Results 3,121-3,140 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: This is ground-breaking legislation on which we have worked hard. It has been a priority for the Tánaiste to ensure that the legislation would be brought to the Houses and given effect this year. It is important that we work in co-operation when dealing with legislation that is extremely complex and new. The amendment is practical and reasonable, and I am delighted to be able to...

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank Members for their contributions. I can feel the passion and how strongly Senator van Turnhout feels. Senator Norris indicated at the outset on the first amendment how quickly the situation is changing, and how different the legislation would be if we were doing it ten years ago or even nine months ago. By constantly redrafting the legislation on each Stage we can examine the...

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I am.

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I advise Senator Norris that I have never been led by public opinion. I have always been out of kilter with public opinion, going back to the Eight Amendment of the Constitution and right through my political career.

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Perhaps if I had a been more in tune with public opinion, I may have elected to the House at a much earlier stage. Several Senators made the point about listening and reviewing. I would not come into this House if I was not prepared to listen and take into consideration what is being said, but I have a sense of honesty within my myself that I should give a clear indication of where my...

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I do not propose to accept this amendment. Throughout the preparation of this legislation, where a court process was deemed necessary, it was always considered appropriate for the court to be the Circuit Court sitting as the family court. The nature of the family court is appropriate to the confidential nature of the matter being considered. With regard to the hearing of appeals from...

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: If it would be helpful I could reply now, which may help future contributors.

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The contributions have been very eloquent. I commend Senator Norris because he can make his point with good humour. It is always lively. I do not propose to accept these amendments. Providing a new birth certificate is a significant and serious step. The purpose of this legislation is to recognise and validate people in their new gender. I accept that for most people, transitioning to...

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I would like to think it is. I listened carefully to the debate and that is where this willingness to move has come from. The Tánaiste has also proposed it. I hope that is acceptable to Senators.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (4 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Department will begin the process of rolling out a new Health and Social Care Programme for CE participants during the course of this year. The programme will ensure that participants have adequate access to qualifications in the health and social care sector in order to take up employment opportunities in this area and to support local service delivery. The Department has been...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (5 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I wish to provide clarification regarding questions that were asked on 10 December last, in respect of which I have written to Deputies Willie O'Dea, Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Richard Boyd Barrett. Further to Questions Nos. 2 and 7 on that date, I wish to provide updated clarification regarding the housing assistance payment, HAP. Under the HAP scheme the renter will source his or her own...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (5 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: To respond to Question No. 4, I believe the Deputy is referring to a recent report on job clubs prepared by the internal audit unit of the Department. In preparing the report the Department’s internal auditor raised a query relating to the appropriateness or otherwise of one job club hosting a small number of interns in a role of job club instructor. It is important to note in this...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (5 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to clarify the matter again. The advertisement for this post required a FETAC level 6 qualification, which is quite a high qualification. It was to enable people to gain experience. The job clubs are contracted to provide training, work with curricula vitae, CVs, and so forth for those who require it. The question raised in the audit was...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Internship Scheme Administration (5 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I will endeavour to provide the Deputy with a full written response to that question. As I said, the positions were advertised at FETAC level 6. The aim was to give the JobBridge interns practical experience. Job clubs are local not-for-profit community enterprises. The one we are discussing is located in Kilkenny and has provided a very good service for the community in the area for some...

Other Questions: Job Initiatives (5 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: It is not in breach of any of the conventions the Deputy has outlined, and he knows that very well. The best way to assist people who are distant from the workforce is to bring them back into employment. Several schemes that have been run by the Department of Social Protection have helped people immensely in returning to employment. More than €1 billion is available in 2015 for...

Other Questions: Job Initiatives (5 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Under Gateway, there is already self-referral. I can confirm this is happening, probably as a result of the number of parliamentary questions from Members of the House. With regard to Tús, I will shortly be announcing self-referral, with the relevant proportion being approximately 10% in the first instance. Again, this is a result of demand. On the question about Gateway, a sum...

Other Questions: Job Initiatives (5 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I am not aware of any senior council officials who have said that. I would very much welcome it if the Deputy drew my attention to the local authorities to which he is referring. He knows from his community, which is similar to mine, that the Gateway scheme provides an opportunity to the long-term unemployed to reconnect with the workforce. If the Deputy has a specific allegation about a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Initiatives (5 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Funding of the order of €22.4m is being provided in the Department’s Vote in 2015 to cover the cost of work placements under the Gateway scheme. At the end of January, 1,781 persons were employed by county and city councils of which 85% were male (1,513) and 15% are female. The majority of positions identified by councils as being suitable for Gateway placements relate to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Momentum Programme (5 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The MOMENTUM Programme 2014, launched in September 2014, is under the remit of the Department of Education and Skills (DES) and is managed on behalf of DES by SOLAS. The programmes include on-the job training in the form of work experience modules as well as the provision of accredited further education and training required to obtain and retain employment. One third of the 6,500 places have...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Job Initiatives (5 Feb 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I have provided in tabular format (at end November 2014) a list of education, training, and internship and activation schemes for recipients of a jobseeker's payment, and the number of persons attending each scheme. It is to be noted that the number of people involved in such programmes is largely unchanged over the period 2012-2015. These participants are not necessarily all former...