Results 3,301-3,320 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: We have had a problem in recruiting and retaining assessors. This provision will facilitate a speedier process and provide for the recruitment of additional assessors who will I hope deal with backlogs when they occur. The backlog is 12 weeks and it is our intention to reduce it.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Many of the issues raised were discussed during the debate on the Private Members' Bill introduced by Deputy O'Dea regarding the setting of minimum times for appeal, during which debate statistics and analysis in that regard were put on the record of the House. During that debate, I made the point to Deputy O'Dea that at every step of the process provision is made for submission of...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Yes. The Department has sought to recruit additional medical assessors. Deputy Ó Snodaigh referred to the UK experience. However, that is not the intention here. The staff will be trained and embedded in the Department. The intention is that these staff will be in addition to the current complement. We are experiencing a particular problem in regard to retirements and retention....

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I do not read many of the UK papers. There is no question of a target for refusal of applications being introduced. That does not form part of the process. There is no intention to introduce here the British mechanism referred to by Deputy Ó Snodaigh. We have reduced waiting times significantly over recent times. It is our intention to continue to reduce waiting times further. On...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I can only speculate but I imagine a person wishing to progress into a more specialised area would choose to work part time through an agency until such time as he or she has decided on the speciality area in which he or she wishes to work. I would say there are a wide range of reasons medical doctors work for agencies. They are certainly in high demand in Ireland and across the water.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The assessors are not over-riding or questioning the diagnosis. The diagnosis is done by the doctor. It is the overall picture. The diagnosis is not questioned. If someone is seriously ill, the doctor will diagnose that. We will certainly look at the point raised by Deputy Collins. However, customers are advised to provide all the necessary information at the application stage. If...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I will try to be helpful on this issue, although I might cause more confusion. The certification determines a person’s eligibility, but there are in the Bill aspects to determining eligibility other than those associated with medical practitioners.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Within qualifications for different elements, there are means tests, etc.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The wording of the amendments is such that the general practitioner will certify or determine a person’s eligibility. I am just trying to be helpful. The Deputy may resubmit the amendment on Report Stage.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Deputy Collins referred to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. The legislation was always the same. It refers to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 but the provision mentioned was there previously. I believe that is the reference she asked about but I will check that further for the Deputy. Deputy O'Dea said the situation is getting more difficult and referred to the...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Those are the figures. We have seen an increase of 21% from 2014 to 2016 in the number of people awarded the carer's benefit payment. On the figures the Deputy requested, a substantial number of additional people were awarded benefit in 2014 over the number awarded benefit in 2010. I do not what the percentage increase was but nearly 4,000 more applicants were awarded benefit in 2014...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: No, but we will remind people of the dictionary definition of the word included.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: In regard to that detail, in terms of the debate that took place about a change in the onus, my understanding is that there is not a change in the onus.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I am getting the detail on that. The current wording did not reflect the operation of the process, so the current wording was changed to reflect the way the Department has always operated in this regard.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I will give Deputy Collins the detail on that.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: No.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: There is no presumption; it comes down to proof of eligibility of entitlement. The Deputy can interpret my words as I said them.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: No. It has always been the case, as in all things, that an applicant had to prove eligibility. That provision dates from Deputy O'Dea's time as well as being designed in legislation.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: No, there is not.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2015: Committee Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: There is not. The figures that I gave him are correct and are going up. If he wants, I can argue the matter back and forth. There is a huge difference in the numbers received and awarded compared with what happened in 2014 so that issue does not uphold his point. I have dealt with many claims for carer's allowance and often times people had not submitted a correct application. There were...