Results 10,641-10,660 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: It is a standard feature of social welfare legislation that a claimant can claim only one social welfare primary payment. It is not possible to be in receipt of both Invalidity Pension and a Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension. While I have sympathy for the unfortunate circumstances of the person concerned, the position is that to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Since the introduction of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment scheme in March, approximately 815,000 people have applied for payment and in some cases, they have done so on a number of occasions as they moved in and out of employment or where their employer availed of the Revenue Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme. Consequently, there are over 1.4 million applications to be examined to determine if...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: A recipient of the State Pension (Contributory) can claim an increase in their pension in respect of a Qualified Adult. A Qualified Adult is the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the pensioner who is being wholly or mainly maintained by that pensioner. Only the spouse or partner of the claimant is subject to a means test. An increase is payable at the maximum rate of payment where the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Jobseeker's Benefit (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: A recipient of Jobseeker's Benefit can claim an increase in their payment in respect of a Qualified Adult. A Qualified Adult is the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the claimant who is being wholly or mainly maintained by the recipient. A person's entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit is dependent on their social insurance contributions and the personal rate of payment is not means...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The priority for my Department up to now has been to ensure that payments are being made currently to workers of the company concerned. To date over 3,200 claims have been put into payment in respect of employees who have applied for a jobseeker's payment. This work is now complete and deciding officers in my Department have commenced reviewing applications in respect of the period...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My Department invites requests for tenders for each of the subsidised transport services to the islands. When preparing the tender documentation, consideration is given to the requirements of the island communities – which is established through prior consultation - and to the budgets available to the Department to support these services. The nature of the service being tendered...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Functions (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Sectors relevant to my Departments remit include charities, social enterprises and community and voluntary groups in addition to those organisations delivering in rural Ireland. Contracts of employment within these sectors are generally a matter for the employers concerned. My Department is not aware at this time of specific concerns raised on contracts nor in receipt of correspondence on...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Services Programme (2 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 420 community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model. CSP funding is provided as a fixed annual contribution towards the wages cost of an agreed number of full-time equivalent (FTE) positions and a manager, where warranted. It does not provide funding towards capital costs as outlined in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. In common with other jobseeker payments, such as jobseeker's benefit and allowance, the fundamental condition for receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, is that the person is available to work but cannot do so because suitable work is not available to them. Persons claiming the PUP will have been in employment immediately before...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. It is important to say we are offering to people who want to take up the offer training and measures to help them get back to work or retrain to go to a new job and they can take it up on a voluntary basis. Some people may want to look at new careers and it is important that we give them all the support we can to help them to get back to work in due course. It is fair...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. What we are doing is helping people to get back to work and we are giving them all the supports. In the July stimulus package, there was considerable investment in back to education and back to training, apprenticeships and measures to help people to get back to work. If there are specific issues, I am happy to look at them. The purpose is to allow people to reskill...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Payment of the pandemic unemployment payment, or PUP, as it is known, has proved to be an extremely effective tool in responding to the economic impact of Covid-19 and in cushioning hundreds of thousands of individuals and families from sudden income shocks. Expenditure on the scheme has amounted to over €4.3 billion since its introduction in March. The scheme will remain in place...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The issue of tax is a matter for the Department of Finance. We all know that if we earn over a certain amount of money, we are all liable to pay tax. As I understand it, that is the rule across the board. It is important to say we have paid out a considerable amount of money to support people through the pandemic unemployment payment. This week, we issued €130 million in arrears...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: It has always been the case that if people earn over a certain income in any given tax year, they are liable for tax. That has always been the case and it is the case for the pandemic unemployment payment in the same way as for any other payment people receive. We have supported people. We have processed 1.5 million claims since last March and we have issued 13 million payments to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: JobPath Programme (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Research consistently indicates that the provision of personal case-managed employment services to jobseekers is an effective method of supporting jobseekers to secure and sustain employment, while reducing welfare costs and enhancing social value to a society. In October, I announced that my Department agreed an extension with both JobPath contractors, as well as extending the contracts of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: JobPath Programme (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy. I confirm that we have changed the rules. I have instructed my officials that no person should be referred to JobPath on more than two occasions, and practical steps are under way in my Department to implement that instruction. JobPath provides advice to people. It helps them to look at how they can apply for jobs. It prepares them and tries to identify jobs that suit...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: JobPath Programme (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: To be clear, the JobPath scheme has been reviewed on a number of occasions. The OECD review showed that, overall, those who participate in JobPath have better employment outcomes and earnings than those who are not supported by JobPath. The total cost of JobPath services to date is €247.7 million. That is since 2015. The total number of people engaged to date is more than 280,000,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: JobPath Programme (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I am very sorry. I know the Deputy wants to but she cannot. Question No. 4 is in the name of Deputy Michael Lowry.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Carer's Support Grant (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The main income supports to carers provided by my Department are carer’s allowance, carer’s benefit and the carer’s support grant. Combined spending on the above payments to carers in 2020 is expected to exceed €1.3 billion. The carer’s support grant is an annual payment of €1,700 for each care...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Carer's Support Grant (3 Dec 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy will understand that one of the key roles of my Department is that of income support. We are charged with identifying where a person has an income support need and providing that income support. Carer's benefit is a non-means-tested payment for up to two years. It is available to people who meet the specified social insurance contribution requirements. In addition, a person can...