for new regulations for the CAP 2021-2027 were launched in June 2018 by the European Commission. However, given the protracted nature of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: One-Parent Family Payment (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: It is fair to say that in the case of foster care arrangements, the legal responsibility for the child remains with Tusla, although I reiterate I am happy to engage with the Deputy on this matter. It is important that we encourage as many people as we can to foster children because they provide a great service to the State. While Tusla supports them financially, I do not see any reason we...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Tidy Towns Competition (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I also recognise the great work of our Tidy Towns committees. I am a little biased because Glaslough in my county won the 2019 Tidy Towns competition. I know, therefore, how much this means and the sense of pride which it brings to the local community. I have also attended many events where prizes were given out and it was great to meet people from every organisation across the country. I...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: One-Parent Family Payment (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and for the opportunity to outline the current arrangements in place regarding foster parents and the one-parent family payment. It is important to recognise the significant contribution that foster parents make. I know foster parents myself and the Deputy is correct that they carry out a valuable role. He has shared Kirsty's story with us, and I...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Tidy Towns Competition (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this matter. First, I say very clearly tonight that it is absolutely my intention that we will have a Tidy Towns competition in 2021. The SuperValu Tidy Towns has been in existence since 1958, as Deputy Sherlock notes, and it has become an integral part of our culture over the intervening years. The competition continues to grow in popularity and in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Community Involvement Scheme (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads (RLR) is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 826, 830 and 844 together. Budget 2021 introduced an earnings threshold of up to €480 over a rolling 4 week period for self- employed people who are in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. The threshold amount is based on gross income minus trading expenses and before tax and PRSI are deducted. The measure was implemented with immediate...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced as an emergency measure to provide an income support to those who had lost their employment as a result of Covid. In order to ensure that the scheme was simple and accessible for the unprecedented number of applicants, a flat payment rate was introduced. This rate was the equivalent of the rate for a two-person household. From 26 June...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Support Services (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) paper "Budget 2021: The Use of Carbon Tax Funds" details how much the carbon tax is expected to raise in 2021 and the allocation of the resulting funds in line with the Programme for Government (PFG). As per the PFG, all of the resulting revenues raised through the carbon tax are to be used to: - ensure that the increases in the carbon...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Wage Subsidy Scheme (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) is an employment support to private sector employers, the objective of which is to encourage employers to employ people with disabilities and thereby increase the numbers of people with disabilities participating in the open labour market. The scheme provides financial incentives to private sector employers to hire people with a disability for between 21 and 39...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In accordance with Social Welfare legislation the person with whom a qualified child normally resides is qualified to receive child benefit in respect of that child. The person concerned received child benefit for her daughter for a period when the child no longer resided with her. As a result, she was not entitled to payment for the period in question and a revised decision was made...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 832 and 846 together. Parent’s Leave and Benefit will be extended from 2 weeks for each parent to 5 weeks as announced in Budget 2021. This extension will be made available retrospectively to parents in respect of children born or adopted on or after 1st November 2019. The period during which this leave can be taken will be extended from 12 to 24...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) scheme offers support for people who are long-term unemployed and who are interested in self-employment as a route to entering the labour market. The scheme plays a vital role in supporting the development of new enterprises for the long term unemployed and is payable for a 24 month period from the commencement of their new business. In the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The 2021 Budget Estimate for the Rural Social Scheme is €52.2m. This is a reduction of €1.9m on the 2020 Revised Estimate but is similar to the 2020 emerging outturn which will be around €52.3m. The Rural Social Scheme is paid on a Thursday and there are 53 Thursdays in 2020. As there will be 52 Thursdays in 2021, this will result in a saving of €0.85m in 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Officials in my Department have consulted with An Post who operate the Household Budget Scheme on behalf of the Department. An Post has clarified that all Approved Housing Bodies are eligible to use the Household Budget Scheme. While previously there was a threshold whereby an Approved Housing Body would be required to have a certain number of customers before it could access the scheme,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Jobseeker’s Allowance is a means-tested payment and the rate of payment depends on the income, earnings and savings of the person concerned and their spouse / partner in the case of married / cohabiting couples. The person concerned applied for Jobseekers Allowance on 16/9/20 and submitted details of their own and their spouses income . On 23/09/2020 a means assessment issued...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 838, 912, 914 and 931 together. The Back to Education Allowance has been extended as part of the July Stimulus in response to Covid-19. Ordinarily a person must be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a minimum period before being eligible to apply for the scheme when pursuing training or education and these periods have been waived for those...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment Scheme is available to employees and self- employed people who have lost their employment and the income from that employment due to the pandemic, and who satisfy the other qualifying conditions of the scheme. The scheme is not available to an individual in the circumstances as set out by the Deputy. People in the situation outlined who are experiencing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the table below. The county breakdown is based on 239,112 of the 295,860 people still in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payments, as of the week ending 1st November 2020, who have made at least one PRSI contribution in 2018 (the latest full year of PRSI contributions available to my Department). County Number of PUP...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Partial Capacity Benefit Scheme (3 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) allows a person who has been in receipt of Illness Benefit for six months and who may not have full capacity for work, to return to employment and continue to receive a partial or full payment from the Department. The personal rate of payment is based on the assessment of the persons restriction on capacity for work i.e. Moderate, Severe or Profound, where they...