Results 8,841-8,860 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Maternity Benefit (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 563 and 616 together. The estimated full year cost of increasing maternity, paternity benefit and adoptive benefit by €10 per week is as follows: Maternity Benefit Paternity Benefit Adoptive Benefit €10.8m €0.6m €0.003m The costs shown above are on a full year basis and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 564 and 588 together. As the Deputy will be aware, Community Employment (CE) supervisors and assistant supervisors have been seeking for several years, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme. CE sponsoring authorities are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy services on a wide range of public and social services.  It provides some services directly to the public and also supports and directly funds an extensive range of services through its service...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy services on a wide range of public and social services. CIB delivers on this remit through its provision of some services directly to the public and through a network of service delivery companies. In February...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 567 and 607 together. The Enterprise Support Grant is being extended to assist eligible self-employed recipients who are exiting the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment scheme after 25th June 2020 to re-start their business. A once-off grant will be awarded for 80% of eligible costs up to a maximum of €1,000 covering vouched costs associated with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Maternity Benefit (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Maternity benefit is a payment made for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed pregnant women who are on maternity leave and who satisfy certain pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. A decision to extend the period of maternity leave for employees would have to be implemented by the Minister for Justice and Equality who has policy and legal responsibility for this area....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, the public policy and social issues in relation to funding a sustainable and adequate State pension system are complex.  Therefore, the new Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” commits to establishing a Commission on Pensions to examine a range of issues including contributions, calculation methods, sustainability, eligibility and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Bereavement Grant (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The number of bereavement grant claims in 2013 was 23,716 at a cost of €20.29 Million. This represented an increase of approximately 4% on 2012.  Based on a similar yearly increase each year since 2013, it is estimated that the number of bereavement grant claims that might arise in 2021, were the scheme to be reintroduced, would be in the region of 32,500, and the number would be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The back to education allowance (BTEA) is a scheme that allows persons in receipt of certain social welfare payments the opportunity to pursue a course of study, while still maintaining their income support, subject to satisfying a number of conditions. As part of the July stimulus package, the Government has announced an extension of the BTEA supports to recipients of pandemic...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 24 June 2020.  It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought.  These have been received and the appeal by the person concerned was referred on 23...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Enterprise Support Grant is being extended to assist eligible self-employed recipients who are exiting the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment scheme after 25th June 2020 to re-start their business.  A once-off grant will be awarded for 80% of eligible costs up to a maximum of €1,000 covering vouched costs associated with re-opening a business which was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 574 and 606 together. The COVID 19 pandemic unemployment payment was introduced as an emergency measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. As part of the July stimulus package the Government announced the further extension of the pandemic unemployment payment to April 2021.  One of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work, family payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children.  In order to qualify for WFP, an applicant or the applicant and their spouse, partner, or cohabitant must be engaged in full-time remunerative employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight. An application for WFP...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department the person concerned made an application for the exceptional needs payment towards the cost of clothing on 10/7/2020.  This application was refused on the basis that the need was determined not to be exceptional.  The person concerned was advised of this decision by letter on 10/07/2020.  She was further advised if she was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 577 to 579, inclusive, together. The emergency Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment was designed to support employees and self-employed people, aged between 18 and under 66, who were in employment or self-employment immediately prior to 13 March 2020 and have lost their employment due to the downturn in economic activity as a result of the COVID 19...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Job Losses (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Section 12 of the Protection of Employment Act 1977 provides that employers proposing a collective redundancy must notify the Minister of the proposed collective redundancy.  The statistics in relation to collective redundancy notifications to date in 2020 are - Collective Redundancies Notified  Number of Notifications Received ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment which aims to help householders on long-term social welfare payments with their heating costs during the winter season.  It is not intended to meet those costs in full.  Only one allowance is paid per household. The applicant must satisfy a number of eligibility conditions, which include being in receipt of a qualifying payment,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Low Pay Commission (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government states that the Low Pay Commission is to examine Universal Basic Income, informed by a review of previous international pilots, and resulting in a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government. This matter will be progressed in line with the Programme for Government commitment and a referral to the Low Pay Commission will be made in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: From 29th June, the higher rate of Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is only payable to customers who had average weekly reckonable income of €200 or greater from self-employment prior to applying for the PUP.  For self-employed customers, the last year for which complete data is available is 2018.  This is the year which was used in determining the correct rate of PUP...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (28 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced by my Department in response to the Covid-19 pandemic emergency, to provide income support to those who had lost their jobs. As stipulated in the scheme guidelines both employees and self-employed people can apply for the payment if they satisfy a number of qualifying conditions as set out below. In order to qualify for the...