Results 8,961-8,980 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59, 64 and 83 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.  To be eligible for the pandemic unemployment payment a person must have been in employment immediately prior to the 13th March and lost their income...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Government has requested employers to be as flexible as possible in allowing staff time off to look after their children or other family members.  This may include offering paid compassionate leave, remote working from home, altering shift patterns around their partners work, bring forward annual leave entitlements, etc.  Where it is not possible to make appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 66, 68 and 80 together. As the Deputies 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The main income supports for carers provided by my Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant.  Combined spending on all these payments to carers in 2020 is expected to exceed €1.3 billion.  Carer's Allowance is a means tested payment made to people whose income falls below certain...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: There is a range of supports put in place to provide assistance to families and individuals during the Covid 19 pandemic.  There has been a specific recognition in these measures of the needs of older people and those who are vulnerable who were asked to cocoon. In order to support vulnerable households during the COVID-19 emergency, my Department extended the fuel allowance season...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Lead responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic violence rests with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.  The co-ordination of the services addressing the needs of these customers is managed by The Child and Family Agency, Tusla. The accommodation needs of victims of domestic violence are met through this joined-up service...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I welcome the publication of the July Jobs Stimulus which aims to stimulate economic and business recovery.  As part of this effort, my Department and the Department of Further and Higher Education and Training will deliver a package of income and employment support and training measures designed to help people maintain a strong income support and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The two-tier PUP payment structure was introduced for the payment week of July 7th 2020.  As the Deputy will be aware, this was introduced in order to better align the payments with prior earnings and those in receipt of the lower rate are continuing to receive a higher rate of payment than they were earning from employment.  Number of recipients of a €203 pandemic...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Since the launch of the pandemic unemployment scheme, a total of 700,700 people have received at least one payment.  The most recent payment week (July 21st) saw 286,900people receiving the payment, which represents a fall of 52% since the peak of 602,100 payments recorded on the week of May 5th 2020. The July Jobs Stimulus Package contains a number of measures for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of this year, Ireland has witnessed unprecedented levels of unemployment.  Research published by my Department found that young people in particular have been hardest hit by the pandemic, and are over represented in the sectors most affected by public health restrictions (hospitality, retail and accommodation). Even though the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The back to education allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments that pursue courses of education at second or third level.  The main focus of the BTEA is to assist qualifying applicants to improve their educational qualifications and improve their prospects of gaining employment. During the course of the roadmap to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Covid-19 crisis continues to have a significant impact on the labour market.  The CSO estimates an unemployment rate of 22.5% in June 2020, when adjusted to include claimants of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.  Even though the situation is improving, 800,000 of our workers, friends and family remain unemployed and rely on some form of State income support to make ends meet;...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The legislation which provides for public holidays is the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997.  This Act provides that certain days may be prescribed as public holidays.  At present, there are nine public holidays.  Any proposal for the provision of an additional public holiday would require careful consideration and wide-ranging consultations with relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC) is an independent statutory body whose purpose is to provide its assessment of official budgetary forecasts and proposed fiscal policy objectives.  The IFAC recently published its Long-term Sustainability Report: Fiscal challenges and risks 2025-2050.  This report provides the IFAC’s assessment of the long-run sustainability...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Social welfare legislation provides that all income and property belonging to the claimant (and his or her spouse/partner, where applicable) is assessable for means testing purposes for social assistance schemes, such as Carer’s Allowance.  In the assessment of earnings, various disregards and tapers are in place which can allow recipients to take up employment.  Earnings...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Covid-19 crisis continues to have a significant impact on the labour market.  The CSO estimates an unemployment rate of 22.5% in June 2020, when adjusted to include claimants of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Even though the situation is improving, 800,000 of our workers, friends and family remain unemployed and rely on some form of State income support to make ends meet;...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Enterprise Support Services (29 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.  The purpose of this grant is to assist self-employed individuals with the transition from the weekly Pandemic Unemployment Payment back to their self-employment. The COVID 19...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children at a total cost of €61.6 million in 2020. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to a lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Rights (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Firstly, I would like to say that my thoughts are with all Debenhams workers who are dealing with job losses at this difficult time.  I want to assure everybody that my Department is assisting the affected workers through its Intreo service to help them in whatever way we can in terms of income supports and job-seeking over the coming weeks and months.  Indeed over the past number...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children.  The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them.  The programme is an important...