Results 1,841-1,860 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 27 November 2022. The standard state pension (contributory) was awarded at the weekly rate of €249.30 which is 90% of the maximum rate payable. This was based on 1,693 Irish contributions and credits from 1977 to 2022, giving a yearly average of 38 contributions. In order to qualify for the maximum rate a yearly average of 48 is required. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet expenses that an eligible person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) and Urgent Needs Payments (UNPs), and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 440, 441, 442 and 443 together. Under the law as currently enacted, entitlement to a Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory pension is only available to a surviving partner who was party to a marriage or civil partnership. On Monday 22nd January, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in relation to the entitlement of an unmarried...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Gender Recognition Act 2015 was enacted on 22 July 2015 and commenced on 4 September 2015. The purpose of the Act is to allow a person to apply for a gender recognition certificate. Legal recognition of a person’s new gender is not retrospective. A person’s preferred gender will start to be legally recognised only from the date of issue, and not before that date....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Section 9 of the Gender Recognition Act 2015 sets out the conditions which a person is required to meet in order to qualify for a gender recognition certificate. The applicant must meet one of the following three qualifying criteria:their birth or adoption is registered in the State,they have become an Irish citizen by having their birth registered in the Foreign Births Register maintained...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 and 447 together. Matters related to foster caring, including any criteria relating to work and specific financial supports, are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and Tusla. The State Pension (Contributory) is funded from the Social Insurance Fund through the contributions paid by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: International Protection (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My department administers the Daily Expenses Allowance which is paid to protection applicants who reside in, or are waiting for, accommodation provided by the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS). The current weekly rates of payment are €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child. An increased rate of €113.80 per week for an adult applies where a person is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (11 Jun 2024)

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. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 23 April 2024. Additional information in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The estimatedfull year cost of increasing Disability Allowance from €232 to €245 per week is €115.1 million. This cost includes a proportionate increase for Qualified Adults. It should be noted that this costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (11 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. The Social Welfare Appeals system is underpinned by legislation which sets down the roles, powers and functions of the Social Welfare Appeals Office and its Appeals Officers who are independent in their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. To qualify, the Carer must satisfy PRSI conditions; employment conditions; show that they are providing full-time care and attention; and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (11 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 Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 30 April...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (11 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. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. To qualify, the carer must satisfy PRSI conditions; employment conditions; show that they are providing full-time care and attention; and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned applied for State Pension (contributory) on 26 July 2022. The person concerned has a total of 1027 reckonable contributions and 77 credits from their date of entry into insurable employment in 1973 to 2022 which equates to a yearly average of 23 contributions. This gave entitlement to a reduced State Pension (contributory) of €236.10, which is approximately 85% of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) and Urgent Needs Payments (UNPs), and certain supplements to assist with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity Pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. Applicants must have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months (a person may have been getting...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (11 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 Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 30 April...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Jun 2024)

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. Once claims are in payment, the Department periodically reviews them to ensure that there is continued entitlement. On 21...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Treatment Benefit is a PRSI-based scheme which provides free dental and optical services, and assistance towards the provision of audiological appliances and hair replacement products, to people who satisfy certain qualifying conditions, and to their dependent spouses/partners. The current level of fee payment is in place since 2017. The current fees payable to optometrists under this scheme...