Results 10,001-10,020 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (20 Oct 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 programme 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 component of policies to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The ENP scheme is demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance. Cork City and County Council have responsibility for all matters relating to housing including the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 405, 406, 415 and 417 together. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment is available to employees and self-employed people who have lost their employment and the income from that employment due to the pandemic, and who satisfy the other qualifying statutory conditions. Self-employed people must have suffered a reduction in their trading income to the extent...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx. 980,000...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In Ireland, occupational pension schemes are generally set up under trust and are maintained by the employer on a voluntary basis. The trust deeds and rules of a scheme differ from one to another and, as with any contractual situation, reflect the level of obligation on the parties involved. While the Pensions Act 1990 provides a framework for the regulation and supervision of occupational...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) replaced the Temporary Wage Subsidy (TWSS) scheme from 1 September 2020. My Department has advised that subject to satisfying the relevant eligibility criteria, employees may claim casual or part-time jobseeker payments or Short-Time Work Support payments for days of unemployment, even where their employer is claiming the EWSS for days of employment....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Allowance (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, the person concerned submitted an application for a Jobseeker’s Allowance payment with effect from 8/9/2020. This application was awarded and the first payment inclusive of all arrears due will be available for collection on 20/10/2020 at the nominated post office of the person concerned. I trust this clarifies the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following tabular statement. Tabular statement attached. Recipient of invalidity pension by county at the 30th of September 2020 County Invalidity Pension Carlow 1,085 Cavan 870 Clare 1,285 Cork 7,791 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity Pension is a pension paid to people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness. Illness Benefit is a payment made to insured people who are unable to work due to illness. To qualify for an award of either payment, a claimant must satisfy both PRSI contribution and medical conditions. Given the requirement to be permanently incapable of work or to be unable to work...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision on 24 July 2020. The Chief Appeals Officer has power under section 318 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 to revise any decision where it appears to her that the Appeals Officer’s...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The European Targeted Mobility Scheme (TMS) is a European Union job mobility scheme which offers financial assistance to EU citizens aged 18+ in relocating for work or travelling to an interview in another EU country, Norway or Iceland. It also assists employers interested in recruiting for hard to fill vacancies from another EU country, Norway or Iceland. The aim of the scheme is to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 424 to 426, inclusive, 431 and 434 together. Parent’s Leave and Benefit will be extended from 2 weeks for each parent to 5 weeks as announced in Budget 2021. This extension will be made available retrospectively to parents in respect of children born or adopted on or after 1st November 2019. The period during which this leave can be taken will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance is a means-tested once-off payment aimed at helping families with the extra costs when children start school each autumn. To qualify for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance payment in 2020, the following conditions must apply: - The applicant must be in receipt of a qualifying payment between 1 June 2020 and 30 September 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I was pleased to announce as part of Budget 2021 that the Christmas Bonus will be paid this year at a rate of 100% to an estimated 1.5 million recipients, at a cost of €349.3 million. Usually, the Bonus is only paid to recipients of long-term social welfare payments, who are dependent upon their social welfare payment for most or all of their income for what is normally a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Working Family Payment (20 Oct 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 and remain in employment. Increasing the Working Family Payment income threshold for families with one, two or three children in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” sets out how the planned increase in the State pension age next year will be deferred and it will remain at 66 years pending the report of the Commission on Pensions. The Government confirmed as part of its Budget 2021 measures that the required amendment to primary legislation (the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005) will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” commits to introducing a Retirement Payment for 65 year olds paid at the same rate as Jobseeker's Benefit without a requirement to sign on, partake in any activation measures or be available for and genuinely seeking work. Officials in my Department are currently considering how the Government commitment could be implemented and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Offices (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department operates 13 main offices and 75 Intreo Centres across this jurisdiction.  All of these buildings have at least one restroom for staff which can be used by a breastfeeding mother.  The rooms have a bed, a chair and a lockable door.  All our offices have fridge facilities for use by staff and arrangements are made locally by mothers who wish to store expressed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned will reach pension age on 9 November 2020.  Their application for State pension (contributory) was received on 9 September 2020.  According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a social insurance record of 1,335 full-rate paid contributions, 27 credited contributions and 681 HomeCaring Periods. This gives them...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (20 Oct 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has no record of receiving an application for Fuel Allowance from the person concerned. If the person wishes to make a claim, they should submit a completed application for Fuel Allowance (Form NFS1), which is available for download on www.gov.ie or from their local post office, to State Pension Non Contributory, Social Welfare Services, College Road , Sligo. Their application...