Results 17,621-17,640 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 424 to 426, inclusive, 431 and 434 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance is a means-tested once-off payment aimed at helping families with the extra costs when children start school each autumn. To qualify for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance payment in 2020, the following conditions must apply: - The applicant must be in receipt of a qualifying payment between 1 June 2020 and 30 September 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I was pleased to announce as part of Budget 2021 that the Christmas Bonus will be paid this year at a rate of 100% to an estimated 1.5 million recipients, at a cost of €349.3 million. Usually, the Bonus is only paid to recipients of long-term social welfare payments, who are dependent upon their social welfare payment for most or all of their income for what is normally a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Working Family Payment is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. It is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents and to offer a financial incentive to take up and remain in employment. Increasing the Working Family Payment income threshold for families with one, two or three children in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” sets out how the planned increase in the State pension age next year will be deferred and it will remain at 66 years pending the report of the Commission on Pensions. The Government confirmed as part of its Budget 2021 measures that the required amendment to primary legislation (the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005) will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” commits to introducing a Retirement Payment for 65 year olds paid at the same rate as Jobseeker's Benefit without a requirement to sign on, partake in any activation measures or be available for and genuinely seeking work. Officials in my Department are currently considering how the Government commitment could be implemented and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Offices (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department operates 13 main offices and 75 Intreo Centres across this jurisdiction.  All of these buildings have at least one restroom for staff which can be used by a breastfeeding mother.  The rooms have a bed, a chair and a lockable door.  All our offices have fridge facilities for use by staff and arrangements are made locally by mothers who wish to store expressed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned will reach pension age on 9 November 2020.  Their application for State pension (contributory) was received on 9 September 2020.  According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a social insurance record of 1,335 full-rate paid contributions, 27 credited contributions and 681 HomeCaring Periods. This gives them...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has no record of receiving an application for Fuel Allowance from the person concerned. If the person wishes to make a claim, they should submit a completed application for Fuel Allowance (Form NFS1), which is available for download on www.gov.ie or from their local post office, to State Pension Non Contributory, Social Welfare Services, College Road , Sligo. Their application...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Development Companies (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Local Development Companies (LDCs) implement a range of programmes on behalf of a number of Government Departments. In relation to my Department, LDCs are involved in the delivery of the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP) and the LEADER programme. LDCs are a valued stakeholder and will continue to play a vital role in implementing each of these programmes locally.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Water and Sewerage Schemes (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Funding for national water investment is allocated to Irish Water; some funding for group water schemes is allocated from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The allocation of Rural Regeneration and Development funding is overseen by my Department and this supports the development and delivery of ambitious and strategic projects which contribute to sustainable rural...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Digital Hubs (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: A broad range of digital hubs currently operate across Ireland, providing diversity in terms of the capacity, scale of facilities, and services they offer. The management and ownership of these hubs varies from privately owned facilities, to those under the responsibility of public bodies, and hubs operated by social enterprises. There is currently no centralised dataset on the number or...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Digital Hubs (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The ecosystem of hubs and other facilities throughout the country offering hot-desk facilities are a significant support to both remote workers and students at the present time. These facilities cover the spectrum from fully commercially-operating business models, to public sector and social enterprise hubs. The Western Development Commission (WDC) has mapped over 100 remote working...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Regeneration Scheme (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Arising from the first and second calls under the Rural Regeneration scheme, 63 Category 1 projects have been approved for funding of €131 million and 76 Category 2 projects have been approved for funding of €35 million. Category 1 relates to major capital projects that can drive sustainable rural regeneration and development, while Category 2 supports projects that require...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Walks Scheme (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Walks Scheme, which my Department administers, contracts landholders to undertake maintenance work on National Waymarked Ways and other priority trails that traverse their lands. The landholders receive modest payments for maintenance work undertaken in line with agreed work plans. Rural Recreation Officers, who manage the Scheme at local level, help to ensure that these walks are...

Financial Resolutions 2020 - Financial Resolution No. 7: General (Resumed) (15 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: This week I presented my first budget as both Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development. The budget of Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection for 2021 will be €25.1 billion. This is the largest ever annual allocation and is more than €4 billion larger than the Department's allocation in last year's...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (15 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The guidelines governing eligibility for the Back-to-Education Allowance (BTEA) require that the allowance should only be approved where the course of study involved would lead to a higher qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) than that already held by the customer. I am advised that as the person concerned has already completed a Level 7 NFQ course and is now...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment (15 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work supplementary payment that provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with qualified children. WFP is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid employees with child dependents and to offer a financial incentive to pursue employment. The number of WFP customers who are employed by the Departments of Defence and Foreign...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (15 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” sets out how the planned increase in the State pension age next year will be deferred and it will remain at 66 years pending the report of the Commission on Pensions. This will require amendment to primary legislation and the Government will bring the necessary legislation before the Oireachtas later this year. As the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Farm Relief Scheme (15 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” sets out how the planned increase in the State pension age next year will be deferred and it will remain at 66 years pending the report of the Commission on Pensions. The Government announced, as part of Budget 2021 that this will require amendment to primary legislation and the Government will bring the necessary legislation...