Results 1,781-1,800 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (13 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a range of income supports for people who are parenting alone including the Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment. Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) is a means-tested payment. A person may qualify for this payment if they do not live with a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant and their youngest child is between 7 and 14 years old. The person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (13 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: There is no record of a recent Household Benefits Package application form having been received from the person concerned. The person concerned can apply online at MyWelfare.ie for the Household Benefits Package if they have a verified MyGovID account, or they can complete the application form which has issued to them. On receipt of their application, the person's entitlement to the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (13 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and Habitual Residency conditions. As previously advised to the Deputy, the financial position of the person concerned had been...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (13 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: State pension (non-contributory) is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over who have a legal right of residence and habitually reside in the State, and who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or only qualify for a reduced-rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. The eligibility of the person concerned for a state pension non-contributory is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (13 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, legally and habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. A statement of state pension non-contributory payments has been issued to each of the persons concerned, in...

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Referral to Select Committee (12 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands pursuant to Standing Orders 95 and 181.

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Financial Resolution (12 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I move: That the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (No. 39 of 1997) be amended in the manner and to the extent specified in the Act giving effect to this Resolution to provide that amounts to be paid on foot of jobseeker's pay-related benefit under the Social Welfare Acts are to be deemed to be earned income for the purpose of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 and subject to taxation in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Harkin for raising this issue. I am delighted that today we have expanded the income limits for the means test for carers to €900 for a couple per week and €450 for a single person. We continue to work with the carers' groups and we will continue to do so. We have made some significant changes, in particular in terms of a pension for long-term carers, which was...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy Ó Cuív for raising this matter, which he has raised with me on a number of occasions. I have just come from a management board meeting that took place earlier this morning where I raised the very same issue the Deputy has raised with me. The answer is that I will have the report very shortly. I am happy to share it with him. He has brought forward a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (12 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. The Appeals Officer dealing with this appeal held an oral hearing in January 2024 at which the appellant attended along with her...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: EU Meetings (12 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Flexible Work Practices (12 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: EU Meetings (12 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that neither I, nor Minister of State O'Brien, have attended any formal or informal Council of the European Union meetings under the remit of the Department of Rural and Community Development since 27 June 2020. I would note that, while my Department engages extensively at European level with regard to EU programmes and on policy issues of relevance to the Department, there are...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (12 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy is set in the tables below. Department of Rural & Community Development 20% Target Achieved- Yes/No Date Achieved % staff who work remotely (blended working) Yes March 2020 99.5% Western Development Commission 20% Target Achieved- Yes/No Date...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (12 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has policy and legislative responsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. In March 2024 I announced the establishment of a high level stakeholder group to consider and make recommendations to strengthen policy in relation to these issues. The group is independently chaired by retired Deputy Garda Commissioner Mr John Twomey and is...

Seanad: Control of Dogs (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Second Stage (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Senators Erin McGreehan, Micheál Carrigy, Malcolm Byrne and Aisling Dolan for bringing forward this Private Members’ Bill. As Senator McGreehan said, I am pleased to inform the House that the Government is not opposing the Bill. While I realise this Bill does not relate directly to the situation with regard to restricted breeds, in light of the recent tragic incident...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department makes several payments to people over the age of 66.  One of these is the State pension contributory, which has a number of qualifying criteria, including having a minimum of 520 paid social insurance contributions.  Where a person meets the qualifying criteria, the rate of payment is calculated based on the number of contributions paid and credited. As the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: To be fair, we have made changes. We have the long-term carer's contribution scheme. That will make it easier for long-term carers of an incapacitated person or people to qualify for the State pension. If someone has been caring for somebody for 20 years or more, the credits will be allowed towards their pension. I think that is an improvement. There are the family caring periods. There...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: If you go below the 520 contributions, the actual pension you would get would be in the region of just over €30. That is how it works. There is always room for improvement. There is no doubt about that. I agree with Deputy Durkan on that. I have brought in many improvements to the pension system. I have kept the pension age at 66 and allowed the flexibility for people to work to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Here is the Minister of State. Saved by the bell.