Results 4,121-4,140 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection operates a number of programmes and initiatives including Community Employment, Tús – the community work placement initiative, Gateway and the Rural Social Scheme. These schemes are delivered locally by local authorities, local sponsoring groups, local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta (in Gaeltacht areas). Various...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: As outlined in reply to the Deputy’s questions Nos. 33251-15 of 29 September 2015, 35119-15 of 8 October 2015 and 38803-15 of 5 November 2015, the person concerned undertook to provide written confirmation of the loan she received to meet the funeral costs. As this documentation was not received, a decision was taken on 13 November 2015 to disallow the application. If the person...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payments (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130, 166 and 171 together. Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department of Social Protection 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 €30.3...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Work Allowance (13 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: There are two schemes to assist people on certain social protection payments who wish to become self-employed; namely the Short Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA) and the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA). The (STEA) provides immediate access to those who qualify for jobseekers benefit wishing to set up a business. Payment under the scheme is at the same rate and for the same duration...

Leaders' Questions (14 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: You are one yourself.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Review (14 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The organisation referred to by the Deputy is provided with financial support under the community services programme (CSP). The CSP provides a contribution to the wage costs of employing staff to develop and deliver services not otherwise provided or where insufficient demand exists or there are gaps in services. Following a review of the service in 2015, it was found that the level of...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Services Programme (14 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The organisation referred to by the Deputy is provided with financial support under the community services programme (CSP). The CSP provides a contribution to the wage costs of employing staff to develop and deliver services not otherwise provided or where insufficient demand exists or there are gaps in services. Additional resources were provided to the organisation in question to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Services Programme (14 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The community services programme (CSP) is one of a number of programmes and schemes operated by the Department. It provides financial support to community companies that provide revenue generating services of a social inclusion nature. Many of these companies are also funded from other sources and generate revenue from the public use of their facilities and services. The CSP provides a...

Confidence in Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection: Motion [Private Members] (19 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Deputy should stop talking nonsense.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (19 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Training Support Grant (TSG) is designed to fund quick access to short-term training where this cannot be provided by a state provider within a reasonable time or where an intervention is identified that can support individual jobseekers to access work opportunities. This scheme is not designed to provide general or more structured training for jobseekers. Access to the scheme is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Data (19 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: There are 71 Community Employment (CE) Schemes with 1,479 places in Galway, and 37 CE schemes with 849 places in Mayo as at 14 January 2015. The average annual cost of a CE place for one year, including income support and all other costs such as training fees, material costs and Supervision is approximately €15,000. The average annual payment value for jobseeker's allowance (JA) for...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Direct Provision Data (19 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The direct provision allowance is a non-statutory payment administered by the Department of Social Protection on behalf of the Department of Justice and Equality to persons in the Direct Provision system. The Government has provided €3.6 million for direct provision allowance in 2016. The Government has recently approved an increase in the weekly direct provision allowance payment in...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Operation (19 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: This Department has become aware in recent times of increases in insurance premiums for CE schemes. The main reasons cited for this is an increase in claims frequency over recent years by such schemes. The Department has been in consultation with the main insurers and brokers about the proposed increase and to seek to limit the incidence of future claims. The Department recommends that...

Confidence in Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (20 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Deputy gets a lot wrong.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (21 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 61,000 people, for which the Government has provided approximately €267 million for 2016. Properties are being secured under the scheme with over 20,100 rent supplement tenancies awarded during 2015, of which 790 were in the Kerry area. There are currently approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Civil Registration Legislation (21 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: Staffing and resolution of industrial relations issues in the Civil Registration Service are a matter for the HSE. However, I am concerned about the matter and my officials, while not directly involved in the dispute, have made the HSE aware of these concerns. I understand that discussions are ongoing and that good progress has been made and it should be possible to commence further sections...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Services Programme (21 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The company referred to by the Deputy is supported by the Community Services Programme. Following a full examination of its operations in 2013, a number of concerns were raised relating to the outputs being achieved by the company, when compared with similar operations nationally. They were informed that the Department could not sustain the level of financial support should the level of...

Topical Issue Debate: Farm Assist Scheme Eligibility (26 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I do not wish to be too early in wishing you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, the very best, as I believe the election is not to be held until the spring. I am still working out what the interpretation of the Irish spring is, but the daffodils are up in my garden so perhaps the spring is very close. However, I do not wish to make light of the issue the Deputy raises as it is very important. ...

Topical Issue Debate: Farm Assist Scheme Eligibility (26 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. The Revised Estimate makes clear the Government's commitment. It commits €85 million to the farm assist scheme, which is significant. The record of the Government in assisting and supporting farmers right across the country is second to none. As we move from recession to recovery, there is an opportunity to review how we can support communities nationally. On...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure (26 Jan 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 61,000 people for which the Government has provided approximately €267 million for 2016. Recent analysis shows that increasing the current rent limits by 5% would result in a full year cost in excess of €15 million; a 10% increase would carry a cost of almost...