Results 11,081-11,100 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (14 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department has allocated a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) to the individual referred to by the Deputy. A letter issued to the person concerned on 8th January 2021 with details of the PPSN. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (14 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Apprenticeships are divided into on and off the job phases. Apprentices who are in a phase of off-the-job training will continue to receive their training allowance from the State. There will be no loss of income for these apprentices. Apprentices who were in the on-the-job phase with their employer and who have subsequently lost their employment as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (14 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The customer concerned is due arrears from 24/04/20 to 20/08/20. The amount due in PUP arrears to the customer concerned is €4774.00. The customer concerned should receive the payment within the next two weeks. I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Strategies (14 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My specific priorities in 2021 include the finalisation and implementation of a new Pathways to Work Strategy which will increase the supports available to those who are unemployed, particularly those who are long-term unemployed, the further delivery of the pension commitments as outlined in the Programme for Government and the Roadmap for Pensions Reform; and the ongoing implementation...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (14 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I can confirm that my Department has allocated a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) to the individual referred to by the Deputy. A letter issued on 5th January 2021 with details of his PPSN. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Labour Activation Programmes (14 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Gateway Initiative was introduced in 2013 at a time of high unemployment in Ireland, with a target of 3,000 working opportunities. The aim of the Gateway scheme was to improve the employability and work readiness of participants by providing them with the opportunities to put their work skills into practice and to learn new skills to enable their progression to work, further...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (14 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 250 together. Prior to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic my Department had been engaged in a process of consultation with island communities in relation to the development of a new Islands Policy. This consultation was carried out through structured public meetings on the islands. The consultation process had to be temporarily suspended due...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Development Programme (14 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy is aware, my Department has been working on a new Rural Development Policy as a successor to the Action Plan for Rural Development.  The new policy will be forward looking and ambitious, reflecting a whole-of-Government commitment to rural Ireland. It will have a five year horizon, and will seek to strengthen the resilience of our rural communities and economies,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Improvement Scheme (14 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Improvement Scheme, or LIS, is a programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in rural areas which are not under the normal maintenance of the Local Authorities.  The scheme is funded by my Department and is administered through the relevant Local Authorities. The scheme provides Exchequer funding for the construction or improvement of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (14 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department's mission is to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland.  In delivering on its mission my Department has sought to continue to deliver on its programme of policies and initiatives as planned throughout 2020, with additional consideration given to delivering supports to communities facing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 332 and 341 together. To be eligible for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment a person must have lost their employment as a direct consequence of Covid-19 and must not be in receipt of pay from their employer. From the outset of Covid-19, many employers will have taken the initiative, in line with requests from the Government, to be as flexible as possible in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 333 and 334 together. To date approximately €5.3 Billion has been paid on the Pandemic Unemployment payment (PUP) which continues to mitigate the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our economy and society. The scheme will remain open to new applications until 31st March. To be eligible for PUP a person must have become unemployed due to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 335 and 336 together. The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a statutory support which is available to support persons of working age from 18 years up to pensionable age, 66 years, who have lost their employment due to the pandemic and where they are not being paid by their employer. The age range provided for is consistent with other social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Non-Contributory) (20 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a State pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. Social welfare legislation provides that the personal representative of a deceased person who, at any time, received a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (20 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: For the duration of the pandemic, alternative payment arrangements, such as the option to have one’s payment made directly into a current account by electronic fund transfer (EFT), are accommodated at the request of a customer to the Department. This allows for the payment to be paid directly into a current account in any financial institution, whether that be with An Post, a bank or a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (20 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,557 schools and organisations benefitting 227,000 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: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I wish to confirm that my Department's staff have not received the Covid-19 vaccine to-date. The Department will await advice from the HSE in due course regarding any provision of vaccines to staff, in accordance with the National COVID-19 Vaccination Plan.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme (20 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My officials have advised that the person concerned has been awarded a Rent Supplement payment with effect from 1/10/2020. A payment of €5,612.20 for the period 1/10/2020 to 16/01/2021 was available in the nominated bank account of the person concerned on 14/01/2021. A Rent Supplement entitlement of €350.76 will issue weekly thereafter. I trust this clarifies the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 343 and 344 together. A review team has been set up in my Department to review claims from employees of the company concerned for the period between March and end-August when the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme was in payment. The Department is reviewing 2,668 claims for a jobseeker's payment and is writing to the individual employees requesting that they...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jan 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Signing for a cash payments in post offices is performed by means of an electronic signing pad. Disabling the signature pads was one of a number of temporary measures introduced in March 2020 to assist in reducing the spread of Covid-19. In agreement with my Department, An Post introduced fixed hand sanitiser units in all post offices and reactivated the signing pads in the post...