Results 3,621-3,640 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Employers (including CE Sponsoring Organisations) are legally obliged to offer access to at least one Standard Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) under the Pension (Amendment) Act 2002. All CE Sponsoring Organisations were apprised of their responsibilities under this Act at that time. CE Supervisors may also qualify for the State Pension at 66 years of age. If they have accrued...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: There are approximately 68,000 rent supplement recipients, of which over 25,400 are in Dublin, for which the Government has provided a total of over €298 million for in 2015. Under the legislative provisions governing rent supplement, the Department’s relationship is with the tenant; the tenant makes the application for rent supplement and payment is generally made to the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €27.9 million for the ENP scheme in 2015. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Discussions at the invitation of SIPTU and Impact, which took place earlier this year, were conducted with the Department’s CE Policy Unit. The Deputy will be aware that CE supervisors are the employees of private companies. In the circumstances, it is not possible for the State to take over responsibility for funding pension arrangements for employees of private companies, even...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Since Community Employment (CE) commenced in April 1994, the period for which a CE Sponsor contracts with a supervisor is a matter between the Sponsor as the employer, and the supervisor, as the employee. However, DSP funding is only provided for the duration of the Agreement that DSP has with the Sponsoring organisation which is on an annual basis. Supervisors (and participants) are...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, the Community Employment (CE) programme is under the remit of the Department of Social Protection (DSP) since the enactment of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2010. Under the programme, DSP provides funding for local sponsoring organisations to provide training, upskilling and educational opportunities for jobseekers and other vulnerable groups...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (23 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The savings to the health budget attributable to services provided by Community Employment (CE) schemes is a matter for the Department of Health. There are approximately 2,650 health and social care places currently on CE as at the end of May 2015. These CE places are filled by persons on jobseekers allowance, one parent family payment and persons on a disability-related payment e.g....

Other Questions: Disability Support Services (24 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Government recognises the importance of increasing participation in employment for persons with a disability. The Department provides a wide range of work-related supports, which in 2015 will cost approximately €37 million, solely for persons with a disability. A person with a disability is at all times free to avail of the Intreo service on a voluntary basis. A complete range...

Other Questions: Disability Support Services (24 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank Deputy O'Dea for recognising the significant progress in reducing the live register. He is quite correct. The unemployment rate was at 15%, and heading for 500,000, but more than 100,000 net new jobs have been created in the economy since February 2012 and we have seen the unemployment rate drop into single figures. In the disability sector, the unemployment rate is far too high....

Other Questions: Disability Support Services (24 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I would very much welcome it, if the Deputy wishes.

Other Questions: Disability Support Services (24 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for bringing that to my attention. I have not looked at that recently but I certainly will do so. I am quite happy to debate the 100,000 net new jobs that have been created since February 2012. When that target was announced, I remember Members on the Opposition benches stating it was overly ambitious, it would not be delivered and we would be looking at 2017. The...

Other Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (24 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Deputy Broughan needs to go back and check his figures. Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 68,000 people at an annual cost of €298 million. Over 5,600 claims have been awarded in 2015, of which almost 1,600 are in Dublin. In response to the current market difficulties, the Department has implemented...

Other Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (24 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I do not know whether the Deputy is advocating that we go down the Greece route where there would be no social welfare or safety net to catch vulnerable people and no transfer through the Department of Social Protection to the most vulnerable.

Other Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (24 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Deputy can either ask a question and get an answer or he can shout at me again, whichever he wants.

Other Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (24 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Deputy is well aware-----

Other Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (24 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Deputy Broughan had an opportunity to stay within the Labour Party and work on solutions, but he always seemed to like opting out instead of doing that.

Other Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (24 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Look, Deputy-----

Other Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (24 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Deputy asked a question and I will give him an answer.

Other Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (24 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I served on Dublin City Council for long enough with Deputy Broughan. He knows the challenges of housing and homelessness that the country faces.

Other Questions: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (24 Jun 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Deputy well knows that there is a range of challenges that need to be addressed. To answer his specific question, he also knows well that the collapse of the construction industry has meant that virtually no houses have been built in the past six years. There was no money to do so.