Results 3,961-3,980 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I do not propose to accept Deputy Pringle's amendment. Deputy Ó Snodaigh made the point very clearly, so I do not need to repeat it. It is a question of a name change that reflects more clearly what carers do and it has been very positively received. Deputy Naughten made a very convincing case. I advise him to do as I suggested to Deputy Ó Snodaigh and raise the matter at the...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: It is the broader issue we intend to deal with. I took a note of the case raised by Deputy O'Dea and if he wishes, he can forward the details to me. Flexibility is available in terms of averaging payments over two weeks. I was quite surprised by the case Deputy O'Dea articulated but without knowing the detail, I could not respond. Deputy Naughten is speaking more about general policy and...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: An additional €98 million in supports for families and children is provided for in budget 2016. Expenditure in 2015 on children is €1.9 billion, a significant amount. I cannot read minds. As stated by Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh, as this issue was not teased out on Committee Stage, I do not know the theory behind Deputy Thomas Pringle's amendment. The outcome of...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I expected the Deputy to raise it. I am only surprised he did not raise it on Committee Stage.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I will take that as a compliment. The Deputy's proposal would have unintended consequences. If Tusla and the Department of Education and Skills come to the Department of Social Protection with a viable scheme, it will be looked at. We are putting in place new infrastructure for appeals mechanisms. On Deputy's point about Jenny's family losing their entitlement to child benefit after she...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: There is great merit in the Deputy's proposal for a scheme that would give people the tools to develop an ethos of saving for life events and avoid the need to approach moneylenders. The scheme we have provided for in this Bill will be up and running this week and will operate initially on a six-month pilot basis. We have agreement with An Post to move forward on the basis the legislation...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: I welcome Deputy Willie O’Dea’s confidence that the Government will be returned.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: When the Deputy is looking at his ballot paper in the general election and wants the Government to be returned, he might consider voting No. 1 for the Labour Party since his own seat is so safe.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Government is not taking it for granted for one minute that it will be returned. However, I thank the Deputy for his support. It is really heartening, coming from a Deputy such as him that there is an expectation that the Government will be returned.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The information the Deputy is requesting is freely available by way of parliamentary questions. I am not going to waste the time of the House by going through every single cut introduced by the previous Administration because it crashed the economy. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh referred to the recovery. It has started, but, unfortunately, not for everybody. I welcome the unemployment...

Leaders' Questions (19 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Deputy does not want to hear it, does he?

Leaders' Questions (19 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: He should behave himself.

Order of Business (19 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: We have put 2 million people back to work.

Order of Business (19 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Deputy's party was the architect of this particular legislation. That is the fact of the matter.

Order of Business (19 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Deputy Cowen should not be such a bully.

Order of Business (19 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The Deputies opposite gave out about the revaluations that were carried out.

Roads (Criminal Activity) (Amendment) Bill 2015: First Stage (19 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: Deputy Niall Collins should not talk nonsense. Who closed the college in Templemore?

Roads (Criminal Activity) (Amendment) Bill 2015: First Stage (19 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: We reopened the college in Templemore.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Data (24 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme, was introduced in July 2011 and to date has attracted the participation of 44,388 participants, including 381 in the Civil Service. There are currently 4,865 participants on the programme, of which 10 are in the Civil Service. The Terms and Conditions of the scheme include a basic requirement that an internship must not under any circumstances...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (24 Nov 2015)

Kevin Humphreys: The staffing ratio rules to which the Deputy refers are the responsibility of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) and the HSE. The Community Employment (CE) programme is a valuable resource in the provision of a range of services to communities, including childcare services. The Department introduced a new CE Childcare Strand at the beginning of 2013 under which there is...