Results 17,981-18,000 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. I can confirm that my department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 27 July 2020. To qualify for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned applied for a diet supplement on 29/11/2019. It was refused on 02/12/2019 on the grounds that the Diet Supplement is closed to new entrants since 2014. I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Carer's Support Grant is an annual payment made to carers by my Department. I can confirm that my department received an application for the Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) for 2018 from the person concerned on 13 March 2020. It is a condition of the Carers Support Grant that a person may apply for the grant in any given year from 8 weeks before the date on which the grant is payable...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Since the introduction of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment scheme in March, approx. 750,000 people have applied for payment and in some cases, they have done so on a number of occasions as they moved in and out of employment. Consequently, there are over 1 million applications to be examined to determine if arrears are due. In order to address an issue of this scale, the Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is currently in receipt of a basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance payment of €70.00 per week. This amount is a “top up” to Graduated Illness Benefit of €131.00 per week. The Community Welfare Officer will contact him regarding a Fuel Allowance.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Since the introduction of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment scheme in March, approximately 750,000 people have applied for payment and in some cases, they have done so on a number of occasions as they moved in and out of employment. Consequently, there are over 1 million applications to be examined to determine if arrears are due. During the month of March, my Department received and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Where an employee has had a reduction in their days of employment, subject to satisfying the relevant eligibility criteria, they may claim casual jobseeker payments or Short-Time Work Support payments for days of unemployment, where their employer is claiming the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme for days of employment. Officials from my Department have engaged directly with the company...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Support Payments (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Child benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children who are in full-time education, or who have a disability, until their 18th birthday. Child benefit is currently paid, as of end-August 2020, to over 638,244 families in respect of over 1.2 million children....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Minister for Finance has responsibility for the taxation matters raised in this question. I understand that the Deputy will receive a reply from the Minister as he has already submitted the same question to him.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has policy responsibility for public libraries only. The provision of public library services is a matter for each local authority in their capacity as library authorities under the Local Government Act 2001. Library Authorities are providing services in accordance with the 5 levels outlined in the Government's "Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021 Plan for Living with COVID-19"....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Government's Recovery and Resilience Plan, published on 15 September 2020, acknowledges the importance of communities working together at this challenging time. Community organisations are often the focal point for vital activities that can foster community resilience. My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) supports over 400 community organisations. A Support Fund of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: It is solely the responsibility of the Board of Directors of any organisation, including community organisations, whether or not they become companies limited by guarantee. My Department does not require community organisations to become a company limited by guarantee. However, however having a recognised legal status or being registered with the Charities Regulator may be included as an...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: CLÁR Programme (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department has received an application for support as referred to by the Deputy. My officials are currently assessing all of the applications received under the programme referred to, and I will be in a position to announce the successful projects when the assessment process is fully complete.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: This year’s Town and Village Renewal Scheme has been tailored to assist our rural towns and villages to respond to the challenges presented by COVID-19. The scheme includes an Accelerated Measure which enables towns and villages to introduce initiatives immediately to support increased footfall and enable people to shop and socialise safely in accordance with public health...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Town and Village Renewal Scheme (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The specific categorisation of towns and villages requested by the Deputy is not maintained by my Department. Towns and villages applying for funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme are recorded under 2 categories: - Category 1 - settlements with a population of up to 5,000; and - Category 2 - settlements with a population of between 5,001 and 10,000. Lists of all of the towns...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The provision of telecommunications services is primarily a matter for commercial providers operating in a liberalised market. Nonetheless, under the National Broadband Plan (NBP), the Government will fund the provision of a high-speed broadband network in areas where it is not commercially viable for service providers to do so. The NBP network, which comes under the remit of Minister Eamon...

Sick Leave and Parental Leave (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (23 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “That” and substitute the following: “Dáil Éireann: — acknowledges the exceptional challenges faced by employees during the Covid-19 pandemic and the lack of a statutory sick pay regime in Ireland; — welcomes the introduction of the Covid-19 enhanced illness benefit which provides income support...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (23 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance has recently 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 of time before pursuing training or education. This condition is now being waived for recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment seeking to return to education, including...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes Data (23 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Rent Supplement expenditure in 2019 was €125.2m. At the end of August 2020, expenditure on Rent Supplement was €86.4m. The 2020 Revised Estimates passed by the Dáil on 28th May 2020 provided an allocation of €164.6m. The estimate was based on projections for additional recipients in 2020 as a result of the COVID 19 public health emergency. It is expected...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (23 Sep 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Reducing the State Pension Age to 65 years would increase pension related expenditure significantly. My Department’s best current estimate of changing the pension age to 65 with effect from 1/1/2021 is that it would cost €450 million extra in the first year, €845 million extra in the second year, rising to over €1 billion extra in 2025, and this extra cost would...