Results 10,421-10,440 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Data Protection (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The majority of personal data breaches in 2019 were in the following three categories: 46% - Delivery of correspondence to an incorrect address or to the customer's previous address; 31% -Accidentally including a document or an item of personal data of a customer in correspondence with another customer. 14% - Email errors such as auto population to an unintended address, or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Administration (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has a protocol in place for payments to homeless customers and staff make every effort to assist persons who are homeless so that they can avail of the full range of the Department’s services and income supports. These customers are worked with and encouraged to regularise their living arrangements by referral to the appropriate support agencies...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 568, 569 and 576 together. Details of the range of  supports, including the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, available for the self-employed at this time are available on the Government's website at www.gov.ie/covid19selfemployed. As provided for in the recent Budget, where a self -employed recipient of the pandemic unemployment payment, such as a taxi...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The priority for my Department up to now has been to ensure that payments are being made currently and to date over 3,200 claims have been put into payment in respect of employees at the company referred to by the Deputy.  This work is now complete and work has commenced this week on applications in respect of the period pre-September when the Temporary Wage Subsidy scheme was in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Living Alone Allowance (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Budget 2021 provides for a €5 increase to the Living Alone Allowance from €14 to €19 per week giving a total payment of €988 over the course of the year in addition to their primary social welfare payment.  This represents a 36% increase in the value of the Allowance.  The implementation of the increase is scheduled with effect...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Budget 2021 (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Lead responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic violence rests with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Since August, I have introduced changes to the rent supplement scheme to make it more easily accessible to victims of domestic violence.  This seeks to ensure that victims of domestic...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: As part of Budget 2021, I was very happy to secure Government approval that the 2020 Christmas Bonus will be paid this year at a rate of 100%. This bonus payment recognises the needs of people who are long-term financially dependent on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income. In addition, in light of the exceptional circumstances arising from the pandemic,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced as a support to employees who lost their employment as a direct consequence of Covid-19. It is also available to self-employed persons who can demonstrate that their income ceased, or reduced, as a direct consequence of Covid-19, to the extent that they would be available to take up full-time employment. The Covid-19 Pandemic...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned applied for State pension (contributory) on 25 July 2019, in advance of reaching pension age in December 2019.  According to the records of my Department, they have a total of 320 paid full-rate Irish social insurance contributions.  Since their contributions fall short of the requisite 520 paid full-rate contributions, they do not qualify...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. I confirm that my Department received an application for CA in respect of two care recipients from the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy should note that matters related to the collection of taxes are outside the responsibility of my Department and should instead be pursued with the Office of the Revenue Commissioners as it is the primary collection agent for income tax and PRSI payments.  Income tax and social insurance payable by a self-employed contributor are treated as one aggregate sum.  For...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. My Department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 30 September 2020. Additional information...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: According to the records of my Department, a Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment has been awarded to the person concerned at a weekly rate of €300 from 16/10/2020 and will be paid into his nominated bank account on 17/11/2020.  All arrears due will be paid by the end of this week. I trust this clarifies the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability.  It is important to note that entitlement to these supports is not contingent on the nature of the illness/disability but on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work. In March of this year, under the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that the individual referred to by the Deputy has been contacted regarding his application for a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) by officials of my Department so that they may proceed to progress his application. Upon receipt of outstanding information, this application will be processed without delay.   I trust this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Free Travel Scheme (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The SAFE registration process, which my Department uses to authenticate a person's identity, is a face to face process which results in the issuing of a Public Services Card.  Customers entitled to free travel receive a free travel variant of their Public Services Card to use when availing of free travel.   At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Invalidity Pension (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.  The gentleman concerned was awarded IP from 01 October 2020 at the maximum weekly personal rate of €208.50.  His claim for an increase for a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance scheme (BTEA)  is a full-time education support available to jobseekers.  It is a non-statutory scheme operated by the Department which is designed to enable jobseekers to take up full-time education opportunities while continuing to receive income support related to standard jobseeker schemes. Ordinarily a person must be in receipt of a qualifying...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Budgets (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department recognises and accounts for contingent liabilities in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards.  The international accounting standard (IAS.37) defines a contingent liability as: (a) A possible obligation that arises as from past events and whose existence will be confirmed only by the occurrence or non-occurrence of one or more uncertain future events not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (17 Nov 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn.  The scheme operates from June to September each year. The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified...