Results 11,661-11,680 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department can assist customers who meet the qualifying conditions with funding under the Training Support Grant (TSG).  The TSG is designed to fund quick access to short-term training or related interventions for Jobseekers who have identified work opportunities or where Case Officers have identified an immediate skills gap that represents an obstacle to a Jobseeker in taking up a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Statutory Instruments (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Occupational Pension Scheme (Revaluation) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 87 of 2021) were signed on 22nd February 2021, laid before the Oireachtas on the 3rd March 2021 and published on both the Department’s website and the Irish Statutebook site at - I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to an average of 372,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021.  The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.  The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. All decisions taken by Deciding Officers or Designated Persons of the Department of Social Protection are appealable to the Chief Appeals Officer.  About 85% of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Parental Leave (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is responsible for the administration of a range of benefits that support parents of new born and young babies.  In all circumstances, entitlement to claim benefit follows on from having an entitlement to the corresponding leave and the legislation covering the different forms of leave are the responsibility of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Disability allowance is a payment for persons between the ages of 16 and 66 with a specified disability which is expected to last at least 1 year, and who by reason of that disability, are substantially restricted in undertaking work suitable to their age, qualifications and experience.  Applicants must also satisfy a means test and be habitually resident in the State. The main...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to over 372,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021.  The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.  The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Process (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Legislation in the Department of Social Protection is driven mainly by commitments in the Programme for Government.  The legislative programme is also based on other Government policy priorities that seek to ensure that Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration legislation can respond to the evolving needs of society and, in particular, the Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department temporarily suspended Public Services Card (PSC) appointments and the online system used to manage those appointments. This decision was taken in order to comply with HSE and World Health Organization guidelines and help protect the health and well-being of our customers and staff.  Decisions regarding the reinstatement of these...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 981 and 982 together. My Department did not make any changes to the Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) scheme in 2020. PCB is a scheme which extends the welfare system by explicitly recognising and responding to the reality that some people with disabilities will have a capacity to engage in open market employment while continuing to need to receive...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 15 February 2021.  It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought.  When these papers have been received from the Department the case in question...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Carer's Allowance (24 Mar 2021)

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 on 07 May 2020. It is a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department received an application for Occupational Injury Benefit on the 24th December 2020. The person concerned was making an application for an illness arising out of an occupational accident that occurred on the 1st November 2016. Occupational Injury Benefit claims are only payable in respect of periods of illness occurring within 26 weeks from the date of an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) second chance education opportunities scheme is for jobseekers, lone parents and people with disabilities who would like to undertake a full-time education course at second or third level.  The main focus of the BTEA is to assist eligible individuals who are not in employment to improve their educational qualifications and increase their prospects...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 4 February 2021.  Their application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds as it was not found that she was substantially restricted in taking up employment.  The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 26 February 2021 and was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Local Employment Service (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is continuing to design the future model of employment service provision, and this will incorporate the learnings from the analysis of existing services as well as best international practice. Key to this process is ensuring that my Department has sufficient capacity in its employment service provision to support those individuals that are unemployed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Capital Expenditure Programme (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The capital allocation for my Department is primarily used to deliver IT modernisation and carry out refurbishments on the Department’s buildings.  The Department's building capital works are carried out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in accordance with Government Guidelines.  The Department may part-fund some of these works from its own capital budget. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards the cost of their winter heating needs. It is not intended to meet these costs in full. Only one allowance is payable per household. The main eligibility conditions for receipt of fuel allowance are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, satisfy a means test...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: In Budget 2012, it was announced that entitlement to a Community Employment payment and another Department of Social Protection payment at the same time would be phased out. From January 2012, new participants on the Community Employment scheme were no longer able to claim another social welfare payment at the same time. My Department does not retain data on whether a person has a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Support Payments (24 Mar 2021)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection is responsible for the administration of a range of benefits that support parents of new born and young babies.  In all circumstances, entitlement to claim benefit follows on from having an entitlement to the corresponding leave and the legislation covering the different forms of leave are the responsibility of the Department of Children,...