Results 321-340 of 20,219 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet expenses that an eligible person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) and Urgent Needs Payments (UNPs), and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical and aural services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependent spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions. The Department have been in contact with Optometry Ireland as the representative body for Optical practitioners in Ireland and have discussed a provisional...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical and aural services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependent spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions. The Department have been in contact with a representative body for Optical practitioners in Ireland and have discussed a provisional date for meeting to review...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I wish to inform the Deputy that his question is proper to my colleague, the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, T.D.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Jobseekers Benefit has been awarded under the part-time option for the person concerned. A personal rate of €232.00 per week, payable from 29/01/2024 has been awarded. Payment including arrears will issue to the persons nominated bank account on the 15/03/2024. A decision letter outlining this was issued to the person concerned on 12/03/2024.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: In November 2023, I published and laid a report before the Oireachtas entitled ‘Report on measures to include long COVID in the Occupational Injuries Benefit Regulations’. This report concluded that COVID-19 does not satisfy the criteria for recognition as an occupational illness under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. A copy of the report can be found at: gov.ie -...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: As part of Budgets 2023 and 2024, the Department of Social Protection assisted families and vulnerable citizens through a mix of lump sum supports and increases to weekly payments. The measures introduced included the provision of once-off Cost-of-Living lump sums, to recipients of Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension and the Carer's Support Grant. Recipients who are in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The records of my Department show that the payment details of the person concerned were sent to the Revenue Commissioners as part of our usual reporting in both 2023 and 2024. I have arranged for pension statements for 2023 and 2024 to issue to the person concerned which they may wish to forward to the Revenue Commissioners directly to assist with resolving the issue. I hope this clarifies...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned is claiming their state pension (contributory) from 7 April 2024. According to the records of my department, the person concerned has a total of 1,446 contributions and credits from 1973 to 2024 giving a yearly average of 28. Based on this record, the State Pension (contributory) has been awarded at the reduced weekly rate of €249.30 from 7th April 2024. As...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Social Welfare payments, both benefit and assistance, are generally based on specific contingencies such as pregnancy, illness, unemployment, age etc. Where a person is in receipt of such a benefit or allowance, they will have met the criteria around the payment and therefore, a change of gender under section 8 of the Gender Recognition Act 2015, would not cause a payment to be lost. I trust...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Mar 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 Social Welfare Appeals system is underpinned by legislation which sets down the roles, powers and functions of the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Funding (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The amounts received by non-governmental organisations in receipt of funding from the Department under the Miscellaneous Services subhead in 2022, 2023 and the allocation in 2024 is is outlined in the table below. - 2022 Outturn 2023 Provisional Outturn 2024 Revised Estimate €000 €000 €000 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Meetings (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: My Department and I engage regularly with a wide range of organisations, including the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) on matters such as the annual Budget processes and other relevant issues. A representative from the NWCI was invited to attend each of the annual pre and post Budget fora held by my Department during the period in question. Over 60 organisations,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 Mar 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 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 Partner’s...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. To qualify, the Carer must satisfy PRSI conditions, employment conditions, show that they are providing full-time care and attention, and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Information regarding the terms and conditions of the Supplementary Pension provided to retired teachers is a matter for the Department of Education. The Department of Social Protection has no policy role in determining that a retired teacher should apply for a social welfare payment nor does it administer the supplementary pension. Any queries in this regard is a matter for the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Government acknowledges the valuable role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. The main income supports to carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (20 Mar 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. The conditions attached to the payment of CA are consistent with the overall conditions that apply to social assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 771 and 772 together. The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €382 million in 2024. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household. The criteria for Fuel...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (20 Mar 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €382 million in 2024. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household. The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited...