Results 9,801-9,820 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (6 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The table below shows the number of staff and sick leave days in my Department between March and September, by month, in 2019 and to date in 2020. MONTH YEAR No of Staff on Sick Leave No. of Sick Leave Days March 2019 1082 9368 2020 772 8576 ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (6 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 808 and 809 together. I understand that the emergency funding referred toby the Deputy relates to the COVID 19 Stability Fund which provided up to €35 million from the Dormant Accounts Fund to organisations in the Community and Voluntary Sector and Social Enterprises. The Fund was intended to provide a targeted, once-off, cash injection for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (6 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 810 and 811 together. Arising from the first and second calls under this scheme, 63 Category 1 projects have been approved for funding of €131 million and 76 Category 2 projects have been approved for funding of €35 million. Category 1 relates to major projects that can drive sustainable rural regeneration and development, while Category 2...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Town and Village Renewal Scheme (6 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: This year’s Town and Village Renewal Scheme has been tailored to assist our rural towns and villages to respond to the challenges presented by COVID-19. In addition to the usual project funding under the scheme, this year the scheme includes an Accelerated Measure which enables towns and villages to adapt to COVID-19 and to introduce initiatives immediately to support increased...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: EU Directives (6 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that there are no such cases or associated fines relating to the Department of Rural and Community Development.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes (6 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: LEADER is co-funded by the European Commission under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The current programming period concludes in December 2020. Proposals for new regulations for the CAP 2021-2027 were launched in June 2018 by the European Commission. However, given the nature of the discussions on the CAP and the wider EU Budget post-2020, there has been a delay in adopting these...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes (6 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 815 and 816 together. LEADER is co-funded by the European Commission under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The current programming period concludes in December 2020. Proposals for new regulations for the CAP 2021-2027 were launched in June 2018 by the European Commission. However, given the nature of the discussions on the CAP and on the wider...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: LEADER Programmes (6 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government contains a number of commitments in relation to the LEADER Programme, including a commitment to promote the role of independent Local Action Groups (LAGs), while ensuring that strong accountability and transparency mechanisms are in place to protect taxpayers’ money. Over the coming months, my officials will be working through the details of all of the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Contracts (6 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has not engaged any company or other organisation to carry out the work described during the period in question.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (6 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The administrative arrangements for the Sick Leave Scheme in the Civil Service are set out in Circular 05/2018 – Arrangements for Paid Sick Leave, and operate in conjunction with the Public Service Management (Sick Leave) Regulations (SI 124 of 2014) and Public Service Management (Sick Leave) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 384 of 2015). The Sick Leave scheme provides for the...

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment: Motion [Private Members] (7 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: “recognises the financial hardship the Covid-19 pandemic has imposed on households; commits to continuing to support people and businesses affected by Covid-19; notes that the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has spent over €3.68...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Living Wage (7 Oct 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: Low Pay Commission (7 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Low Pay Commission has statutory responsibility for the making of a recommendation regarding the national minimum hourly rate of pay. I have received two reports from the Low Pay Commission this year regarding the National Minimum Wage, one on 17 July and one on 22 September. The September report was accompanied by correspondence outlining a majority recommendation from the Low Pay...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Offices (7 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Civil Registration Service is operated by the HSE with policy direction being given by the General Register Office (GRO), which falls under the aegis of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. For the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the GRO and Civil Registration Service has continued to provide civil registration services, including the registration of births and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Overpayments (7 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I welcome the recent publication by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) of his report on the Accounts of Public Services for 2019, and in particular, the chapter on "Control over Social Welfare Payments". My Department's budget in 2019 was over €20bn, and the oversight of the C&AG is essential to ensuring public confidence in the control and anti-fraud measures in place...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Work Enterprise Allowance Scheme (7 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) scheme offers support for people who are long-term unemployed and who are interested in self-employment as a route to entering the labour market. The scheme plays a vital role in supporting the development of new enterprises for the long term unemployed. The BTWEA is payable to self-employed individuals for a 24 month period from the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Dietary Allowance (7 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Diet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition. There are currently 1,800 people in receipt of diet supplement at a cost of €1.1 million in 2019. A review of the costs of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (7 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Government has extended the pandemic unemployment payment until 31stMarch 2021 and I have secured Government approval to extend the closing date for new applications for the pandemic unemployment scheme to the end of this year. One of the qualifying conditions for self- employed people to receive the pandemic unemployment payment is that they must have suffered a reduction in their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Aer Lingus (7 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has engaged with Aer Lingus and an agreed process is in place so that any outstanding information required to finalise decisions on social welfare entitlements will be provided by the company to their employees as quickly as possible. I understand the company is providing the information required as agreed with my Department to their employees. Jobseeker’s claims from Aer...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Dormant Accounts Fund (7 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has an approved €5 million allocation under the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2020 which will provide Measures to Support and Improve Employment Opportunities (including self-employment) for Persons with a Disability and Carers. Applications for funding are invited from community and voluntary organisations working at local and/or national level that wish to support and...