Results 181-200 of 17,800 for are speaker:Heather Humphreys
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (24 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: ...for Fuel Allowance was received from the person concerned on 29 September 2024. Based on the information provided to the Department, this person does not qualify for the allowance as they are not living alone at their address. The household consists of another individual who is not on qualifying payment for receipt of Fuel Allowance The person concerned was notified of this decision...
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (24 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance 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. I can confirm that Carer’s Allowance was in payment to the person concerned from 03 August 2017. Once claims are in...
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (24 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: ...Department show that Homemaking periods and HomeCaring periods have been awarded to the person concerned. However, these can not be used to satisfy the requirement for 520 paid contributions and are only reckonable for pension when the minimum number of paid contributions has been satisfied. The person concerned has also been awarded Long Term Carers Contributions. However, as the...
- Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (24 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: My Department recognises the importance of playgrounds in communities throughout Ireland. Applications for the delivery and upgrade of playgrounds are welcome under a number of schemes operated by my Department such as the CLÁR Programme, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS), the LEADER programme, the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) and the Community Recognition Fund (CRF). ...
- Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (24 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: ...I understand that the project referred to by the Deputy was funded at a rate of 100% based on the initial costs provided at application stage. I would encourage the group involved to engage with Kerry County Council, who are managing delivery of the programme locally, to discuss the nature of the cost increase and to explore options in that regard. I have also asked my officials to also...
- Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Enterprise Sector (23 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: ...the social, environmental and economic well-being of people living in our communities, both rural and urban. The policy lays out 57 concrete actions, across five policy objectives: ‘Building Awareness of Social Enterprise’, ‘Growing and Sustaining Social Enterprise’, ‘Supporting the Green Transition’, ‘National and International...
- Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (23 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: ...of this priority my Department has put in place a range of supports and schemes, which focus on rural towns. Towns such as Portlaoise and Newbridge which have a population of over 10,000, are not generally eligible for inclusion in such schemes. For example, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) is part of a range of measures designed to support these objectives. Since the launch...
- Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (23 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) provides funding for the development and construction of large scale capital projects in towns, villages and rural areas across Ireland. Since 2018, funding of €584 million has been allocated to 243 projects. Calls for applications to the Fund are sought under two categories – Category 1 and Category 2. Category 1 relates to...
- Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (23 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: ...million has been allocated to almost 1,800 projects. Of this just under €7 million has been allocated to 76 projects in County Galway. In line with the policy commitments of Our Rural Future, TVRS priorities are reviewed at the end of each scheme year to ensure that funding is targeted effectively to support vibrant and attractive communities and to respond to changing needs and...
- Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (23 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme, or LIS, supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are generally not maintained by local authorities. My Department reintroduced the scheme in 2017 after several years without dedicated funding. Between 2017 and 2024, my Department allocated almost €170 million to local authorities under the scheme. Up to the end of 2023, this has...
- Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (23 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: ...approvals per calendar year rather than each annual iteration of the scheme. For example, projects under measures 1, 2 and 3 of the ORIS 2023 scheme were formally announced at the start of 2024 and are included under the 2024 column below. Details of all approved projects can be found on my Department's website. Approval Year Organisation Measure ...
- Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (23 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: ...Fund, almost €46 million was committed for the improvement and refurbishment of existing community centres across Ireland. There was a huge uptake of this funding and over 860 different projects are being delivered in centres the length and breadth of the country. I am happy to confirm that 61 projects totalling over €4.2 million were approved in Galway. These are outlined in...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Second Stage (22 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: ...is to give legislative effect to many of the very substantial improvements in social protection announced on budget day. I am pleased to say that this year's budget represents the largest social welfare package in the history of the State, with over €2.6 billion being invested to support families across the State. This should have a real impact in alleviating the ongoing...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Second Stage (22 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: ...for their contributions and their positive comments and engagement. This is an extensive package of supports announced on budget day and many of them do not require primary legislation, which are the lump sum payments I am delivering at a cost of €1.4 billion to assist people with the continuing cost-of-living pressures they are facing.The lump-sum payments will provide much-needed...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: I have made this point a few times on including commitments to producing reports in primary legislation. While I understand why the amendments have been put in, the social welfare legislation is complex already and it is best if we do not put requests for reports into legislation. The actuarial review of the Social Insurance Fund published in March 2023 is a very detailed and comprehensive...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: Again, I do not propose to accept amendments that put requests for reports into legislation. On the pay-related carer's benefit payment, I recently signed a commencement order confirming that the new jobseeker's pay-related benefit scheme would be available from 31 March 2025. The priority is to launch this scheme, and the Government has been clear that this experience should be used to...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: I will speak to the two amendments together. Regarding extending parents' leave and benefit, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has lead responsibility for parents' leave policy. I have responsibility for making the payments. Parents' leave and benefit are available to eligible parents within the first two years following the birth or adoption of a...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: Senators will be aware that fuel allowance is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners and people with disabilities in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on social welfare payments. People on long-term social welfare payments are unlikely to have additional resources of their own and are more vulnerable to poverty, including energy poverty. The working family...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: ...of supports to get back to employment will increase to €90 from January 2025. The current rate of €44 has been in existence since 2011. Senator Higgins must acknowledge that the social welfare rates have gone up considerably since then. The aim is to prevent unemployed people drifting further from the labour market and losing the skills that enable earnings progression....
- Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2024)
Heather Humphreys: I refer to what Senator Dolan said. A one-parent family with two children aged 4 and 6 will benefit from an additional €2,424 per annum as a result of this budget. They get the Christmas bonus, they get the extra €12 weekly rate increase from January, and they will get the child support payment, which has been increased - for two children under 12 they will get an extra...