Results 41-60 of 25,281 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. There are over one million customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2024 is €104 million. It is important to note that, in general, access to a free travel pass for those aged under 66 is linked to a person being in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Widow's Pension (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: 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 co-habitant to a Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The state pension (contributory) entitlement of the person concerned was reviewed. The pension was awarded with effect from 13 August 2022, the date the person reached 66 at the current weekly rate of €249.30 which is equivalent to 90% of the maximum rate pension. The rate awarded is based on a total of 1340 reckonable contributions and credits from 1974 to 2022 plus homemaking...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The state pension (contributory) entitlement of the person concerned was reviewed. HomeCaring Periods were awarded from 25/09/1976 to 05/04/1987 and 06/04/1991 to 01/10/1999. This resulted in an increase in their weekly rate from €250.30 to €275.60, equivalent to 99.38% of the maximum rate. The increased rate issued to the person concerned on 26 April 2024. The increased...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Disability Allowance (DA) 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, means test and Habitual Residency conditions. During 2023, the Department received over 28,700 new applications for DA. Over the course...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (30 Apr 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. Please find below the number of CA applications submitted in each of the years 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (30 Apr 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. Where an applicant's Invalidity Allowance claim is initially disallowed based on medical suitability, they have the option to request a review of this decision. This...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Intreo is the single point of contact for employment and income supports. The aim of Intreo is to provide income support and a professional employment service to help unemployed jobseekers and others to secure sustainable employment. In order to be eligible for a Jobseekers's payment a person must satisfy all conditions including the requirement to genuinely seek employment. To satisfy...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The matter of waste collection charges is the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications. I am advised by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications that there is no national waiver scheme for household waste collection. The waste management market in Ireland is now serviced by private companies, where prices charged are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Blind Pension is a means-tested payment for people aged 18 years to 66 years who are habitually residing in the State. Income, including pensions, capital and property (excluding your own home) is assessable as means. A person is obliged to declare all their income and notify the Department in writing of any change in their circumstances. The person concerned was previously in receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Hot School Meals Programme aims to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, by reason of lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided for them. It is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement by children, particularly those from the most disadvantaged background. While the Hot...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Child Benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child Benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16,17 and 18, if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves. The person concerned and her family returned to Ireland on 23 December 2023 and an application for Child Benefit was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: EU Directives (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is responsible for the legislation underpinning the social welfare code, occupational and private pensions, civil registration and gender recognition and the Citizens Information Board / Comhairle. The Acts and Statutory Instruments sponsored by my Department which gave effect to EU Directives since 2020 are listed below: S.I. No. 374 of 2020 - The European Union (Posting of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Widow's Pension (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: 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 co-habitant to a Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Jobseeker's Benefit claim for the person concerned has been awarded with effect from 01/02/2024 at a rate of €232.00 pw. The first payment , including arrears may be collected from the nominated post office on 29/04/2024. Notification has issued to the person concerned on the 24/04/2024.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I secured Government approval last November for the design proposals for a new Jobseeker's Pay Related Benefit scheme and approval for the draft Heads of Bill on 9th January this year. The Heads of Bill containing the General Scheme for the new scheme are published on my Department's website. The Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the islands completed the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements. Additional Needs Payments are demand led and made at the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Consultancy is defined by the Department of Finance as where a person or organisation provides intellectual or knowledge based services (e.g. expert analysis and advice) through delivering reports, studies, assessments, recommendations, proposals, etc. that contribute to decision making or policy development. Details as requested by the Deputy are set out as follows. 2023...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements. Additional Needs Payments are demand led and made at the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Following clarification from the Deputy's office, more recent data for the years 2023 and 2024 is required. This information is not readily available. My Department is in the process of collating the data in question and will revert with a reply directly to the Deputy as soon as possible. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.