Results 17,741-17,760 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (13 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 27 May 2017. According to the records of my Department, they have a total of 853 qualifying full-rate paid contributions and 282 credited contributions from their date of entry into insurable employment on 29 May 1967 to end December 2016. This equates to a yearly average of 22 contributions and gives them an entitlement to a standard State...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Walks Scheme (13 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department administers the Walks Scheme under which landholders receive modest payments for maintenance works on approved trails in line with agreed work plans. There are currently 39 trails included in the Walks Scheme and, in December last, it was announced that 10 new trails will be added as part of a phased expansion of the scheme. Work Plans are currently being finalised with...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Recreation Policy (13 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 projects that can drive sustainable rural regeneration and development, while Category 2 supports projects that require development...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (13 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that the application referred to by the Deputy has been received by my Department . Over 300 applications have been received by my Department under the programme in question. My officials are currently assessing all of the applications received and I hope to be in a position to announce the successful projects over the coming weeks when the assessment process is fully complete.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (8 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Duffy Cahill report, which was commissioned by the Government in the aftermath of the Clery’s closure, highlighted how the issues raised by that event and the subsequent legal cases are highly complex. The Duffy Cahill report was sent to the Company Law Review Group (CLRG) in 2016 for its consideration as part of the work of that group in advising the Minister for Business,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (8 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision on 14 August 2020. In accordance with social welfare legislation, where the Appeals Officer is of the opinion that the case is of such a nature that it can properly be determined...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (8 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: It is confirmed that the Department have not, to date, received an application for a Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance from the person concerned. It is open to the person concerned to make an application and a decision will be made on same in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (8 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: One of the conditions for receipt of the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is that individuals must have last worked on or after 6th March 2020. Departmental records (which have been confirmed by the Department's PUP review section) show that a Covid PUP application from Ms. Ali, dated 25th March 2020, was received and processed in the Department on 7thApril 2020. Ms. Ali...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (8 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department does not have any contracts with public relations agencies or PR consultants. I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (8 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I wish to advise the Deputy that details on my Department’s organisational structure, its Divisions and its senior management team (including their names and a description of all individual roles from Secretary General to Principal Officer level) are available on the ‘whodoeswhat’ website at the following link – . The email structure to contact officials at my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (8 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Since the 17th of September, the rate of all Pandemic Unemployment Payments (PUP) are related to the prior earnings of the customer. The entitlement to PUP of the person concerned has been re-rated to a rate of €250 per week – this is based on a combination of her 2019 self employment income and earnings. I understand that the arrears of PUP arising from this re-rating will...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (8 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance (DA) is a means-tested payment for people with a specified disability who are aged between 16 and 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency test. The estimated annual expenditure on DA for 2020 is some €1.8 billion. The estimated cost of increasing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (8 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is currently in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance at the weekly rate of €246.70 which is the correct payment for a person of her circumstances. The spouse of the person concerned is in receipt of Illness Benefit at the full personal weekly rate of €203. The person concerned therefore receives the difference between the appropriate family rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (8 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I wish to advise the Deputy that comprehensive details on my Department’s organisational structure, its Divisions and its senior management team (including their names and a description of all individual roles from Secretary General to Principal Officer level) are available on the ‘whodoeswhat’ website at the following link – . The email structure to contact...

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment: Motion [Private Members] (7 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: “recognises the financial hardship the Covid-19 pandemic has imposed on households; commits to continuing to support people and businesses affected by Covid-19; notes that the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has spent over €3.68...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Living Wage (7 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government states that the Low Pay Commission is to examine Universal Basic Income, informed by a review of previous international pilots, and resulting in a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government. This matter will be progressed in line with the Programme for Government commitment and a referral to the Low Pay Commission will be made in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Low Pay Commission (7 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Low Pay Commission has statutory responsibility for the making of a recommendation regarding the national minimum hourly rate of pay. I have received two reports from the Low Pay Commission this year regarding the National Minimum Wage, one on 17 July and one on 22 September. The September report was accompanied by correspondence outlining a majority recommendation from the Low Pay...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Offices (7 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Civil Registration Service is operated by the HSE with policy direction being given by the General Register Office (GRO), which falls under the aegis of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. For the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the GRO and Civil Registration Service has continued to provide civil registration services, including the registration of births and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (7 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I welcome the recent publication by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) of his report on the Accounts of Public Services for 2019, and in particular, the chapter on "Control over Social Welfare Payments". My Department's budget in 2019 was over €20bn, and the oversight of the C&AG is essential to ensuring public confidence in the control and anti-fraud measures in place...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Work Enterprise Allowance Scheme (7 Oct 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. The BTWEA is payable to self-employed individuals for a 24 month period from the...