Results 8,981-9,000 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 206 and 207 together. The Enterprise Support Grant is a support available to participants of the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance to assist with start-up costs experienced by new enterprises.  In 2019, approximately 4,800 applications were awarded at a cost of almost €3 million.  This information is not maintained on a county basis. This...

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

Heather Humphreys: My sincere thoughts are with all Debenhams workers and other who are dealing with job losses at this difficult time. My officials have been assisting the affected workers through its Intreo service to help them in whatever way we can in terms of income supports and advice on further education and training options that will help them to find work within their sector or in other sectors as the...

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department moved swiftly to put in place enhanced and new supports for individuals and families during the public health emergency. These supports aimed to shelter the incomes of those who lost their job or were working reduced hours as a result of COVID-19. A priority from the outset has been to ensure that income still flows into the households which need it most. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment (29 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 1 May 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. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is still awaiting a response from the Department of...

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

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for a Rent Supplement on 23/7/2020. A written request for further documentation in order to progress her application issued to the person concerned on the same date. On receipt of the requested documentation, the application will be assessed and a decision will issue to the person concerned. I trust this clarifies the matter.

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

Heather Humphreys: From the 29th June the rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) which a person will receive will depend on their gross weekly employment earnings as follows; - For those whose prior gross earnings were €200 per week or higher (about 75% of recipients), the PUP payment rate will remain at €350 per week; - For those whose prior gross earnings were up to €199.99 per...

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

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned reached pension age on 24 January 2014. According to the records of my Department, they have a total of 758 qualifying paid and credited Irish contributions which equates to a yearly average of 16 contributions. This gives an entitlement to a standard State pension (contributory) at 65% of the maximum rate. They were notified in writing of this decision and arrears due...

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

Heather Humphreys: The emergency Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment has been introduced as a time-limited emergency measure so that payments can be made as quickly as possible to the large number of people who have become fully unemployed due to the pandemic. During the month of March, my Department received and processed jobseeker claims equivalent in number to a three year claim-load. These...

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

Heather Humphreys: As part of the Government's July stimulus package announced last week, the pandemic unemployment payment has been extended to 1 April 2021. From 17 September 2020 until 31 January 2021 the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be paid at 3 rates. The payment rate will continue to depend on the amount previously earned. For employees, their gross weekly earnings will be used to determine the...

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

Heather Humphreys: Since the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced in March last, over 1.2 million applications in respect of 800,000 people have been received and, to date, almost 7.8 million payments have issued. Against the backdrop of the very high volume of PUP claims, the Department has continued to register and acknowledge FOI requests and to contact requestors to explain that it may not...

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

Heather Humphreys: From the 29th June the rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) which a person will receive will depend on their gross weekly employment earnings as follows; - For those whose prior gross earnings were €200 per week or higher (about 75% of recipients), the PUP payment rate will remain at €350 per week; - For those whose prior gross earnings were up to €199.99 per...

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

Heather Humphreys: The 2020 Revised Estimate of Expenditure was voted on by the Oireachtas on 28 May 2020. This Revised Estimate provided for an overall estimate of €28.04 billion, an increase of €6.84 billion or 32.2% on the original 2020 REV estimate published in December 2019, but which had not been voted. The increased expenditure was required to provide funding for the new Covid-19 measures...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. The time taken to process an appeal reflects a number of factors including that the appeals process is a quasi-judicial process with Appeals...

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

Heather Humphreys: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for supplementary welfare allowance but who have an urgent need...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) (29 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the attached tabular statement. The number of state pension non-contributory pension claims registered and in payment at the end of December in the years 2016 to 2019 and to at the end of June 2020. Claims Registered Claims in Payment June 2020 4,871 95,247 2019 ...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the time taken to process an appeal reflects a number of factors including that the appeals process is a quasi-judicial process with Appeals Officers being required to decide all appeals on a ‘de-novo’ basis. In addition, appeals decisions are themselves subject to review by the High Court and decisions have to be formally...

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

Heather Humphreys: The Community Employment Scheme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. In general, the period of participation on Community Employment is for one year.  However, Community Employment...

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

Heather Humphreys: There are a range of supports available from my Department for people following a bereavement.  Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, the Department may make an exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income.  An application can be made under the...

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

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. There are no backlogs in most of the Department's scheme areas at present.  All scheme areas are up to date on claim processing with the exception of the jobseekers scheme where...

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

Heather Humphreys: Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions finance pension payments to an earlier generation of contributors and also pay for benefits to people who are temporarily economically inactive through illness or short-term unemployment.  In return, contributors build up entitlements which will be paid to them as of right, without having to undergo a means test, when they themselves need...