Results 1-20 of 20,517 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is in receipt of state pension (contributory) (SPC) at the maximum weekly rate of €277.70. They are also in receipt of an increase for a qualified adult (IQA) in respect of their spouse at the weekly rate of €70.00. The person concerned has weekly deductions of €41.60 from their SPC for the recovery of an overpayment totalling €95,152.52...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, 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. Recipients of state pension non-contributory are obliged to notify the Department of any changes in their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: To qualify for state pension (contributory) a person must have at least 520 full-rate social insurance (PRSI) contributions paid since entering insurable employment. If this condition is met, the rate of payment is then calculated using the ‘Yearly Average’ method and the ‘Total Contributions Approach’. According to the records of my department, the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 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. If a person is in receipt of another Social Welfare payment in their own right (other than unemployment payments or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In order to receive a jobseeker's payment a person must satisfy the conditions for the scheme including being capable of, available for and genuinely seeking full time work. A persons last employer may be contacted in circumstances where additional information is required in order for their jobseekers to be processed and a decision made on their claim. All jobseeker applicants are required...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Advertising (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: For this response, I have interpreted online/digital media to include programmatic and social media advertising. My Department administers more than 90 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. The department is committed to ensuring that members of the public are fully aware of the welfare supports and services that are available, as well as...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability. These include contributory payments based on PRSI contributions, such as Illness Benefit and Invalidity Pension, and non-contributory payments based on a means test, such as Disability Allowance and Blind Pension. Disability Allowance is the only Social Welfare payment which...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: To qualify for state pension (contributory) a person must have at least 520 full-rate social insurance (PRSI) contributions paid since entering insurable employment. 520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of full-rate insurable employment. According to the records of my department, the person concerned has a total of 61 full-rate contributions. From the information provided to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: There is a range of supports provided by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme. These supports can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single Additional Needs Payments (ANPs). The Department may make an ANP to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) is an annual payment made to full-time carers who satisfy certain conditions. The person claiming the CSG must: Be aged 16 or over and ordinarily resident in this State Care for the person on a full-time basis Care for the person for a continuous period of at least six months – this period must include the first Thursday in June (1st June...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (23 May 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. Following previous representations from the Deputy in this matter, on 19 June...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (23 May 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 has been...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Reports (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 305 to 308, inclusive, together. The Department of Rural and Community Development has overall policy responsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014. Local Authorities have responsibility for all operational matters under the Control of Dogs Acts including licensing and enforcement. Local Authorities are well placed to target measures in their...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) is funded by my Department under Our Rural Future. The scheme provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as walking trails, cycleways and blue ways throughout rural Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme in 2016, funding of over €113 million has supported more than 1,700 projects...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Advertising (23 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department's total expenditure in relation to online advertising from 2019 to date is laid out in the table below. The costs outlined for 2024, for the year to date, relate to costs incurred for online/digital media platform advertisements as part of a wider campaign. The final costs may be subject to change depending on the final outputs for that element of the campaign. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Free Travel scheme is available to people over 66 years and to people in receipt of certain social welfare payments who are under 66 years. From 29th July 2024, Free Travel is also available to persons who are medically certified as unfit to drive for a period of at least 12 months. Free Travel recipients must be permanently resident in the State. The scheme permits travel for free on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Government has recently agreed a number of measures to respond to the growing number of people seeking protection in Ireland. As part of these measures, it was agreed the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Minister for Social Protection will review entitlements of International Protection applicants and report back to Government within six weeks. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (22 May 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 desire to process appeals quickly has to be balanced with the competing demand to ensure that decisions are consistent and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (22 May 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. Means are any income belonging to the carer and their spouse/civil partner/cohabitant including property (except their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (22 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Illness Benefit is the primary short term income support provided by my Department to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type and who are covered by social insurance. Eligibility for illness benefit depends on the person's PRSI record and class. People must have made the required number of contributions in class A, E, H or P to qualify. In general, self-employed people...