Results 1-20 of 2,174 for long speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: ...people who leave the workforce to care for someone in need of full-time care and attention. It is payable for a maximum period of 104 weeks for each person being cared for. It can be taken in one block or in separate periods as long as the combined total does not exceed 104 weeks. A person may be eligible providing they meet the qualifying conditions, including whether they have sufficient...

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

Heather Humphreys: ...is paid from 18 to 66 years. Maximum rates for Disability Allowance and Blind Pension are currently €232 per week. Invalidity Pension is a weekly payment to people who cannot work because of a long-term illness or disability and who are covered by PRSI contributions. It is a working age payment paid to people between the ages of 18 and 66 years. Currently, the maximum personal...

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

Heather Humphreys: Long-Term Carers Contributions make it easier for a carer to qualify for the State Pension Contributory. Any period in which a carer is registered as providing full time care to an incapacitated person can be included in their social insurance (PRSI) record. Once a carer has reached a minimum of 1040 weeks (20 years) of Long-Term Carers Contributions, these contributions will be included in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...distant from the labour market. There is a plethora of other initiatives that help people to get back into the labour force. The Department makes a number of grants available to people who are long-term unemployed, or to employers, to help them to get back to work. I refer to the EmployAbility programme, the local area employment services and a number of different programmes. This...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...medical information is not put down. It is on the provision of further medical information that the payment is granted. We have done a lot for carers. A pension scheme has been introduced for long-term carers. The carer's support grant has been increased to its highest ever level. The weekly carer's payment has been increased by €29 in the past three years. Carers were...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Payments (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: .... There are too many different payments trying to do the same thing, whether it is disability allowance, invalidity pension, blind pension or partial capacity benefit. Sometimes people are on long-term illness benefit. For children there is domiciliary care allowance. The Green Paper, in fairness, was trying to put a more unified and coherent approach to this so that everybody would...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: EU Directives (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...to the Deputy, is a matter for the Minister for Justice. She is discussing that and we will decide that as part of an EU response. I have already signalled that I do not think it is sustainable long-term that people would get their accommodation provided for and receive full social welfare payments. We will look at that. It is not a decision I can make on my own. There have to be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Citizens Information Services (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...have to let that process run its course. When the Labour Court concludes its work, my Department will not be found wanting in responding. Shortly after I was appointed, we managed to sort out a long-running issue, and it was long running, for CE supervisors. We provided them with an ex gratia payment. I absolutely value and recognise the work carried out by the staff in the citizens...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...to how we would distinguish between people with significant challenges, attracting the higher level of payment, and other people with disabilities. Concerns were also raised about reforming the structure of long-term disability payments separately from a wider consideration of the other issues including access to education, transport and health. Our new Taoiseach has placed a major...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...in pupils doing transition year, there has been an increase in the number of 18-year-olds still in secondary education. The extension of child benefit to 18-year-olds in full-time education is a long-term change for the better and will support families across Ireland into the future. There is a significant change to the child benefit scheme. It requires technical and operational...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...in November 2023 to address the high cost of living. A €200 lump sum Living Alone Allowance payment. A €300 lump sum Fuel Allowance payment. A Christmas Bonus double payment to all persons getting a long-term disability payment. A January Cost of Living Bonus double payment to all persons getting a long-term disability payment. A €12 increase in the maximum...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...Homemaking Disregards and HomeCaring Periods to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate. In January of this year I introduced the Long Term Carers Contributions which allowed for those who provided full time care to incapacitated individuals to receive reckonable contributions for the time spent giving that care, provided...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...credits, Homemaking Disregards and HomeCaring Periods to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate. Despite these measures, some long-term carers of incapacitated dependants may still face barriers in accessing the State Pension Contributory. They may for example have difficulty establishing the minimum number of 10 years of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period outside of paid employment, often to raise families or in a full-time caring role. Despite these measures, some long-term carers of incapacitated dependants may still face barriers in accessing the State Pension (Contributory). This was recognised by the Pension Commission in its report which recommended...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Poverty Data (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In the 2022 Survey on Income and Living Conditions, the consistent poverty rates for persons unable to work due to long-standing health problems, was at 19.7%. However, in the recent published Survey on Income and Living Conditions data, that figure has now reduced to 16.5%, a reduction of 3.2 percentage points. While I am pleased that this rate is coming down, it is still higher than the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Services (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...significant concerns with these proposals. I have listened to these concerns and decided not to implement the Green Paper proposals. The consultation feedback, in particular, highlighted that long-term disability supports should not be looked at in isolation but require a whole-of-Government response. All areas that affect people with disabilities should be considered, including...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund as at 31 December 2020 found that even without any economic shocks to the economy or change to policy, the long-term sustainability of the Fund will face significant challenges. In the absence of any action to tackle the shortfalls, the excess of expenditure over income of the Fund will increase significantly over the medium to long term with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Priorities (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...week for every person with a disability would cost an additional €17 billion per year. This is based on there being roughly 1.1m people as per census 2022 reporting that they experienced at least one long-lasting condition or difficulty to any extent. Currently there are 220,000 people on our main disability payments, with combined spending for 2024 expected to be almost €3...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...the best possible mix of media is used to effectively reach our target audience. In 2023, my Department ran a public information campaign on changes to the State Pension Contributory to inform long term carers know about their entitlements. The target audience for our national media and social media advertising campaign were people who have either cared for, or are currently caring for,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Business Supports (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: ...with regards to employer PRSI. The Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund as at 31 December 2020 found that even without any economic shocks to the economy or change to policy, the long-term sustainability of the Fund will face significant challenges. In the absence of any action to tackle the shortfalls, the excess of expenditure over income of the Fund will increase...