Results 1-20 of 11,604 for at speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (16 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable in respect a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age, and the child must be likely to require this level of care for at least 12 consecutive months. Where an application...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (16 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department administers more than 90 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. We are fully committed to ensuring that members of the public are aware of the welfare supports and services available, and to promoting social security as an investment. My Department actively works to encourage take up of benefits and entitlements by promoting...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (16 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement. Following the expansion of the programme in recent years, some 2,600 schools and organisations, covering...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (16 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is currently in receipt of the increase for a qualified adult (IQA) on another person's State Pension Contributory (SPC). The IQA is a means-tested payment, payable to a claimant whose spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is being wholly or mainly maintained by them, and where that qualified adult’s personal means from any source does not exceed a means test...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (16 May 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. Following a successful appeal, the person concerned was awarded Disability Allowance on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (16 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...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. An ANP application can be made for assistance with funeral and burial expenses where there is an inability to pay these costs, in part or in full, by the family of the deceased person without causing...

Ceisteanna Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I have been to Cappoquin many times. It is a fine place and the Deputy is doing great work there. Funding of €3.3 million was announced for Ardmore and I know the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was very keen that we would support it. That came under the rural regeneration development programme. The Gaeltacht areas get support when they put in applications. A Gaeltacht area...

Ceisteanna Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Wherever you draw the line when it comes to means tests, people will be either on this side of it or that side of it. There will always be winners and losers. No matter how high the bar goes, there will be losers. From June onwards, a carer can earn €900 per week, for a married couple, and it will not impact on their payment. That has been increased and kicks in in June. Coming up...

Ceisteanna Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I know the Tánaiste raises those matters with his counterpart, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on every occasion he meets him. The last meetings were on 18 and 29 April and they were raised at those meetings. He will continue to do so. I will raise the Deputy's concerns with him.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. We commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings this Friday. The legacy of that atrocity lives on in the memory of many. In my own town of Monaghan, I know how it impacted on people. I acknowledge the people who lost their lives that day. The bomb in Monaghan went off outside Greacen's pub. I was just reading about two...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Like the Deputy, I have engaged with the families of the victims of this terrible atrocity. I know some of them extremely well. It has been a long journey and a difficult time for them. As the Tánaiste said, we need to look at this issue once again and try to get access to the files. I take on board what the Deputy said.

Ceisteanna Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Tánaiste said this morning that Ireland will recognise the state of Palestine by the end of this month. That is a very important step. As the Deputy said, EU member states and the international community have made it clear that an Israeli military operation in Rafah will inevitably lead to disastrous humanitarian consequences and the deaths of large numbers of innocent civilians....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which I know is one about which he feels very strongly. He has advocated for Scoil Chormaic in Cashel previously. As I said earlier, we all have the experience, in representing our constituents, of meeting parents who are waiting too long for an assessment of their children's needs and for the therapies they need. We have to do all we can to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In 2021, we did clear the list. There is a framework in place now and there is €16.5 million available to procure the services for special needs assessments in the private sector. The Deputy is absolutely right that we need to clear the list and we will do so. The necessary funding has been provided. In terms of special schools, seven new ones have been established in recent years...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I condemn the incursions into Rafah. These people have nowhere to go. I know all of us in the House condemn it. It is wrong that people are left in that awful situation. I have been very clear on the issue of the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill. It is something we have taken legal advice on. Ireland's opposition to the illegal Israeli settlements is unambiguous...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: .... In representing our constituents, we all have had the experience of meeting parents who have been waiting for too long for the assessment of their children's needs - both of us have done that - and unfortunately, then for the therapies they also need. We must do all we can to relieve the pressure on these families and on front-line staff. The Deputy will be aware that the Taoiseach...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (15 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment to a parent or guardian for a child aged up to 16 who has a severe disability and requires care and attention substantially over and above that required by other children their age. From January 2024, the rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance increased from €330 to €340 per month. This monthly payment has increased by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Widow's Pension (15 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: To qualify for widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's contributory pension (WSCPCP), a person must satisfy certain social insurance conditions, based on either their own or their late spouse's or civil partner’s record. As the person concerned does not meet the yearly average minimum requirement of 24, they do not qualify for a standard WSCPCP. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (15 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement. Following the expansion of the programme in recent years, some 2,600 schools and organisations, covering...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (14 May 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Carers Support Grant is an annual payment for carers who look after a person in need of full-time care and attention. The payment is made regardless of the carer's means but is subject to certain qualifying conditions. The person claiming the Grant 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...