Results 9,061-9,080 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The full year cost of increasing the age limit of the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) to 14 would be very difficult to estimate with any great accuracy. There are a number of significant barriers to undertaking such a costing exercise.  Firstly, an increase in the age limits could result in a cohort of lone parents that are currently not in receipt of a social welfare payment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Payments (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: An age related jobseeker’s allowance rate of €112.70 generally applies to young jobseekers aged 18-24 to incentivise them to engage in education or training to improve their chances of obtaining full time sustainable employment.  If a young jobseeker participates in education or training they can receive the maximum weekly personal rate of up to €203.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated cost of providing a one-off double monthly payment of Child Benefit is €172.7m.   The cost provided is based on a double monthly child benefit payment in one month of the year and is based on the estimated number of recipients in 2020. 

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Benefit (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Child benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years.  The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability.  Child benefit is currently paid, as of end-June 2020, to over 639,300 families in respect of over 1.2 million...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Support Grant (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing the Carer's Support Grant from €1700 to €2000 is €41.9 million. This cost is subject to change in line with emerging trends.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Payments (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a number of options for income support to lone parents once their entitlement to the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) ceases.  These include the Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) payment where the youngest child is aged 7-13 years (inclusive) and the Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) payment which may be paid to lone parents where the youngest child is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children.  It is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment.  To qualify for Working Family Payment, a person must be engaged in full-time insurable employment which is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Working Family Payment is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children.  It is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment.  To qualify for Working Family Payment, a person must be engaged in full-time insurable employment which is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The full year cost of increasing the age limit of the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) to 14 would be very difficult to estimate with any great accuracy. There are a number of significant barriers to undertaking such a costing exercise.  Firstly, an increase in the age limits could result in a cohort of lone parents that are currently not in receipt of a social welfare payment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing the earnings disregard for the One Parent Family Payment to €175 per week is €4.6 million. The above costing is based on the number of recipients who were working and earning in excess of €175 per week as of May 2019.  The costings do not take into account potential behavioural changes, or the inflow of new entrants,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payment (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The estimated full year cost of increasing the earnings disregard for the One Parent Family Payment to €175 per week is €4.6 million. The above costing is based on the number of recipients who were working and earning in excess of €175 per week as of May 2019.  The costings do not take into account potential behavioural changes, or the inflow of new...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Maintenance Payments (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Issues relating to child maintenance are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, who has responsibility for the Family Law Acts, which govern maintenance requirements. However, in order to address child maintenance and liable relative procedures, insofar as they relate to schemes in my Department, a Child Maintenance Review Group has been established to examine a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided for the abolition of the State Pension Transition (SPT) in 2014.  This measure standardised the State pension age for all at 66 years.  When it existed, SPT was a scheme which allowed those who were retired to get a transitionary payment between the ages of 65 and 66 years.  The SPT maximum personal rate was equivalent to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The public policy and social issues in relation to funding a sustainable and adequate State pension system are complex.  Therefore, the Government is establishing a Commission on Pensions to examine a range of issues including contributions, calculation methods, sustainability, eligibility and intergenerational fairness. The Terms of Reference for the Commission on Pensions are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Ability programme is a pre-activation programme for young people with disabilities.  The funding for this programme will amount to around €16 million over a three year period and is being provided jointly under the EU's ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) Operational Programme 2014-2020 and the Irish Exchequer.  The programme will support over...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 819 and 820 together. The estimated full year cost of extending the Fuel Allowance payment period by one week is €9.04 million.  The estimated full year cost of increasing the Fuel Allowance by €1 is €10.33 million. The costs shown above are on a full year basis and are based on the estimated number of recipients in 2020 and based on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 821 and 822 together. The issue of pension provision was examined by a Community Sector High Level Forum, chaired by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform from in 2017 and included representatives of various Departments with responsibility for funding the community and voluntary sector, statutory agencies and also unions representing the CE...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: JobPath Programme (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The JobPath contract contains provisions for early termination, notwithstanding any dispute which may arise and which is covered elsewhere in the contract. Written notice must be served on the contractor 6 months in advance of a termination.  The amount of compensation to be paid to the service providers is stipulated in the contract.  However, the amount of compensation,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The aim of the Community Employment (CE) programme is to enhance the employability of unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities.  Its objective is to help long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce. The estimated cost of 1,000 places on the CE Scheme for one year is €16.8m, based on 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme (30 Jul 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 825 to 828, inclusive, together. The Tús scheme provides work placements for a twelve month period for those who are fully unemployed and on the live register for a year or more. The Tús initiative helps break the cycle of long-term unemployment by providing a work routine and valuable work experience. The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) provides...