Results 201-220 of 795 for 5 million speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...(HHB) is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. My Department will spend approximately €273 million this year on HHB. It consists of the gas / electricity element of the package (€35 a month) and the free TV licence element. The Fuel Allowance which was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (1 Feb 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...is paid for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed women who satisfy certain pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution and other conditions. In Budget 2022 I provided for an increase of €5 in the weekly payment rate. As a result, the rate of Maternity Benefit now stands at €250 per week. The rate of Maternity Benefit is in line with the rates of Paternity Benefit,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 over a full fuel season) from October to April, to 375,000 low-income households, at an estimated cost of €323 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Budgets (25 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: As part of Budget 2022, I announced a €5 increase to all weekly social welfare payments, with proportionate increases for qualified adults and those on reduced rates of payment, at a cost of €375 million. The full €5 increase applies to young people in receipt of an age-related reduced rate of Jobseeker's Allowance. As a result, from January 2022, the rate of payment for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (25 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...of time in order to cushion the incomes of citizens who had lost their employment following the onset of an unprecedented public health crisis. Within 3 weeks of the payment being launched over 500,000 people had been paid. The delivery of the scheme on such a scale and in such a short time represented a major achievement by my Department. To date, over 870,000 people have received...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Arts Policy (20 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...their own employment ambitions, be that self-employment or insurable employment. When an individual commences employment, they can avail of an income disregard of €140 per week. In addition, a 50% taper on earnings between €140 and €350 (this upper limit will increase to €375 from June 2022). Grants are counted as means, but where grants...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 over a full fuel season) from October to April, to 371,000 low-income households, at an estimated cost of €323 million in 2021.  The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.  The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...or who satisfy a means test.  The package is also available to some people under the age of 66, who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments.  My Department will spend approximately €265.48 million this year on HHB.  In 2021 the estimated cost of the gas and electricity element of the package is €195.31 million and will benefit over 476,000...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, to 371,000 low-income households, at an estimated cost of €323 million in 2021.  The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.  The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 over a full fuel season) from October to April, to 371,000 low-income households, at an estimated cost of €323 million in 2021.  The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.  The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (19 Jan 2022)

Heather Humphreys: ...Payment (PUP) was introduced as an emergency measure to provide an income support to those who had lost their employment as a result of Covid.  Initially, payment was made at a weekly rate of €350. From 26 June 2020, the rate at which the PUP is paid was linked to the amount that individuals previously earned and made it more targeted and fairer. In determining the rate...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: ...this Bill to Seanad Éireann which gives legislative effect to the measures announced on budget day. This is the largest set of social welfare measures announced in 14 years and amounts to some €558 million in additional spending in 2022. Most of the additional expenditure, over two thirds of the total, will go towards protecting core rates of payment for social welfare...

Social Welfare Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: ...report before the House. The fuel allowance is currently being paid to more than 365,000 households most at risk of fuel poverty for 28 weeks between October and April at an estimated cost of €300 million. As part of budget 2022, the rate of the fuel allowance was increased by €5, as Deputies noted, to €33 per week, effective from budget day. An increase in the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (15 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: ...on the national finances caused by the pandemic, I was pleased to be able to secure the largest social welfare package in 14 years in Budget 2022. The Social Protection Budget package is worth €558 million in 2022. Budget measures include: - €5 increase in the maximum rate of all core weekly payments, e.g., pensioners, widows(ers), loneparents, jobseekers, carers, people...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Policies (15 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: ...and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. This mission is set out in our recent Statement of Strategy 2021 to 2023. My Department has made considerable progress this year, with over €320 million investment in a coherent package of supports to strengthen rural economies and communities. My Department has provided significant investment under the Rural Development...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: ...retain the advantages of Jobseeker's allowance such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2021 Further Revised Estimate provides for expenditure of €61.7 million on the scheme. The means test is flexible to allow for significant fluctuations from one year to the next. Virtually all income is included in the means test but it is...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: On 9 December last I announced €2.6 million in funding to deliver Town Centre First Plans in 26 towns across the country. The development of these 26 Plans will feed into the Government’s overall Town Centre First Policy, which I expect will be launched in the coming weeks. The funding will support each local authority, working with a collaborative Town Team, to develop a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (14 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated network of remote working hubs over the lifetime of the policy to 2025. A number of funding streams operated by my Department directly support this commitment. For example, the Rural...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regional Development (9 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 366 and 375 together. My Department was formed in 2017 giving a clear commitment by Government to support our rural communities and disadvantaged urban communities. This commitment was further strengthened earlier in the year when I launched “Our Rural Future” – the Government’s 5 year Rural Development Policy 2021-2025. It...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Digital Hubs (9 Dec 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated network of remote working hubs over the lifetime of the policy to 2025. The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme both support the...